See what some of our
PATIENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT OUR WORK:

an ode to my ear-pieces

all day long friends
cool my ears
my fears

with fluid understanding
of this hectic future fever

the raging, raging
at the diminuendo in the melody –

but technology
stepped in

look, my helixes are now budding
verdant green fronds
as exquisitely engineered
ear-pieces dish up
decibels of terror
of glory
and of sweetness
unlimited.

Can you imagine the relief of NOT having to ask your business colleagues or friends to repeat what they had just said, as you had not heard them audibly the first time.

Well my son booked an appointment with NB Hearing, as the family were becoming frustrated with my gradual loss of hearing. I was very apprehensive at having hearing aids fitted but after having met with Anne Budden/Caine of NB Hearing I was convinced that this was the way to go.

Anne conducted the necessary audio tests and very patiently and professionally explained my area of loss and what hearing aids I should acquire.
Anne was very thorough in explaining the method of use, maintenance and how to get the best out of my Widex ,high definition hearing aids.

I can confidently say this was the best decision I made. The hearing aids have proved to be the answer and today I never have to ask anyone to repeat what they said.

If the batteries begin to run low I can simply adjust the volume on my cell phone via an APP.

Gwen and Sharon at the reception are the most welcoming and friendly people there are. Even coming in during the holiday to complete some paperwork was going the extra mile. Much appreciated.

We are never warned about protecting ones ears against extreme noise! In my case – Many years tuning racing cars!

From the moment I walked into NB Hearings rooms, I was struck with the wonderful friendliness from Sharon and Gwen.

Over the past years, I’ve noticed a problem in listening to conversation, sounding mumbled, particularly in a crowded environment.

Last year, Haneke tested my ears proving the suspicion, hearing loss. Not easy for a person who probably uses their ears more than most. I am blind… therefore rely on my hearing hugely. and lip reading is clearly out of the question!

Recently Anne Budden fitted me out with a pair of Widex’s. and “tuned” them beautifully to match my particular hearing loss. My surprise was the superb engineering the Widex has. So elegant, so easy to maintain, so tiny, unnoticeable, no one even sees I am wearing them!

I am most grateful to NB Hearing and Anne Budden for their superb understanding, kindness and above all their extraordinary expertise in the auditory field. It is almost like getting my sight back!

Greetings Natalie, many thanks for your compassionate, detailed and undivided attention during our hearing consultations. I will admit it had taken me some time to finally have my hearing checked… probably due to some denial and resisting admitting to the fact that I needed hearing aids.

I must say this experience has only been positive. From the initial appointment and all the new info you supplied me with to the very professional hearing tests and the fine-tuning done over the past weeks.I’m so pleased to be able to ‘ join in the conversations ‘ again and my kind friends who admitted to adjusting their speaking volume to accommodate me are really very pleased too!It’s surprising to now reflect on what a strain it has been in the past just to try to hear what others were saying not to mention the frustration of not being able to follow what was going on at the movies!

Many, many thanks for giving me back what we often just take for granted.

May I suggest that if you are having hearing issues make an appointment today with Natalie. You will never regret it.

Hearing Aids conjure up old men in elastic waisted trousers fiddling with wires coming out of their ears and trying to damp down the whistling sound that everyone else is forced to listen to. No one has a problem with wearing glasses but hearing aids…..uggh!

No more! Every single person I’ve told (and I’ve told EVERYBODY) that I now have hearing aids asks ‘but why aren’t you wearing them?’ I am – and I have very short hair – and they can’t believe it! People’s perceptions re hearing aids need to be changed; both of how tiny and hidden they are but more importantly how poor hearing impacts on so many other aspects of your mental health.

When you can’t hear well the brain receives garbled signals, forcing it to work harder to establish meaning from the message and the part of the brain needed for thinking and decision-making (very important) is the part that becomes overworked. And hearing loss, beginning with the mental stress, is tied to depression and cognitive decline.

