Oh, I see this article is from days past. Still very relevant.

Marlis, do you remember when we were young and thought these things would never happen to us? Now where are my reading glasses? Why did they start making the writing so small? :)

Regarding cost of hearing aids - I was surprised that the company my mother used gave discounts to AAA members. As she didn't drive anymore, they used my AAA membership to qualify for the substantial discount. Also check your insurance plan. Ask a lot of pricing questions and what discounts are available. And even if you aren't a member, a family member may be and help qualify for that discount.

Captain, thank you for the smile... I can't stop laughing about what you said regarding downloading your brain to be an annoying computer virus :)

You are so right about noises. Why are people so noisy now a days... between the LOUD cellphone rings [my boss had his cellphone ring as crickets, then later screeching birds.... YIKES... I wanted to run screaming into the night].

I use to enjoy going to the Hallmark stores, nice quiet environment... now I am listening to one-sided cellphone conversations.

And what is it with people not able to lock their cars until they have walked 5 cars away and turn around to automatically lock their cars, that BEEP scares the daylights out of me if I am right in front of the car. All around the parking lot you hear BEEP here and BEEP there, even BEEPS when unlocking the car. Glad my vehicle is silent.

Ok, I better stop while I am ahead.... I am making too much noise here :P

when my body gives it up i think id like my addled brain downloaded to live forevermore as an annoying computer virus . i wouldnt damage people or machines , just toss wrenches into their boxed in way of thinking .
new ways of thinking are doing the world a great service right now , imo . a simple pair of safety glasses have become bifocals with magnification built into the lower lens . what mechanic doesnt need to read an occasional bearing number or something ?
instead of hearing aids , marla , why dont we kill the annoying background noises ? i simply wont watch a movie because of the foolish mood background music . i find it demeaning .. i wont listen to tv news . 95 % hype and advertising ..

Sorry, the sentence near the end of my last comment should read: "Note that any student clinic normally is very well-supervised by faculty experts (my mother got one of her early hearing aids this way and was happy with it)."

Yes, I also feel like that that maintenance costs have started to rise! But I hope I can help you with some information I learned myself about getting a hearing aid. I recently got one, and, after seeing the troubles my mother and her friend went through going elsewhere, my first suggestion is to not go to the offices that are stand-alone businesses selling a certain brand. Start with an ENT doctor to do an assessment, preferably one that has his/her own hearing aid specialist right in the office. A specialist technician who knows what he/she is doing and isn't just out to make a buck will be able to help you find the correct aid for your type of hearing loss. With certain types of loss, there are aids that will or won't work and they will help you determine this. A good specialist will include the cost of follow-up visits in the original fee so you can continue to be assessed and see how the aid is working for you. Reputable specialists will not force you to keep an aid you're not happy with.
Another possible cost-saving suggestion: If you live near a college with an Audiology program, they may have a student clinic which offers services at a reduced rate. Note that students in any program that offers a student clinic normally is very well-supervised by faculty experts (my mother got one of her hearing aids this way when she first had hearing loss and was happy with it). Good luck!

Currently dealing with mother's hearing aids. You should hear them all going off in the early morning because she forgot to pull the battery out. She has a new behind the ear and already fussing about it. For her severe loss it's the only type that works now. I know that I have inherited hearing problems - already have noises like whooshing in one ear and I have to ask the fast talking cashiers what they said.

gladimhere, I was so glad to read where you find the news reporters talking too fast.... I thought it was just me.... plus the moving scroll at the bottom of the news reports zip by at a warp speed, my speed reading days are long gone.

Every couple of years my Mom [96] will want to buy a new and improved hearing aid, not understanding it is her *ears* that are the problem, not the hearing aid. She will see or read an advertisement for this brand or that brand. We keep going back to the same doctor who has given Mom numerous hearing tests and has told my Mom she's not a candidate for this type or that type. Mom get disappointed and wants to find a new ear doctor.... [sigh]

Marlis, many hearing aids come with free batteries for a period of several years. And hearing aid batteries on some will last about 10 days. But, the size of the battery matters, bigger is better. My Mom's old hearing aids had a size 10 battery that would only last 3 or 4 days. Her new aids have size 312 which lasts about 10 days.

Also consider the technology. Mom's first hearing aids cost about three thousand, but did not have a volume adjustment. We could take them in to have them reprogrammed to have volume increased. But all types have a maximum volume increase on them and when at the max the sound quality decreases. Make sure that you have sufficient ability to increase volume without losing quality.

Television drives me nuts too! I watch with two hearing impaired seniors. One of them always wants to turn up the volume. The news reporters talk to fast for them to understand as does Dr. Oz. Turning up volume for other shows with the enhanced background noise only increases background noise making dialogue even more difficult to understand. But don't try to explain that to my two.

Good luck!

Marlis, I just read this article and you know...it made me smile. I'm only 47 and this past year finally admitted I needed bi focal lens and got progressive lenses....I was so resistant to it!!

Then there is the teeth thing. I remember that my grandparents both had false teeth and it freaked me out that they had both just had all of their teeth pulled at a young age (in there 30's) .

I had my children in late life and ended up with two very scary pregnancies back to back, the second one took away alot from my body and my teeth started to deteriorate.

11 years later I'm starting to have the back teeth taken out and will end up with replacements...but i've been so resistant.

Your article and the wonderful way you are viewing the ageing process has given me a renewed view of the situation...I don't feel so bad about it now!!

Thanks!!