At-Home Hearing Test Services

An at home hearing test gives you access to professional hearing care without needing to travel to a clinic or high-street practice. Instead, a qualified audiologist visits you with the portable equipment needed to assess your hearing in familiar surroundings.

With OutsideClinic, your appointment is carried out by an HCPC-registered audiologist who can assess your hearing and overall ear health, explain the results and discuss the next steps with you.

It can be a convenient option if getting out and about is difficult, but you don’t need to have mobility problems to choose hearing care at home. It simply gives you another way to look after your hearing without making a separate journey to a clinic.

What is an at home hearing test?

An at home hearing test is a professional hearing assessment carried out where you live.

Rather than attending a hearing clinic, your audiologist brings the necessary portable testing equipment to you. OutsideClinic’s equipment allows the same areas of your hearing and overall ear health to be assessed as during a hearing test in a practice or clinic.

Your audiologist can then explain the results during your appointment and discuss whether any further action may be appropriate.

Who carries out your at home hearing test?

OutsideClinic home hearing tests are carried out by HCPC-registered audiologists.

Your audiologist is there to do more than carry out the tests themselves. They’ll take time to understand the difficulties you’ve been experiencing, assess your hearing, explain the results and answer your questions.

If your assessment indicates that hearing aids could help, your audiologist can also discuss suitable options based on your hearing and individual needs.

What happens during an at home hearing test?

Your home hearing appointment is designed to give your audiologist a clear understanding of your hearing and any difficulties you’re experiencing.

The exact appointment can vary depending on your needs, but there are several key stages you can expect.

Talking about your hearing

Before testing begins, your audiologist will take time to discuss your hearing with you.

You can explain any changes you’ve noticed and the situations you find particularly difficult. For example, you might be struggling to follow conversations, finding background noise more distracting or needing to turn the television up louder than you used to.

Understanding how your hearing affects your everyday life gives your audiologist useful context for the assessment.

Checking your ears and hearing

Your audiologist will use professional portable equipment to assess your hearing and overall ear health.

Although some of the devices used for a home appointment may look different from equipment found in a permanent clinic, OutsideClinic states that the same areas of your hearing and ear health are tested.

Your audiologist will guide you through the assessment and explain what you need to do at each stage.

Receiving your hearing test results

Once the assessment is complete, your audiologist can explain your results during the appointment.

This gives you the opportunity to understand what the hearing test has found and ask questions about anything you’re unsure about.

If hearing loss is identified, your audiologist can explain what the results mean and discuss the options available to you.

Discussing hearing aids if appropriate

If your hearing test indicates that hearing aids could help, your audiologist can talk you through suitable options.

The right hearing aid can depend on factors including the level of hearing loss you have, your lifestyle, the environments you spend time in, the features you would find useful and your personal preferences.

Your audiologist can use this information alongside your test results to help you understand which options may suit you.

Is an at home hearing test as thorough as a clinic hearing test?

Having your hearing tested at home does not mean receiving a less thorough assessment.

OutsideClinic uses modern portable equipment that allows its hearing specialists to carry out hearing tests in the same way as they would in a practice or clinic. While the exact devices can sometimes differ, the same areas of your hearing and overall ear health are assessed.

OutsideClinic also states that the quality of the results and diagnoses is of the same standard as its practice or clinic-based hearing tests.

The main difference is that the audiologist and equipment come to you, rather than you travelling to them.

What are the benefits of an at home hearing test?

Bringing professional hearing care into your home can make the process more convenient and comfortable, particularly if travelling to appointments isn’t easy.

No journey to a hearing clinic

One of the clearest benefits is convenience. Your audiologist comes to your home, so you don’t need to arrange transport or travel to and from a hearing clinic.

For people who find getting out and about more difficult, this can make professional hearing care much easier to access.

Have your hearing tested somewhere familiar

A hearing assessment can involve discussing personal experiences and the difficulties you’ve been having with your hearing.

Having that conversation in your own home may help you feel more comfortable and relaxed throughout the appointment.

Have a family member or loved one with you

You can have a family member, friend or carer present during your home appointment if you would like them to be there.