I have gone on a bit but it was just so exciting finding out about this; all thanks to Hanneke. She explained everything thoroughly and carefully and was ALWAYS available to answer my questions. The whole package (weekly visits for testing, trying on, tweaking) were so professionally handled. I looked forward to my visits; for hearing aids can you believe?; In fact, everyone at NB Hearing were just delightful; caring and chatty every time I saw them. Cannot recommend NB Hearing and Hanneke enough and I will finish with this bon mot: it’s been shown that the worse the initial hearing loss was, the more likely the person was to develop dementia.

So make that call!

Thanks Hanneke and team

Dear Natalie,

Thank you for the professional care I have received when you assisted me in choosing and fitting my new hearing aids.

I was so impressed with your professionalism, knowledge of the latest technology and I appreciate how you took your time, and were so and kind as you reviewed the best options for me and explained every detail and answered all of my questions.

Your staff are delightful and efficient and my overall experience at your Audiology Practice was excellent!

Thank you!

Dear Natalie,

What can I say!

It’s been many years since I have been so delighted with a grudge purchase. I tried telling myself people were just mumbling, but once tested, I realised I really had a hearing deficiency.

Why my delight? Well, I am just so much more relaxed now that I can hear clearly.

I had no idea how much tension there was in trying to hear. I avoided talking on the phone, but now that the calls come through on the aids crystal clear, I am a happy chatter. I also love the added bonus of being able to listen to music on my iPhone.

I really want to thank you for making my unexpectedly quick adjustment to wearing the hearing aids. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your patience, your attention to detail, understanding of my concerns, and full explanations at each stage of the process. And I have to add that the sisters who cover reception and admin are terrific. This is one of the best service experiences I have ever had.

Thank you so much.

P.S. I’m beginning to think that ‘hearing aids’ have had a bad rap. We never say ‘seeing aids’. No, we call them GLASSES and we complement people on their frames. I suggest renaming hearing aids. Why not call them HEAR PODS? Baby Boomers are of an age to have hearing checked. Like glasses, if they need them, they want something ‘cool’ to wear.

My family has genetic sensorineural hearing loss. My uncle and cousins who live in Cape Town have been under Natalie Buttress’s care for many years and they have always rated her as the best in her field. When our 7 year old daughter was needing to be fitted with a new set of hearing aids and an FM system, my uncle offered to sponsor these and so we made our way to Cape Town to visit Natalie.

I could not have been more impressed by this very special lady. Natalie’s balance of professionalism and personal care is unmatched. Her vast knowledge of her field is astounding and we have received such clear, honest and concise information and guidance from her. Added to this is Natalie’s natural intuition and her ability to build genuine relationships with people of all ages. After spending just a few hours with Natalie, both Hannah and I felt we had made a friend. The support Natalie has given us has gone so far beyond the call of duty and I have come to trust her implicitly with all decisions regarding Hannah and her hearing. Just recently we made the trip from Durban to Cape Town for the sole purpose of getting Natalie’s expert opinion before making a major decision regarding cochlear implants for Hannah.

Natalie’s standard of service is excellent and she leaves “no stone unturned”, truly wanting the best for her patients. It is this that gives us the much-needed sense of security and confidence when making decisions that will have far-reaching consequences for our child. I could never thank Natalie enough for this.

Natalie Buttress has been so much more than an audiologist to Hannah. She is a blessing to her profession, her patients and their families.

Hi Natalie,

I hereby wish to thank you so much for putting in the extra mile in ensuring my comfort with a hearing aid provided by you. I came to you to discuss the fact that in the last ten years or so, I was totally unable to wear a hearing aid due to dermatitis and allergies. You were fully prepared to put me on trial to test a hearing aid that could be the answer to my problem which indeed it was.

I have been wearing it for the past two to three weeks and I am delighted to tell you that you have assisted me fully in improving my lifestyle. Every now and again, the itch does return, but without a vengeance, it is manageable after a few minutes so long as I persevere which is totally doable. I have been to many Audiologists, and I can honestly say that I am well on the way to enjoying my hearing aid instead of dreading it. Thank you so very much for taking the time to ensure my satisfaction.
Warmest regards

Dear Natalie – I am so happy that you, and my husband, encouraged me not to wait till next year to get my new Widex hearing aids. I was still okay with my 4 year old ones (also Widex), but the technological advances in these four years, are absolutely amazing. In the three weeks that I have used them, I have been to symphony concerts, movies, ate at noisy restaurants and I am really impressed.

