If you’re missing out in conversation with the people around you, it may well be because of your hearing.
Hearing is a vital sense for relationship building. But most people do not actually want to hear more. Rather, they want to connect with people better, through better hearing.
If you notice yourself mishearing when others are walking away from you, or when you are in a noisy place such as a restaurant or café, or if others have commented that your preferred television volume is too loud, then a comprehensive hearing assessment is for you.
Sudden hearing losses are a medical emergency. Please call us now if your hearing has suddenly changed in one or both ears within the past 72 hours and we will try and organise an urgent appointment.
1 The assessment takes up to 45 minutes and covers several stages, each adapted to your specific concerns. We begin by exploring your reason for attendance, for example, any trouble you might have hearing (such as with particular people, or in noisy places). We’d like to know more about your background and of any related issues you might have (eg hearing better in one ear, family history of hearing issues, tinnitus).
6 We discuss these results with you so you can understand your unique results in a personalised way.
We can also comment on potential management strategies for tinnitus or hearing in background noise.
If you need hearing aids, we will outline next steps but invite you to return to discuss your options in a Hearing Solutions Discussion appointment when you are ready. This may then lead into a Hearing Aid Trial.
✓ You are a capable adult who finds yourself struggling to hear at work.
✓ You have a family history of hearing issues.
✓ You have difficulty understanding others in noisy places.
✓ You suspect that your hearing isn’t as sharp as it used to be.
✓ You find yourself missing jokes and conversations in social settings.
✓ Your ears frequently feel blocked.
✓ You suspect a sudden hearing loss in one or both ears.
✓ You would simply like to learn more about your hearing.
✓ You have previously attended Hearing Australia as a child and need someone to support you in your hearing journey as an adult.
✓ You want to get a detailed baseline to pre-empt any future loss of hearing.
✓ You are frustrated by asking others to repeat or speak up only to be told “don’t worry about it” or “I’ll tell you later”.
✓ Others have commented that you’re not hearing quite as well.
✓ Others treat you as if you are stupid or a bad listener when it’s actually your hearing.
✓ There is buzzing, ringing or other sounds in one of both of your ears (tinnitus).
✓ You are thinking of trying hearing aids and other technology.
You don’t need a referral or a confirmed diagnosis to book — if something feels off, that’s reason enough to come in.
Obtain a doctor’s referral to ensure Medicare rebates (not required to book an appointment with us, but there’s no rebate without one). Please fill in the intake form sent in your confirmation email and text if you are new, and arrive 5–10 minutes early at our Ivanhoe or Melbourne CBD clinic.
We start by listening to your concerns and your history.
We take images of your ears, assess middle ear function, and run an automated hearing check. We then progress into our sound booth together to obtain more detailed responses from you with tones, words in quiet and sentences in background noise.
We walk you through what we found and what it means, on the day.
A report is sent to your GP and any referring specialist, usually within 1–2 days. We’ll recommend a follow-up interval (usually 12 monthly) and outline next steps if you’d like to do something about your hearing.
Ruby grew up nearby in Macleod and worked regionally in Victoria before joining us. She became an audiologist after seeing the impact of hearing loss on her grandfather, who she’s now able to help. A former tennis coach, she’s excellent with children and puts every patient at ease.
Dr Gerard lives locally and wants to help you and your loved ones hear better for better human relationships and connections. Born hearing impaired, he has worn hearing aids since he was 15, and is passionate about creating the audiology experience he wished his own family had growing up.
261 Waterdale Road, Ivanhoe VIC 3079
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am-6:30pm
Free on-site parking, easy access for prams, walkers and wheelchairs.
Suite 207, 488 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tuesday and Thursday, 9:15am – 5:15pm
Trams at the door and two train stations close by — well suited to public transport.
45-minute appointment
New patients
$195
$190
Medicare: a rebate applies with a valid GP or specialist referral — we process your claim on-site. The rebate typically ranges from approximately $45 to $105.
Private Health Insurance: may cover some of this cost depending on your Extras coverage.
HCC holders: Receive a 5% discount off services.
Pensioners: Receive a 10% discount off services if they are not already eligible for the Hearing Services Program, where services may be fully subsidised. Mention this when booking.
DVA: Gold and White card holders (Hearing Specified) may be eligible for fully subsidised services through the Hearing Services Program.
No, you do not, but it is necessary to have a referral to access a Medicare rebate. The referral needs to be from a medical practitioner (eg GP, ENT specialist, geriatrician). Unfortunately, referrals from allied health professionals (eg Optometrist, Physiotherapist, Osteopath, Psychologist) do not attract Medicare rebates.
We offer services under Medicare, private health, DVA, and the Hearing Services Program (pension). Hear With Me does not offer Workcover services. Notwithstanding the programs above, we offer HCC holders 5% off services and pensioners 10% off.
Up to 45 minutes. We focus on your hearing history and assessment procedures, and have enough time to explain your results in detail. We usually ask you to return to discuss hearing aid options if you are thinking of going down that path.