This can be particularly helpful if someone close to you has also noticed changes in your hearing or if you would appreciate another person being present when your results and options are discussed.

Professional equipment comes to you

You don’t need to provide specialist equipment or prepare a clinical space in your home.

Your OutsideClinic audiologist brings the portable testing equipment required for the hearing assessment with them.

Time to ask questions

An OutsideClinic home hearing appointment will normally last between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on your needs and what your audiologist discovers about your ear health.

This allows time for the assessment itself as well as discussing your hearing, explaining your results and answering your questions.

Who might benefit from an at home hearing test?

An at home hearing test can be particularly helpful for someone who finds travelling to appointments difficult, but the service isn’t only for people who are housebound.

You may prefer an at home hearing test if you:

• find travelling or getting out and about difficult
• would rather have your hearing assessed somewhere familiar
• rely on somebody else for transport
• would like a relative, friend or carer to be present
• simply prefer the convenience of receiving hearing care at home.

The important thing is that you can access a professional hearing assessment in a way that works for you.

When should you consider having your hearing tested?

Hearing changes can develop gradually, so you may not always notice them straight away.

You might benefit from a professional hearing assessment if you’ve started asking people to repeat themselves, find conversations harder to follow or regularly need to turn up the volume on your television or radio.

Other signs can include struggling to hear when there is background noise, finding telephone conversations more difficult or feeling as though other people are mumbling.

If you’re concerned about a change in your hearing, an assessment can help establish what you’re hearing clearly and where you may be experiencing difficulties.

How long does an at home hearing test take?

OutsideClinic hearing appointments typically last between 60 and 90 minutes, although the exact length depends on your individual circumstances and what your audiologist finds during the assessment.

This gives your audiologist time to understand your hearing concerns, carry out the appropriate checks and talk you through the results.

Can someone arrange an at home hearing test for a loved one?

Yes. You can arrange an OutsideClinic home hearing appointment for a parent, relative or someone else you support.

A family member, friend or carer is also welcome to be present during the appointment.

This can make home hearing care particularly convenient for families supporting someone who finds attending appointments away from home more difficult.

What happens if hearing aids are recommended?

If your hearing assessment shows that hearing aids could help, your audiologist can discuss the available options with you.

Different hearing aids suit different levels of hearing loss, lifestyles and personal preferences. OutsideClinic offers a range of styles and technologies, and your audiologist can help you understand which may be appropriate for you.

If you choose to purchase hearing aids from OutsideClinic, your hearing care can continue at home. OutsideClinic can arrange another home visit to check that your hearing aids fit comfortably and are working correctly, as well as showing you how to use and care for them.

At home hearing tests for care home residents

Home-based hearing care can also be particularly useful for people living in residential or nursing care.

Bringing the hearing assessment to the person can remove the need to organise transport to a separate clinic and allows the appointment to take place in familiar surroundings.

OutsideClinic provides home hearing services for individuals as well as people living in residential and nursing homes.

At home hearing test or online hearing check: what’s the difference?

An online hearing check and an in-person hearing test serve different purposes.

An online check can provide an initial indication of how well you’re hearing. An at home hearing test involves an audiologist visiting you in person, using professional equipment to assess your hearing and overall ear health and discussing the results with you.

If you want a comprehensive professional assessment of your hearing, an appointment with a qualified audiologist provides much more information than an online check alone.

How do I prepare for an at home hearing test?

You don’t need to make complicated preparations before your appointment.

It can be helpful to think about the hearing difficulties you’ve noticed and the situations in which they occur. If you already use hearing aids, have them available for your audiologist to see.

You may also want to make a note of any questions you have. And if you would like a relative, friend or carer to join you, they can be there for the appointment too.

Arrange your OutsideClinic at home hearing test

You don’t have to travel to a clinic to have your hearing professionally assessed. OutsideClinic brings qualified hearing care and professional testing equipment directly to your home.

Arrange your OutsideClinic at home hearing test today and have your hearing assessed by an HCPC-registered audiologist in familiar surroundings.