I am also getting acquainted with using the hearing aid app on my iPhone for volume control, direction of sound changes, and bluetooth.

Thank you for your very professional and kind advice throughout.

Warm regards

Hi Natalie,

From the bottom of my heart with all sincerity (and Leon’s too) I want to thank each and every one of you for the most wonderful experience I had at your practice today. Gwen, and Sharon at reception, thank you for being such ‘Sweet Ladies’ on meeting me as I arrived.

Hanneke, a thank you to you too for your kindness shown and explaining to Leon “Die dingese” of hearing.

As the song goes… “I can SEE clearly now the RAIN has gone……” Replace SEE with HEAR and RAIN with SILENCE.

Love to ALL of you and YES I will be ‘Spreading’ the news to all who speak to me and that I will be clearly hearing!

Kindest regards,

I’ve had the most wonderful experience with NB Hearing.

From being in denial about my hearing loss for many years and being given all the wrong advice by other Audiologists, trying out other hearing aids that were just hopeless, I am now so grateful that I found NB Hearing. From my first appointment with Natalie, I was very nervous but she made me feel so comfortable and her wealth of knowledge was incredibly reassuring.

I am now confident about wearing my hearing aids as a result of the amazing guidance, feedback and support I continually receive from NB Hearing. The team have never made me feel like I’m an irritation or an inconvenience as, I’ve had many appointments to refine my hearing aid’s tones & settings so they suit me properly. The Widex range was suggested for me to use. These little devices are now very much part of my life, with hardly anyone knowing I even got them.

Thank you Natalie and Hanneke J

I write this in the hope that one skeptical person (like myself) may be convinced to finally make that move to improve their hearing.

For many years, I lived in a somewhat muted world & without knowing it,I adapted to a new lifestyle- avoiding many social situations, movies, telephone ( when possible)….etc  my kids finally convinced me to do something about it …in order to return to very basic communication- without lip reading.  So I did it!

Natalie tested my hearing  & sized me up for about 2 hours…a week later, another 2 hour fit & test ….& THAT WAS IT!!!

Been hearing ever since. So good that one can hardly remember how it was before. Simple to clean or replace a battery…& by no means do I ever know that I’m even wearing them. Almost completely unnoticable ,never adjusted or in fact ever done anything further , since getting them. Battery lasts over 10 days & it warns you when the battery is low. This is state of the art, the best there is at the moment…& I believe it.  I recently saw my first movie in years…what a treat! I now have to take real note of my wife’s moans for the first time…I can hear & participate in social talk….

The only negative side for me is that because I don’t feel the  hearing aids whatsoever, I have to be very careful to remember to remove them before swimming or showering. I have now posted a few signs ( of an ear) in strategic places & this has helped.

There are added adaptors for the phone & t.v. …etc.

Besides the success of this advanced technology, I found Natalie & Hanneke to be the most professional & delightful people to deal with. They care!! They know their job & I believe they will stand by you with any ongoing problem.

I am truly thankful.

I have been using my hearing aids some six months now and feel compelled to write and tell you how they have improved my life.

My hearing has been steadily deteriorating over the last 20 years, reaching a point when I could no longer actively enjoy group conversations, or noisy environments. Hearing was increasingly difficult and I had to concentrate to absorb even the gist of the chatter. I resisted noisy situations even lacking confidence to partake as I wasn’t sure I had heard all the detail.

