Inner West Hearing is able to supply a number of devices to assist people with their hearing for use both with hearing aids or independently; such as amplified telephones for the hearing impaired or alternate devices to assist hearing other than hearing aids such as infra-red headphones for the TV or earphones and a microphone unit to simply amplify speakers voices (ideal for people in nursing homes or those with dexterity concerns).

Frequency Modulated (FM) systems are designed to improve the signal to noise ratio of the person using the device. Put simply, the device transmits a speaker’s voice directly to the listeners’ ears via an FM signal which is effectively like having the person speak directly in to your ear. They are the most effective way of improving a person’s hearing in noisy environments.

These devices are extremely beneficial to a child diagnosed with a hearing loss, an Auditory Processing Disorder or general listening difficulties in the classroom as they assist in reducing distractions / competing noise and significantly enhance a child’s ability to hear what the teacher is saying as the teacher’s voice is brought directly to the child’s ear.

The devices are also useful in assisting adults who experience listening difficulties in more challenging listening situations such as at family gatherings, in restaurants or cafes and can be used in conjunction with hearing aids.

Evidence based research which looked at brainstem responses before and after using an FM system showed that those using the FM system became better at attending to sound and then sending this message to the brain. The brain became better at processing speech and that it makes a long term beneficial change to the brain (Hornickel et al 2012).