Seventy-eight-year-old Paul (Lyn) Thomson received his cochlear implant last November, but he wasn’t happy at first. “I got my cochlear implant, but at first I didn’t want it,” says Tirau-based Lyn. “I didn’t want it and I wanted to take it out until I came to The Hearing House and met the whānau support counsellor, Hazel. “She was amazing – she helped me hugely. That was a real turning point for me.” Lyn, who’s a keen dancer, says his hearing first started to deteriorate aro

Kiritaki/client Annette Barker recently came into The Hearing House to tell the team about her experience with Tina, her Hearing Dog, and how she’s changed her life. Born on Valentine’s Day 2024, Tina is a golden Cavoodle – a King Charles spaniel and miniature poodle cross -- and one of only a handful of certified hearing dogs in New Zealand. Trained through Hearing Dogs NZ  in New Plymouth, she helps Annette by alerting her to important sounds — the doorbell, an alarm, or so

Quota Papakura, a valued supporter of The Hearing House over the past quarter of a century, has celebrated its 50 th  anniversary of service to the local community. The Hearing House CEO Dr Claire Green joined other guests of Quota Papakura at the Karaka celebrations, including Grant Searchfield, Head of the Department of Audiology at the University of Auckland and co-director of the Eisdell Moore Centre.  Professor Searchfield was a past recipient of a Quota Papakura scholar

Seventy-eight-year-old Maiva Keatley, who lives in Huntly with her husband Dennis and Holly, their poodle/bichon cross, first noticed a change in her hearing following chemotherapy in her 30's.  She says it started gradually, and she found herself asking people to repeat things more often, especially in noisy places. In her role as a healthcare assistant, she says she was no longer able to hear blood pressure monitors and eventually had to retire from her job.   “I used to th

Holly Teagle, The Hearing House’s Clinical Director, addressed a global audience of advocates, clinicians, and cochlear implant recipients at the recent Cochlear Implant International Community of Action (CIICA) global conference held in Brussels.   Around 150 participants from around the world came together under the theme Where Science Meets Experience to share strategies, challenges and successes in advocating for sustainable cochlear implant services. Real-time captioning

Thirteen-year-old Nate Liefting from Bombay, Auckland, travelled to Canberra this week to represent The Hearing House at the Power of Speech event in Canberra, hosted by member organisation First Voice.  Dr Claire Green, CEO of The Hearing House, was in Canberra to support Nate and represent New Zealand alongside him — a proud moment for everyone involved.  Nate Liefting with his family and The Hearing House CEO Dr Claire Green in front of the Australian Parliament Held at th

Last Friday — Loud Shirt Day — The Hearing House team, joined by our friends from Deaf Aotearoa, teamed up with Salesforce for a Loud Shirt Day celebration like no other: a mini-golf tournament at Holey Moley!    Everyone arrived in their boldest, brightest shirts, ready for some friendly competition, plenty of laughs, and a shared goal — to support Kiwis with hearing differences.  The afternoon was full of colour, connection, and community spirit, perfectly capturing what Lo

Thirteen-year-old Nate Liefting loves swimming, so he was devastated when he had to give up going to lessons three years ago because he couldn’t hear what the instructor was saying in the water.  But with the aid of his cochlear implants and an Aqua Kit, he’s excited to start lessons again this summer and finally hear his friends again at the pool.  Next week, Nate will be travelling to the Australian Parliament in Canberra to represent The Hearing House at the annual Power o

Last month marked a truly special milestone for Alison Winstanley and her family — her admission as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand. This means Alison is now a qualified lawyer, authorised to represent clients and provide legal advice, a remarkable achievement and the culmination of years of dedication, study, and support. Alison also holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), further showcasing her drive and expertise.  Alison Wins