It has been difficult adapting to the hearing aid sound and working out exactly what I needed and when and where, e.g. hearing in a car environment was totally different to that of a busy restaurant or shopping centre or watching TV or a movie. Thankfully, I had you as my guide, and slowly with your patience, support and professional help and guidance I have adapted to the new world of hearing sounds-long gone, and feeling part of the crowd in conversation rather than an outsider trying to make sense of what was being discussed from the few odd words I was hearing. I am indeed grateful to you and the technology available for having the pleasure of hearing properly. At my age I mix with many people who have hearing problems and have negative views on wearing hearing aids, either from what they have been told by other nay sayers, or the fear of being seen as afflicted in some way. My advice to all is, discard all fears and make the effort to wear aids, and persist with the will to adapt to what can enrich your life, in the end it’s well worth bridging the gap.

Thank you Natalie Buttress (and Hanneke)

Date 17 Feruary 2016

Prior to my visit to Natalie, I visited an audiologist in JHB. The experience was passive, friendly, however not very informative. The conclusion of the test were that I lost some hearing in the left ear.

I have been suffering with severe Tinnitus for quite some time. I also realised I was having a problem hearing. Hence the loss of hearing made sense, but my Tinnitus was just unbearable. On recommendation I visited Natalie Buttress.

From the moment I walked in her rooms, I was met with friendly and welcoming greetings. After a quick review of my issues and tests results, For the next 30mins I sat quietly and listened to this young lady extremely professionally articulate and outline my options in laymen terms and very intelligently helped me understand my problem a lot better.

The service, knowledge, caring and handholding through answering all my questions was extremely well received and I felt very taken care of. I think when we have serious ailments we look to be taken care of in a particular way. Natalie was professional in all our subsequent visits, she remain constant in her behaviour and whether the issue was small or big, I felt I was in great hands. Each issue was addressed and in the end we found a perfect solution. Each time I wear my hearing aids, I have a thought of Natalie and always feel comfort in knowing this was done with care and specialist knowledge. I intend to also fly back to Cape Town for my yearly visits with Natalie.

Thank you Natalie for all your kindness and taken care of me.

Greetings

Hello Carien

Hearing is my human right and you are enabling me to claim that privilege. I also want to recommend you to my friends as a worthy technician. Since you gave my hearing apparatus a tune up the squealing, shrieking and screeching in my ears has disappeared.

I am a happy customer and will speak to my contacts who never listen out of principle to join the club of people who in fact can hear, because with electronic adjustment, the message does arrive inside the brain. Although my hearing is electronically assisted my entire family is happy that I do not need enrol at the Goethe Institute where they teach lip reading. Thank you for a job well done.

Kind regards

Dear Natalie

I want to thank you for the wonderful transformation you have made to my life.
My husband is so thrilled that he no longer needs to incessantly repeat himself, now that I have been fitted with the wonderful Widex hearing aids.

It was a delight meeting you and you have such a wonderful personality. You made me feel totally at ease from the moment of my first appointment with you. You explained everything so clearly about my hearing & the use of my new hearing aids. The interview I had with you was so very professionally handled, and made me feel extremely at ease. Thank you. What a brilliant change the hearing aids have made to my life – I can now hear the birds singing beautifully. I once again wish to thank you for the wonderful difference you have made to my life.

Yours Sincerely

Here are some photos, taken last month when you were fitting my mother with her super-duper fabulous hearing aids.

These photos indicate the care and attention you bestow on your patients (in this case my 93 year-old mother), and the warm relationship which you manage to establish in such a short space of time. Really lovely to see, together with your obvious “top of the game” professional skills and experience, which you deliver clearly and without a hint of condescension for those of us unfamiliar with the sophisticated technicalities of modern hearing aids. It’s a winning combination, not only for my mother, whose hearing is now so much better and whose trust you have earned (no mean feat!) but also reassuring for me, in my position as the “faraway daughter”. Thank you so much for all of it, including your willingness to keep me in the loop with informative feedback emails – very much appreciated!

Bye for now

Dear Natalie

I am overwhelmed by this report. It is detailed, thorough and scientific. I have learned a lot. If my attempt to restore Mrs. “A”‘s anatomy is even half as impressive as the care that you have taken then I will count the op as successful.

Awestruck

Hi Natalie,

It has been 3 weeks since my visit to your rooms.

