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HEARING AIDS SUGGESTIONS/EXPERIENCES

11 years ago

Need at least one hearing aid. Dr recommends type that goes around the back of ear. Am dreading the cost and wonder how to learn the best aids for the most reasonable price. Any help/suggestions/experiences welcome. TIA

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Comments (3)

Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
11 years ago
Just make sure it can be returned if you don't like it,...my boss had
it from Costco, ..he hated all the the OTHER back ground noises which
drove him nuts....returned it.
char35
11 years ago
I wear 2 hearing aids and my husband has worn two for over 10 tears. I guess that qualifies us to coment

First of all they won't be like when your hearing was perfect. They have made a lot of improvements in the past 10 years. My hearing is "moderate" and I wear ones that sit behaind the ear and has a small plaster tubing with small microphone( I guess that is what it can be called. There is probably a fancier name for it) comes around the front of the ear and sits in the ear canal. It is barely visible. It has been set by an audiologist to give me the best hearing I an expect.. Where It is minimally effective is when sitting in church and trying to hear what is being said or in a conference room with a lot of people and the speaker moving about on the platrform. But, it is a great improvement for most other type venues. I don't say, "WHAT" nearly as often. Some can be fitted to block background noise. Some people have just gotten used to not hearing everything, and sometimes that can be nice. :-)) , and it is bothersome hearing loud sounds again.

My husband is profoundly deaf ( 70% loss). His hearing aid fits behind the ear and has a molded ear piece that was fitted for his ear inside the ear canal. It is more visible, but not bad.

Cost is terrible. I did not get the ones with all the bells and whistles. I'm retired and my lifestyle did not seem to require them and I'm happy with the ones I have. They came with a 2 week free trial and a 1 year guarantee. I don't think that I would buy anything with less. I have had them for 3 years and no problems. I wear them about 50% of the time. They were $3000 for the pair.
My husband has to wear his all the time. He just got a new pair after 11 years. They were more expensive due to the custom fitting in the ear canal. He has no choice as to type of fitting. They came with a 3 yr. guarantee. I think there are lesser expensive ones like his with maybe 1 yr. guarantee. They were $5000. Yes I swallowed twice also when he told me. Keep in mind, he could not drive safely or do the work he does without them, not to mention communicate with me.

