True, there is a lot of info on the internet. I feel however that it does not really apply to me. Take my bifocals for instance. I could not live without them, need them for the computer, the newspaper, books, driving, etc, etc. Would not have passed my driver's lic exam without them. They are an absolute must and I have a good pair. There is a Vision center in Long Beach, fairly well known, where you can get a set of bifocals for $160. All inclusive, exam, glasses and all. That's about as much as the copay and 20% of that useless insurance I have. I was hoping of finding something like that for hearing aids but it does not seem to exist. My hearing loss is a different matter. People that know me, family and friends, know that they need to speak little louder, I know I must face them with my good ear. Radio and TV are no problem I just turn them up, since my biological rhythm calls for me to be unconscious by 10:PM, I don't think that bothers anyone. Phone also has a volume adjustment. I don't attend any important meetings. Since the average age at orchid societies hovers around 80, sound amplification is usually more than adequate. This truly is a nuisance, nothing more, I may just do nothing or throw a few hundred dollars at a cheap sound amplifier. Let's see what turns up south of the border. Nick PS We actually do have a lot of young active members but certainly a good selection of silverbacks most of them hard of hearing like myself.

Well after checking with ENT I decided to do some research, so Google here I am!I found a place called Hearing Planet & called them. They sent me lots of literature on their products avail. It seems they are some sort of clearing house between manufacturer and audiologists. They set up an appointment for me with a hearing aid firm right here in town. Went to him and yes his degrees in this field were visible and authentic. In some cases he could beat the price of that which H.Planet quoted. After he recommended the type that I would need, he called H.Planet & told them about the difference. They agreed on his price, which saved me a few dollars, then he took the ear canal impressions and in about 12 days I went in for the fitting. I'm impressed by the service I get from H.Planet and this young audiologist has been very thorough., I couldn't leave his office till I got the hang of inserting the device, then he fine tuned it for me and I go back in a week to see if I need more adjustments. Total amount was $2300. with cleaning kit, travel kit & a supply of batteries, etc. However when I went outside to parking lot, I soon found out what a noisey world I live in. Biggest thrill and also the scaryest.The traffic noises, plus a weird noise in my car upset me till I realized the directional lever was on. At home, every footstep on my hardwood floors was heard. Passed by telephone just as it rang, nearly blew my head off. I'm sorry about the long story but this is going to be one more adventure in my life & I'm so excited, especially hearing the outside sounds. Oh yes, when I got home I had a tub of laundry to do and the dishwasher was loaded. At first I thought everything was broken with all the splashing from washer and the water cycles that the dishwasher was making. It's been so long since I've heard these sounds that every creaky noise I hear now is a signal to investigate it.My thanks to all of you who guided me through this procedure. Do first things first!

Hubby has hearing aids and what we learned that was important to know is to get them sooner, not later.... Thankfully he still had 92% recognition of sounds while a friend only had 35% recognition of sounds. She had been reading lips since she was very young and didn't realize how hearing impared she was. When she got hearing aids, she was actually disturbed by background sounds like a door squeeking or the latch clicking, or the clicking of her three dogs nails on wood floors. Those were sounds she hadn't heard. It's not just about increasing volume, but your mind actually will forget sounds the longer you go without the aid of a hearing device. Hearing aids are set to your personal needs - they aren't one-size-fits-all... and all you do is turn the volume up or down. Hubby had a free hearing test at a reputable place of business, they did the wax removal, and he uses a product called Miracell in them for wax. Moisture in his ears is a problem because he's on the phone all day. His hearing aids are a piece that fits over the top of his ear and a tiny wire that curves into his ear opening, rather than a piece that plugs into the ear canal. Besides needing them to be useable on the phone, he goes in and out of a manufacturing plant during the day, and is also in meetings with a group of people. He can adjust his hearing aid so he can hear in all those situations. -Grainlady

If 'The Wisdom of Crowds' depends on the crowds, the crowd at the KT is the best! All of the three brands of behind-the-ear aids offered to me at Costco have 5-year warranties for parts and service, including re-programming. The cheapest is made in Vietnam; the other two, in Switzerland and Denmark. They are all sold in pairs. Costco's Kirkland Signature 9.0 aids ($1500) have non-rechargeable batteries, but batteries are cheap (48 for $9), and I'm still dexterous. The audiologist in the video I saw was dumbfounded that there's no charger and was sorry they'd eliminated the telecoil. (This has to be price constraints, but I'm not sure I'd miss either thing.) The other two brands sold by Costco ($2500 per pair) are rechargeable ($250 additional for the charger) and do have telecoils. One is made in Switzerland and one in Denmark. I so 'unconnected' (low-tech) that I don't know if I need telecoils. I don't listen to music or audiobooks (currently), and I can hear fine (currently) when using my cellphone. I need captions for TV though. Will I be a thousand dollars sorry not to have the telecoil?