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The home was responsible for placing the aid on the cart at night and putting in mom's ear in a.m. This was an expensive hearing aid and my mom could hear fine when she was wearing it. Now the home says the audiologist could not get a reading on her and she just needs an amplifier. I can't believe they can lose a medical device and not be held responsible.

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If they were responsible for taking care of it at night, they I'd think that is there liabiltiy. If it was just a matter of placing it in her room in a place where it could get lost, that may be questionable. From what I'm seeing in your note, it does sound a bit like they are trying to get out of this, which doesn't bode well. You could check with an elder law attorney about the home's liability.

Carol
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I have also had this same problem with a Mother-in-law that has been in a nursing home for a year ($9,000 a month) She had spent $4,000 on a pair of hearing aids before going into the nursing home, They lost one shorthly after she was in there but she could hear with the other one, They started locking it in a nurses cart at night so it would not get lost, Well guess what they now lost it. She cannot hear at all without it, all they have offered is a stupid amplifier box that she will not use. I think they ought to replace at least one hearing aide. This is a reputable Nursing home???????
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From what I have read on the forums here, it is not unusual for the elder to wrap up the hearing aid in a tissue... and placed on a night stand or elsewhere in the room, and since it is so lightweight, it could be easily scooped up into the trash.

Someone needs to invent something to help with this matter.
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My mom is in a memory care unit and one of her hearing aids went missing. The hearing aids are to be locked in the medicine cabinet every night and put in her ears every morning, which is inconsistent. When the hearing aid was found, it was broken in 3 places like someone had stepped on it. I talked with the DON and Administrator as to their responsibility in replacing the hearing aid. I was told that it is not their responsibility to fix broken hearing aids. I disagree with this response and would like to know if I have a recourse?
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Since they lock the hearing aids up at night and put them in her ears in the morning, it depends on when the aid went missing. Unless your mom removed it during the day, which is possible, they should be responsible. However, as was mentioned before, elders often remove them and the aids get lost, put in the garbage or stepped on. The's the dilemma. If you could prove when it was broken, then you'd have a case, but likely they'll get out of it because there's no way to know when it went missing. Hearing aids and glasses are frustrating for all involved, even the homes with the best care and intentions.

It would be nice if they'd at least split the difference. Please update us - we'd love to hear what happens.
Take care,
Carol
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I too would be interested in hearing if anyone has had success holding the nursing home responsible for this.

These devices can be incredibly expensive to replace, especially if they go missing repeatedly. It seems to me if a nursing home has a protocol to handle this (locking them up with the meds sounds like a brilliant solution) they should be held accountable if the protocol is not followed.

So many elders need their hearing aids to help them remain connected to the world around them, and to lose/damage them is a huge issue for them.
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Back when my Mom was in the hospital we eventually we brought home her two hearing aids because whenever she was in a delirium state, she would be fussing with everything she could get her hands on, including her hearing aids. The nurses/aides would find the hearing aids down in the bedding or on the floor.

My Mom's hearing aids you couldn't tell if she was wearing them or not, so you never knew if they had fallen out until after the fact.

The hospital tried one of those hearing devices that is attached to a heavy sided box the size of a pack of cigarettes with an ear piece. Unfortunately my Mom's hearing was so bad that didn't work. If it would have worked, no way of losing it or even stepping on the box itself.
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Replacement of the hearing aid is dependent on the State law. In IL it is the financial responsibility of the nursing home to replace the hearing aid. Check the laws of the applicable State. It would be best if you have the manufacturer, model number, and serial number of the hearing aid(s) written down in your records and upon admission to the facility have the nursing home acknowledge that same information in writing. That way everyone is on the same page.
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The facility IS responsible for all medical equipment each resident needs. Unless it was an above-standard piece of equipment. What kind of NH is your family member in? County or Private?
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