• It is important that we are as efficient as possible with our travel times for the reasons stated above. Sometimes we won't know until the day before who we are due to home consultation, and whereabouts they live. We may therefore contact you beforehand to rearrange the consultations for the day. We would very much appreciate your co-operation and understanding in this because one day we may be rescheduling for your benefit, in order to fit your appointment in.
• Roads in Devon and Cornwall can be particularly busy during the Summer.
• It is to everyone's benefit that you have someone with you during your home visit where possible.
• We will never call at your home unless you (or someone acting on your behalf) has requested us to do so.
• In your home please remember we cannot control the acoustic environment as easily as we can at one of our centres. We therefore like to use a room that is as free as possible from ambient noise and distractions. For example, if we are carrying out a hearing test in your kitchen, we may request that you temporarily turn off the refrigerator.

If we are visiting you at home, we will tend to give you vague times for our arrival, so please bear this in mind if you have any other commitments for the day we are visiting. We will tend to say something like "Early Morning" or "Late Afternoon" when you make your appointment.

The reasons we provide such general times are:

1. We like to spend as much time with you as you need. Because of this, sometimes an appointment can run on longer than we expect. This may have an impact on the time we arrive at the subsequent appointments.
2. It is sometimes difficult to predict how long it will take us to travel between appointments. Traffic, the weather, diversions are just some of the things that may affect our estimated travel times.

There is currently no charge for Home Visits if:

1. If you have an ongoing support plan with Broom Reid & Harris, and
2. You live within Devon or Cornwall (some parts of Somerset and Dorset may also be covered), and
3. You can see us on one of the days we have scheduled for your area.

There may be a charge for a home visits where:

1. You want us to consultation you on a day we do not normally carry out home visits in your area.
2. For the installation/demonstration of an assistive listening device.
3. You do not have an ongoing support contract with us.
4. If you agree to an appointment but are not there when we arrive.

1. How long it will take us to travel to where you live.
2. What impact our travel to you has on the environment.

We therefore try to group our Home visits by geographical area. So for example, we will tend to consultation the South Hams on one particular day, and North Devon on another. This enables us to spend less time travelling, and more time with each of our clients.

By spending less time travelling, we can also reduce our carbon footprint and our effect on the environment.

But we also understand that sometimes a problem just can't wait. For example, if you have a severe hearing loss and your hearing aids stop working, we will make every effort to get to you as quickly as possible.

As a former BBC radio presenter my hearing has always been important to me, which is why my hearing loss was not obvious to me at first.

I was convinced that my husband was mumbling, my daughter’s diction had disintegrated and that the television needed to be turned up louder because the sound quality on new televisions was obviously not as good as on the old ones.

However, after some persuasion from my family a home visit was arranged with Broom Reid & Harris. Experts there identified some hearing loss, and I was fitted with a hearing aid.

All of a sudden I could hear the birdsong and the falling rain, and I could tell that my husband was not mumbling and that my daughter’s diction was perfect! They have noticed a great difference, and I am no longer accusing my husband of muttering through his beard.

My loss of hearing was so gradual that it was a surprise to have it confirmed.

My new hearing aid has made all the difference, and the staff at Broom Reid & Harris were very pleasant, patient and helpful indeed.

Margaret Mulhern

Home Visits are available for:

• Hearing Tests at home
• Confidential Hearing Aid Fittings at home
• Fine Tuning of hearing aids & Rehabilitation at home
• Ongoing maintenance of hearing aids at home
• General support for hearing aid users at home
• To set up asssistive listening devices in situ at home

You would benefit from this service if:

• If confidentiality and privacy are important
• If you are housebound
• If you are disabled
• If you don't have transport
• If you are elderly
• In special circumstances such as farming during lambing season or a parent with young children
• If you are in a nursing home or retirement home
• If you are in hospital
• People in rural areas with limited access to public transport