Hi all - we won't know diagnosis and needs until mom sees the hearing doctor(s) but right now she is nearly deaf in one ear and major major hearing loss in the other.
We are financially savings poor. I have a list of charitable organizations to call. Her insurance will pay $500. Mom is nearly 89. Her income is always just too high for Medicaid but I can check if they would pay for something. Also possibly VA as a last resort.
My question is, after reading so much here about $6000 hearing aids getting lost or ultimately rejected, broken, replaced, what is a reasonable price point for this first purchase? We cant afford to throw the money away.
Also, do you consider an online subscription to consumer reports worth it to get comparisons and ratings on hearing aids? I tried researching online today and consumer reports would not release their data without a membership fee.
Thank you!!
PS: the shouting for social distancing is causing me bronchitis and triggering tinnitis. I'm an asthmatic, recovering still Covid positive, and reaching my limit. I may be going deaf myself at 57 from the shouting..
Your profile says she is living at home, so I assume there is no dementia involved. The problem is that since she already has severe hearing loss you have left it far too late for her to make an easy adjustment, adding sounds to her previously silent world is going to drive her batty - the everyday noises that we don't even notice coupled with sounds that those with normal hearing find annoying are going to give her sensory overload, she will need to be 100% on board with the decision in order to stick with it. Added to that, if she is spending most of her time alone there is little motivation to change things because she copes well without HAs most of the time. I'm not saying don't do it, just warning you of potential difficulties.
January into February. It is a Miracle we are alive. She has lupus and the hydroxychloroquine may have helped her go negative within 9 days and stay out of icu. My daily asthma regimine saved me. End of February, March and April I continue to be positive and have symptons still. I am likely long haul covid. We are out there. Even if vaccinated, wear your masks everyone.
And personal opinion here if the person is able to take advantage of what the VA can offer do so. They have earned that privilege!
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-personal-sound-amplification-product/
I write from the patients perspective. I was first diagnosed with Early Onset ALZ 5 yrs ago next month. I have been commenting on my journey since 2016. Most recently I had a Neuropsych Exam, that said I need 24/7 care, which was a knockdown blow to me. My DW and I still have an appointment in 2 weeks to find out how he came to this conclusion. My Neuro Doctor who has been my Doctor since Christmas 2005 and my PC say No way am I in need of 24/7 care. Anyway, I just want to keep being direct, and putting my cards on the table from my perspective.
I was diagnosed two years ago with a hearing loss, mostly attributable to wearing headphones for 38yrs of my career in the travel industry. More significant in the left ear than the right ear. Being diagnosed with ALZ, I wasn't too interested in spending for $4000.00 on one set of hearing aids. I did some research on Hearing Assist and a company named MD Hearing Aids. MD was a bit more expensive than Hearing Assist. I bought the VOLT series of MD Hearing's hearing aids, and paid circa $700.00 and have been using them for just about 40 days. Yes, for the most part they are comfortable, and having been retired for 5 yrs, I am able to hear all that I want to and feel I made the best choice for me.
Yes, I have some trouble manipulating them to put on my ears, yes, I can hear much better. When in crowds they seem more difficult to hear what is going on with my family speaking to me. Could I have spent $4000.00 yes, but I don't think I am going to live long enough to justify spending that kind of money. The product that I chose for myself works just fine for me. My Opinion and we know we all have them and like something else we all have _________, fill in the blank.
I hope my friends and fellow patients are finding my suggestions as being valuable.
Unless you WANT to use the aids, you won't.
My DH finally, finally had his hearing checked 2 years ago. He went with the absolute top of the line aids--and won't wear them. $6500 down the drain.
In spite of a very intensive hearing exam and ZERO pressure from the tech, he would not believe that he has serious hearing loss. I was in the room during the test, but not in the BOOTH. So there was no way I could 'rig' this test. He simply failed it with flying colors. Blamed me.
It's his CHOICE to walk around, missing 80% of the conversations, missing the funny things the grandkids say, missing the announcement of his FLIGHT NOW BEING BOARDED (that's happened a few too many times).
My neighbor went to Costco and got the mid range ones and wears them and it's no big deal. He said he spent less than $1000. The cost does and doesn't reflect the qaulity of the aids--it's up to person whether they will put in the work to adapt to hearing all the ambient sounds they don't realize are there.
