Is there a less expensive alternative to hearing aids?

my FIL broke his $5k hearing aids. We ordered hearing amplifier devices online. Have tried several but most recent ones are rechargeable and very sturdy. He says they work better than his old expensive aids. Cost was around $60 for a pair.

We need the Chinese to come up with something decent and affordable. I recall seeing an advertisement one time that offered them for about $195 but this was the price for each if they were bought in bulk. Some of the products listed on Amazon are much less expensive and work reasonably well.

I suspect it would be better to have rechargeable devices rather than having to replace the tiny batteries. My mother had a hearing aid, and it was ridiculous even trying to turn the thing on (tiny print in plastic with no color contrast). I've decided if I ever need one, I'm going to get something that isn't so tiny because a lot of the hassles are caused by the small size. People walk around with Bluetooth devices on their eyes, so there's no reason why someone can't have a hearing aid of similar design (if they don't like to show that they need a hearing aid due to vanity).

I would use an ear horn before I would pay the ridiculous prices asked for most hearing aids!

Thank you for your question, MarilynBo. I have the same question (recommendations for a less expensive alternative to hearing aids?) but for different reason. The pocket talker cwillie suggested might work for my situation & gets good reviews on Amazon; however, I'm not sure how easy it would be for your mom with dementia to learn how to use it. I will be following for chrismsherman's answer too since he/she's the only other one who offered an answer to the question. Thanks again!

I really appreciate all of the suggestions. I feel guilty for not replacing them but I also think it's inevitable that she will continue to break them if she no longer remembers that she shouldn't be attempting to replace the batteries. The TV is blasting but, at least, she can hear it. Unfortunately, I don't think she's hearing people. I will look into the personal amplifier and thank you, chrismsherman, in advance, for posting a review of the hearing aids you are going to try.

If Mom likes TV there are "TV Ears". They are wireless with a head piece like a headband. Mom's Neurologist took a tuning fork and started moving it towards Mom from the side and asked her to tell him when she heard it.she heard it when he got to her shoulder. He said she heard well enough not to use her aids. Actually hearing doctor said it was too hard for him to judge her hearing loss now because she couldn't handle instructions.

Or they put them in with a dead battery or don't close the door properly so they aren't turned on. It amazes me how so many of those who work around old people can be so clueless, sure there are differences in different hearing aids but it isn't rocket science.

Mom's hearing doctor was telling me he went to see his patient in a home. During the exam he noticed the patient had her aid in but couldn't hear him. He took the aid out and found that no battery was in it. At that facility they take the aids to the Nurses station. He went out to the station and showed them no battery.

We've struggled with this one as well. My mom wears hearing aides due to hearing loss from radiology. After her stroke she was unable to put her hearing aides in or change the batteries. We did it when we lived with them, then had aides help with this. However, my mom would fiddle with them while they were in her ears, they'd fall out or the batteries would fall out. We managed to get them stable (one was not working) and my mom lost one while visiting my dad in rehab. We visited an audiologist who gave us a brochure where the least expensive hearing aides were $4,000. Even my mother agreed it was too expensive. I've purchased a pair of hearing aides online for less than $100. They're larger than the previous ones. I'll post a review when they arrive

My mom's hearing aids died of old age and I have decided not to replace them. (well really it was decided for me since being fitted for new ones was almost impossible). You might want to look for personal amplifiers, there are several available on Amazon, but he one recommended to us was the pocket talker by Williams Sound.

Marilyn, hearing aids and batteries. You'd think modern science would come up with something user friendly. Since the vast majority of hearing aid users are the elder, many with poor eyesight and poor coordination. When I cleaned out my parents house, good grief, the amount of tiny dropped batteries that I found :P

Also found old hearing aids, where I could tell Dad was messing with them, due to screw driver scratches.... [sigh]

I think we should go back to the old fashioned "ear trumpet".... no batteries needed... can't lose these things because of their size... and they come in such wonderful designs and colors. Someone could have a dozen of them in different colors to match what they were wearing that day. Now, if only we could get the fad going :)

Since we didn't have the problem previously, I'm trying to figure out the options. To be sure she doesn't break them again, we would have to make sure they were doled out in the morning and retrieved after dinner...I don't know if they would be willing to take the responsibility. It's a very nice facility but it's affiliated with the State of Illinois. My mom can be stubborn, showering, etc., so not sure how it will work out. thank you for the suggestions.

First, this should be done by staff. Hearing aids are hard for the elderly to manipulate them. They can't adjust them. My Mom never wore hers. So, he doesn't have them at the home. I would not replace them. She will damage them again.

I think the first option would be to have someone change the batteries for her. Personally, I've found it a bit cumbersome - they're tiny batteries, and sometimes old hands have trouble changing little batteries.

Could you add that as a paid task for someone at the facility?