The hearing aid has made an immense improvement to my life I no longer have to insist that people speak louder and generally communication has become less frustrating. Digital sound has improved significantly and music and TV is now pleasurable.

I cannot emphasize my gratitude sufficiently we rarely meet people as kind and charitable as you and I will make every attempt at paying forward the generosity.

You will be abundantly blessed

I have been suffering from tinnitus and hearing loss for the last 5 years. I had been told that nothing could be done about the tinnitus and I would just have to live with it. Early one Sunday morning last year, I heard Natalie Buttress on Cape Talk radio discussing hearing loss and more importantly for me, tinnitus.

I had a two hour assessment with her where comprehensive tests were done. Natalie recommended a particular type of hearing aid which would help the hearing loss and the tinnitus. I have been wearing this aid for 4 months. It has changed my life I don’t shout when I speak, I can now follow conversations in noisy places, the volume on the TV has been turned down and the tinnitus has changed pitch and is not so noticeable anymore. Yeah. (the sound was high pitched like a cicada living in my head).

I would recommend Natalie to anyone with similar problems. She is caring, professional, nothing is too much trouble and the after sales service is fantastic. Thanks Natalie.

As I enjoy classical music a great deal I found the music setting on these aids brought a much richer and fuller sound that I had not noticed disappearing. The loss of hearing is slow and I have become accustomed to what I have had. No longer. Thanks to Natalie Buttress I can now hear my wife, can hold a conversation in a restaurant, and have a deeper enjoyment of music. And I can hear on the telephone for the first time in years. I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone with hearing loss. She has done wonders for me and I am deeply appreciative.

I want to cry of relief . . .

Suddenly wearing hearing aids is an altogether different ball game!

The kick-back action works like a dream.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for Rocking our World!

My search for an exceptional Audiologist resulted in a referral to Natalie Buttress Audiology, and I can honestly write a short story about the connections and research that finally culminated in an almost 3 hour Consultation!

I needed someone to listen to my concerns as a parent and understand my thought process behind my son’s amplification. Someone who could empower me with their knowledge, and allow me to make the best amplification decisions for my son. But most importantly, I needed someone who could connect with my 6 year old son, Kai.

Since meeting with Natalie, I can, with great confidence say, that she exceeded all our expectations. She is approachable, always professional, friendly, honest and direct. Natalie’s engaging and personable approach is inspiring. Her relaxed manner and warm smile charmed my little guy from day one!

Natalie’s dedication and willingness to be the difference in our world resulted in him receiving a donation of two brand new hearing aids from Widex with a 2 year guarantee!

Thank you Natalie for being so passionate about the work you do and thank you Widex for your generosity. You are in our hearts forever and a day…

Best regards

When consulting with Natalie with my deaf daughter we experienced a sympathetic and fully professional service, with no pressure to hurry or take short-cuts when explaining very complex technology!

Natalie Buttress has changed my life by providing me with the correct hearing aids with minimal stress. She is very professional, kind and never makes one feel uncomfortable, despite some very basic questions one asks. She is always available on the telephone and in consultation never rushes, making sure that the patient is completely satisfied when they leave her rooms.

Nothing is too much effort for her and she has a particularly kind and reassuring way of working with the elderly. No question is unimportant to her and she has the patience of Job! I highly recommend her for the small business award. She is very very deserving.

Over many years of hearing problems and many audiologists I had reached a stage where I believed that all Audiologists were in it for the money. For many of them it is “just a job” and they did not even remember you from visit to visit. All this changed once I became a patient of Natalie. Technically she is outstanding and her after care and genuine interest in your well being is rare, unique and very gratifying to her patients.

Natalie and Gwen at reception have the human touch and their approach is that the patient deserves the best possible. To be in Natalie’s care is a privilige. She really does care and has the skills and knowledge to deliver. She will leave no stone unturned to find the right solution at the most economical cost for you.

Thank you Natalie, I will always be grateful for the way you improve my life by offering me the best advice and care. The Name and contact number lines below are not working. Therefore it is hereby included in the text.