This is lengthy, but hope it gives you a better picture about hearing aids. Some people are never happy with what they buy and end up putting them in a box and quessing at what they hear. Good luck!
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My mother got hearing aids (2) at Costco last year. She has $1500 coverage ($750 per ear) with her Kaiser policy but only usable at certain audiologists and Costco wasn't one of them. She still saved about $2000 buying them there, just disregarding her insurance and not using it. If hubby needs them, go now, they literally told us its one of those 'use it or lose it' circumstances, the longer the wait, the less the result from the aids, and Mom resisted hearing aids for many years. I think this will be the year DH goes to be tested, I swear I am saying everything at least twice all week long :) I'm surprised at how many of our 60ish friends have been fitted for hearing aids lately. And I don't have the details but one, just before his 60th birthday and a commercial real estate broker the last several years, was somehow able to go back to the years where he was a log buyer for a timber company, charge his hearing aids to L&I. He hasn't had L&I coverage for a long time as a partner/owner in his firm, but was tested and fitted with hearing aids all the same at no cost to him. What's funny is, rather than aids calling attention to his age, he looked 10 years younger immediately. More relaxed, less strained in conversation I suppose :)
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Can't speak for the VA part, but the HA part I can DH has had them since he was 6. Last pair we bought was 2 years ago..and we got the higher end. He has a severe hearing loss. He gets the digital (only amplifies the tones he can't hear, not all tones), CIC ones. They run about $5K, and are guaranteed for 3 years, we can then extend the warranty for another 2 years I think it is. Now..there is also one out that looks great, and I've known a couple of people out there that LOVE them...they're more like having a little microphone that sits just outside the ear opening (don't know if that area has a name)...so they don't have the "stuffed ear" feeling. DH goes to an audiologist, they do the hearing test for free. His hearing aids are Siemens..and Siemens are a great buy. The behind the ear can cause problems as you hear what's behind you (that's where the microphone is), where the CIC or the other ones (bit larger)...and I think that newer one I just mentioned...you hear what comes into the ear, as you would naturally. They're suppose to last about 5 years, but we try for 10..because they are so expensive and not covered by insurance. They can be covered by money in a cafeteria plan, but HSA's are more complicated. The cost of HA has stayed the same, but the quality goes up..along with the technology. Vickey
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I recommend you investigate the models offered by Sam's Club. An advantage of Sam's Club is availability of service after purchase. Hearing aids that are used every day may need service after 2 years. Most of these do not have an on-off switch. These are turned on by closing the battery door and the battery door is partially opened to turn off. The battery door is held closed by some sort of plastic detent and this wears out or the plastic 'spring' weakens. Repair is simple by replacing the battery door, and at this point, the user discovers the difference between brands - availability and cost of service! When I needed hearing aids, my doctor referred me to his group audiologist. A hearing test was made and an audiogram produced. A pair of hearing aids from the Doctor cost from $3000 and up. I opted to try a pair offered by my insurance (United Health). These cost in the neighborhood if $1200 to $1400, but were not available locally. I had to send a copy of my audiogram to Minneapolis, MN where the hearing aids were programmed and mailed to me. These H. aids had the receiver (speaker) in the hearing aid case and the sound was sent to the ear via an air tube and ear bud. At first, I was satisfied with these. After one year, the flimsy batter door was loose. That's when I found there were no repair stations in or near my metropolitan area. There were sales offices, but no repair. To get repair, one had to ship the units back to Minneapolis and arrange payment via phone or internet. Meanwhile, the user is without aids, I do not know the turn-around time in Minneapolis; I estimate the entire process would take a minimum of 2 weeks. If your hearing changed, a new sonogram would be needed and again, a 2 week process to get the change. It was at this point where I began to look for alternatives. The hearing aids i purchased from Sam's Club were higher quality ( and higher priced). A hearing test to make the sonograms was available in the store at no additional charge. I chose a pair of digital hearing aids with telecoils. These aids had storage for 4 different programs. 2 microphones within each unit, and the receiver in the ear canal. The programs currently in my aids are normal, noisy environment, and telecoil. There's room for one more program if needed. These aids cost $2000 for the pair. I added replacement insurance in case of loss, failure, or damage. There are telephones that can couple to telecoils. (Most phones do not have this option.) Telecoil coupling to a phone greatly helps with phone calls. Also, it can be useful in auditoriums and theaters when present. In a 2 year period, I have had only one occasion where I was able to use the telecoil and that was at a lecture in a library auditorium. It was great. We have movie theaters that supposedly have telecoil capability, but apparently, they do not activate it by default. I do plan to get a telecoil phone when we replace our present one. My left ear is very bad so I hold the phone to my right ear. However, Its very awkward to write notes since I am right handed. I've had this pair from Sam's Club for more than 2 years. When I took these in for new battery doors, they also re-tested my hearing and re-programmed the hearing aids at no charge. Prompt service is an important item.
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lizbeth-gardener
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
They have aids available now that pretty much do away with static or background noise except in terribly noisy crowd situations.The only one I'm familiar with is the Phonak brand that fits behind the ear with a small clear nylon wire (looks like tiny fishing cord) that goes to the inner part that fits in the ear. It can be invisible on a woman or a man with long hair (if that is an issue). These are small aids and wouldn't be the choice if you aren't willing to take care of them. They also work best if a mold is made and they are fitted to your particular ear. In my experience, it is just as important that you find a good audiologist, because they will do the setting and tweaking of these to fit your particular hearing deficiency (and that isn't a one time thing) as well as repairs, if needed.These are upper end and will probably cost you between 2-3k each. If you live in the U.S. and have served in the military with an honorable discharge, I believe you can get these through the military for much less-worth checking into if the situation fits. Some insurances also pay a small portion. A reputable audiologist should have a trial period of 30-60 days for you to wear and return if they don't meet your needs. They also should provide a warranty of at least a year, if not longer.

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