Living with an almost entirely deaf person has caused ME so much stress it's crazy. Luckily for us, my hearing is really, really good, so that's saved us a few times. BUT, if I had his hearing loss, I would address it and not blame him. His sister has it also (genetic) and she got aids and nothing was said about it--she just said she couldn't believe she went so long without dealing with the hearing loss. His mother is about 90% deaf and she can't hear anything, really. He gets so frustrated with her and I have pointed out that I feel the same way about him.
You can lead a horse to water.....
Most of the time, these issues are related to those with dementia. Does your mother have dementia? If so, I would discuss other options with the audiologist. There are other options to enhance hearing ability.
A big question when deciding whether or not to lay out a large expense like this is what are the chances of compliance? I've read multiple postings that talk about expensive hearing aids sitting in a drawer because the person refuses to wear them. My mother's hearing loss began long ago, so she was used to wearing them. She did eventually drop to just one, on the left side, as she claimed the other didn't work. As dementia progressed, we got into the misplaced, lost, tossed because she would take it out and wrap it in a napkin or tissue, etc. The ones she moved in to MC with eventually went through the laundry (likely went to bed with it in and removed it during the night, leaving it in the bedding.)
In her case, her insurance had a nice coverage and she was just over the 3 year limit. Sadly the first one went AWOL in a matter of months (likely the napkin route at meal time.) The other one was fitted for the left as well. The nurse kept taking it away every time she'd take it out, so it became a useless thing then.
Something I did get and made good use of was a Boogie Board (add LCD to this for searching online.) It allowed me to write on the display, even fingers would work if/when she misplaced the stylus. Anything she couldn't understand with or without the hearing aid she could read and respond. It saves having to find paper and pencil. A button will clear the display when done. It doesn't save anything but your voice and frustration!
Others can suggest places for less expensive hearing devices, but the LCD may help in the meantime. Alternative is a white board. They do make smaller ones. The LCD is small enough to make it portable, so it can accompany her on outings. The dentist mom went to liked it enough to buy some for the office. Staff at MC also loved it.
Also, if you/she do decide to try the hearing aids, be sure to find a place with some kind of guarantee. The last pair did have one, which included loss, but required a $450 replacement payment. I recall mom also talking about getting a refund if she didn't like the hearing aids. Most likely they will try to switch to another type first, but they should be able to discuss this before laying out any money.
The amplifier came with earbuds, but I also bought her a cheap sony headset to use and she prefers that--also more difficult to misplace. onus-she can plug the earbuds or headset into her ipad to listen to music.
In the meantime, look up brands Audious, Wonder Ear and Nano Hearing.
lyric - they rent them $300.00 per month they are implants close to ear canal and are replaced every 4 weeks, never come out, unless she forgets what they are and picks at them, but then we just go back to dr and he puts a new one in
It was the best option
Hope this might be of help. I primarily just help those struggling on the phone with our federally funded caption phone. Wish I could be of more help but blessed to at least help with the telephone portion. Good luck!
"Hearing aids
Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids or exams for fitting hearing aids.
Your costs in Original Medicare
You pay 100% for hearing aids and exams.
Things to know
Note
Some Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C) offer extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t cover - like vision, hearing, or dental. Contact the plan for more information."
My mother's non-Medicare plan did have coverage for hearing aids and every 3 years she was eligible. My current advantage plan also covers hearing aids. Medicare does not (source of the above quote was https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/hearing-aids
They both have audiologists and much less expensive hearing aids.
You will learn more once you see the audiologist. Don't let them "sell" you.
Some are more about the money than others.
I think the behind the ear works best for major hearing loss.
One that is simple to use, some are very complicated with several programs on them that make them hard to use.
I used to work for an ENT office that sold hearing aids and got one for my right ear.
My problem is understanding the words. The hearing aid amplies and makes the
noises louder (which is annoying at first) but no matter how loud I still can't
understand conversation! Frustrating. The digital kind can be programmed for
specific hearing loss and you can go back for adjusting, up or down.
Most hearing aid retailers will offer you a 30 day trial period.
Best of luck!
Also, this discussion was so helpful, I printed it out. Thanks everyone!
My late fiance needed hearing aids too, but he refused to get them despite having no hearing at all in one ear and limited hearing in the other. As a result countless hours of our last few years together were spent in useless back and forth because he couldn't hear me or else misheard me and reacted accordingly. Meanwhile, I couldn't understand why he was reacting so unexpectedly, based on what I had actually said!
Hearing is one of the main ways that loved ones can stay connected. If there's any way to get them, please do try.