Bone conduction aids are fitted when conventional hearing aids aren’t suitable due to the physical condition of the ear.
Conductive hearing loss that is not permanent
Some clients use a bone conduction aid to help them hear until medical treatment has successfully treated their ear condition – for example, children who experience repeated ear infections.
When we expect that you will not need to wear a hearing aid in the long term, we may provide a fully subsidised bone conduction aid for use on a headband or hat.
Permanent conductive hearing loss
Other clients may need to use a bone conduction aid permanently, for example if their outer ear has not formed completely, or if an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist has advised against use of a conventional hearing aid for medical reasons.
In this case, we may provide a bone conduction aid for each ear, if needed, to use on a headband.
If you need to wear a bone conduction aid permanently, we also provide sound processors for implantable bone conduction systems if your ENT specialist agrees that you are medically suitable for the implant.
“Single Sided Deafness” and bone conduction implants
If you have a profound, sensorineural hearing loss in one ear only (often called “Single Sided Deafness”), and wish to consider a bone conduction implant, then you will need to contribute to the cost of the sound processor. Clients with ‘Single Sided Deafness” who wish to use a fully subsidised device have the option of:
A CROS aid - a hearing system that uses a microphone on the poorer-hearing ear to detect sound and send it to an aid on the better-hearing ear, or
A Remote Microphone System that transmits sound to a receiver that is worn on the better hearing ear.
Loss and damage
If your fully subsidised bone conduction device has been lost or damaged beyond repair, we will replace it with another from our current range. If you contributed to the cost of your device, then you can choose to be refitted with a fully subsidised device or to contribute to the cost of the replacement.
If your bone conduction aid is lost or needs to be sent away for repair, we can provide you a loan device. If it is not possible to provide a loan device that is the same as your personal aid, we will provide one that has been set to match your own aid as closely as possible, and which has the necessary safety features. When you use your personal bone conduction device with an implant, you may need to wear the loan aid on a headband.
Replacing your bone conduction aid or sound processor
We expect that you will use your bone conduction aid for at least seven years before replacement, unless your hearing or other communication needs change. (For example, if you need to start using a remote microphone system and this is not possible with your current hearing aid).
If none of these conditions apply to you, but you would like to get a new device, then you can choose to contribute to the cost of the device.
*Conditions apply under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program