Yes — you’re welcome to bring whoever will help support you during the appointment. A loved one can usually describe aspects of your hearing that you may not have even noticed yourself. Please note that our focus is always on you and your story, as helpful as it is to have a loved one present at the appointment.
We ask that you arrive a few minutes earlier to complete any administrative paperwork. If you have a referral or any previous hearing results, we ask that you also bring these to the appointment or email it to us ahead of time so we can compare at our appointment.
Once a hearing loss is present, we usually aim to test every 12 months, although this window can be longer if the hearing loss is not progressing quickly.
For adults with no known hearing concerns, we recommend a baseline assessment in your 50s, or earlier if you have risk factors such as noise exposure or a family history of hearing loss, and retesting every 3–5 years thereafter.
Then you will be in good hands. Hearing loss can be a surprise for many people when they discover it for the first time, but we are here to accompany you with your feelings, thoughts, questions and next steps (in your time). Dr Gerard himself has hearing loss.
It depends on what is causing the hearing loss. Most hearing losses in adult are considered sensorineural – meaning it is occurring in the cochlea or cochlear nerve and is therefore permanent and unfixable (except perhaps with devices such as hearing aids or, when worse, cochlear implants). There are also conductive hearing losses that can be resolved either by appropriate methods (eg ear wax removal for wax, or antifungal drops for fungal growths) or surgery (such as for conditions including persistent otitis media with effusion or otosclerosis).
Only if you want us to. People seek to get their hearing tested for a vast variety of reasons. We usually separate our discussions about hearing aids to a separate appointment if you are also seeking to improve your hearing again should you have hearing loss.
Our focus is on obtaining a comprehensive and accurate portrayal of your ear and hearing difficulties. Our practice model does not rely on offering you a free hearing test as a precursor to trying to have you purchase hearing aids. Please note that eligible pensioners or DVA White (hearing specified) or Gold car members can receive services through the Hearing Services Program, which we are a provider for. We can bulk bill some people only for exceptional circumstances – please discuss this with us if you need this assistance.
We rely on both visual cues (such as looking at the ear drum) and objective results from tympanometry and DPOAEs which can indicate if there is middle ear fluid (i.e., a suggestion if surgery is needed) and/or a hearing loss present.
Yes. Sudden hearing loss — particularly in one ear, or accompanied by dizziness — requires urgent assessment, ideally within 72 hours. If your hearing has changed suddenly in the past few days, call us now on 03 9002 4237 and we will do our best to see you the same day. If we cannot accommodate you urgently, we will direct you to the appropriate care pathway.
Tinnitus is any sound that you hear that does not come from the outside. This may be a buzzing, ringing, the sound of cicadas, the ocean or another sound. Hearing loss is a major explainer of tinnitus, and our Comprehensive Hearing Assessment allows us to get detailed information about whether your ear or hearing may be the cause of your tinnitus, and therefore what can be done about it. If tinnitus is your primary concern, we actually suggest that you book for our hour-long Tinnitus Assessment instead, as it will allow for more time that our 45-minute long Comprehensive Hearing Assessment instead.
Read our 225+ combined Google Reviews for Ivanhoe or Melbourne CBD.
“I had a fantastic experience at Hear With Me Audiology. Dr Gerard was patience, reassuring, and highly knowledgeable. He clearly explained each step of the assessment, which helped me feel at ease with the whole process. He took the time to listen to my concerns, answered all my questions, and conducted a thorough examination of my ears. I would highly recommend Hear With Me Audiology to anyone.”
D Heryanto – Ivanhoe
“Dr Gerard was great! I was pretty nervous going in for testing and he was reassuring and thorough, explaining the tests and my results clearly as well as answering all my questions. Thankyou again for your care and professional skills, your advice will be really helpful going forward 🙂”
Marita – Ivanhoe
“Ruby was excellent – thorough, patient, informative and totally professional. Highly recommended.”
Michael – Ivanhoe
“What truly stands out is Dr Gerard’s empathy and support for those dealing with hearing issues. Dr. Gerard provided exceptional service, going above and beyond my expectations. He carefully explained each step and result, making the session highly informative. The clinic is modern with top-notch equipment, and the online pre-registration system is quick and easy also Many thanks to Sunny, the wonderful office admin, for her helpfulness and warm professionalism. Highly recommend!”
Sina – Ivanhoe
If you have existing hearing aids from anywhere and want to either optimise what you have or explore any new options suitable for you.
If you have previously undertaken a hearing assessment and want to explore your hearing aid or rehabilitation options.
If you don’t think you have a hearing issue, but just a problem with ear wax or a blocked ear.
If you suspect a hearing issue with one of your children.
Blocked Ears
Whether you are already aware of a hearing issue or you have been asked to have your hearing checked by your doctor, we are here to support you and your loved ones gently each step of the way. We want you to feel confident in managing your ears and hearing.
If you have any questions about our Comprehensive Hearing Tests for Adults, then feel free to reach out to our admin team by phone or email.
Call for same day appointment such as with sudden hearing loss situations.