At the ‘ripe old age of 50’, I discovered that I was really struggling to hear some of the conversations around me. Natalie has helped me to understand the structure of the ear, and to determine the root cause of the problem that I was experiencing. She then had enormous patience, and a wealth of experience, a fascination with technology, and a caring approach to the ‘real person’ she was working with – all of which helped her to explain the various options to me.

In spite of my initial concerns, she helped me to choose a sustainable solution that has fundamentally changed my life. With the recent advice from Natalie, we have recently done ‘an upgrade’ to newer hearing aid technology, which has now made communication through my cellphone a ‘really cool’ experience. Over the past 6 years, Natalie has been supportive, caring, informed and instructive.

I really value her advice, and would recommend her holistic approach to the services that she offers to anyone who has problematic hearing. Thank you Natalie!!

Sunday 15/09/2013

I have just come back from one of those perfect Sunday lunches in the winelands good food, good company, a perfect setting and perfect hearing.

The restaurant was packed, and in a packed restaurant are lots of talk and noise, which can be very confusing; even more so when you have a hearing problem.

A few weeks ago I consulted with Natalie about a tinnitus I had developed over the last half year or so and which had become very irritating. She suggested to replace my existing Widex hearing aid (which we did) with a newer model with a so-called Zen Programme, which has been developed to help with tinnitus (and really does the trick).

Natalie and I both love our iPhones and iPads and she gave me a Widex M-Dex unit which reproduces my iPhone conversations directly into my hearing aid via Bluetooth and, much more interesting, the movie sound from my iPad on those long overseas flights.

And, coming back to the restaurant, I can set my M-Dex to focus in selected directions like front, left, right and behind so I do not have to turn my head and I can blend out most of the conversation around me and concentrate on that around the table.

And it comes in very handy on the way home when the driver – just having had litres of boring mineral water – does not want to listen to his passengers wine-infused conversations on the back seat.

Thank you Natalie!

Hello Natalie

II have been very longwinded to write to thank you for the best help in the world that I could have ordered. Thank you for care you took to convince an utter sceptic and show me the right way.I wanted to write you a short testimonial of my experience, so that hopefully, you can put it on your website (where I found you), and other people may be able to see what has happened to me. Here goes:

I am not someone who would normally do this but I have received such expert help from Natalie that I felt she needed more than just a heartfelt “thank you”. My son had been searching on the internet to source reasonably priced hearing aids in the Cape Town area, when he came across Natalie’s web-site. The web-site impressed him enough to send Natalie an exploratory email requesting some information. Her prompt, warm and professional response convinced him that she was the help we had been searching for.

Up to that point, I had almost given up even bothering to find a solution to my hearing loss that would suit me. I had been to see two audiologists already but their lack of care and service left me feeling disillusioned about ever being treated like anything else but a bothersome “little old lady”. I had legitimate questions about my situation that I felt were never given serious consideration and left me with more questions than answers.

From the minute I met Natalie, she treated me with the compassion and patience I had not found elsewhere. I felt comfortable enough to ask all the “silly” questions that had been bothering me and she went into detail explaining the physical causes of my hearing loss and all possible solutions. She even made it possible for me to give some hearing aids a trial run to see what would be the best fit for me.

I am experiencing and “hearing” things that I have missed for a long time!!!

I truly am indebted to Natalie for giving me a new “First day of the rest of my life”!”

Hoping you are keeping well, and say regards to Gwen

Regards and thank you

I have been blown away by the world class level of service and dedication, which I received from Dr. Natalie Buttress. Her in depth knowledge & use of the most cutting edge technology is very impressive. Yet, beyond all those most important aspects, was her empathy, patience & caring, throughout this emotional journey, for my well being and peace of mind.

Natalie exudes humanity and warmth and we were able to create a relationship of mutual trust and respect. Originally, I was not a willing subject, but Natalie gently steered me across the bridge, which I needed to travel.

I have been empowered with confidence to re enter and conquer the hearing world with all its many challenges. Much gratitude and thanks to Natalie and her warm and welcoming team, Sharon and Gwen.