O/T Hearing Aid Forums?

[mayondair]

Here's my 2 cents worth I have loss in one ear, , I have one hearing aid, an , Oticon, over the ear, its very comfortable, I got from a university audiology affiliated audiologist. My hearing will never be like it was, but I function well 95% of the time. You want to purchase the best hearing aid for your particular situation, I work in a place with lots of background noise and need to be able to converse with my customers. A good audiologist will talk to you about your needs and work with you? I went for several tweaks at first, now just a check every 2 years or so with the MD and audiologist unless I have trouble. If you have hearing loss in both ears, you need aids for both ears. It's hard to determine where sounds come from with loss in one ear. as with PAP devices, cheap is not necessarily best, go for forward and rear facing microphones , all the bells and whistles if you can afford it. you'll be using them a long time. And as with PAP, use them all day, every day, you'll adjust quicker , and have better results. Kathy

[DaveL]

Thanks Kathy! Good advice.

[Starlette]

Why would you be consider going to Costco? Just for the price?
I'd prefer going to an Audiologist because they can adjust the hearing aid as needed.

Starlette

[Tino2You]

Why would you be consider going to Costco? Just for the price?
I'd prefer going to an Audiologist because they can adjust the hearing aid as needed.

Starlette

The Costco stores that have hearing aids also have in house audiologists. With prices significantly less than the hearing aid stores and/or private audiologists AND considering many insurance policies do not cover HAs, it is an attractive alternative.

-tino

[Starlette]

I never knew. Sucksville ! I've already seen an audiologist and purchased my HA at $4,000+.
Oh well, good news is that I can inform my parents for my Dad.
I wish I had know of this earlier.

Curious, are there other services like audiologist that a person can find out about?

[Slinky]

*sigh* Hubby is a stubborn frenchman. He can't stand anything in his ears, refused to wear ear plugs in the foundy and thus ... his hearing is now so bad that it is causing a problem here at home and he has FINALLY agreed to have his hearing checked when I told him I thought I had heard/read of hearing aids that can work from behind the ear instead of in the ear.

I thought he needed an "audiologist" and that is what I asked his family doctor about. His family doctor (we don't use the same one) prefers to refer to an ENT and I know NOTHING about the ENT he has been referred to. My husband is one who still foolishly thinks doctors walk on water. *sigh* Although generous to a fault for and with others when it comes to his own health he can be frugal, too frugal. Most of this repsonsiblity is going to fall on my shoulders in order to get him good equipment and I'm discouraged before I start. Its hard enough making such decisions w/o having to buck him most every step of the way.

I try to explain it is the patient's responsibility to understand exactly what the problem is, the treatment is and whether the suggested treatment is acceptable. That it is the doctor's responsiblity to provide full ilnformation so that the PATIENT can make the final decision, not just blindly accept what the doctor favors. For myself, if it doesn't make sense to me it isn't getting done unless and/or until it does make sense to me. I'm dreading this already and PRAYING that we get a GREAT ENT and audiologist right off the bat w/o having to shop for either any further.

[DaveL]

Checking in with the audiologist tomorrow.
Happy:
* so easy to wear (behind the ear with a tube in the ear)
* no wind noise! (my old one used to make me deaf!)
* helps with every day listening chores

Not so:
* not very good in noisy environments
* can't hear the "tones" when I change programs in a noisy environment
* not waterproof


Want to get the "probation" period extended. One month exchange allowed.

Delighted so far with the experience. Glad to have 2 hearing aids. Trust that it will improve tomorrow.

[DaveL]

The audiologist worked magic.
She adjusted volumes for me.
Extended the 1 month trial period for another month...

I'm happy.

(It has been a long time coming; however, that is my fault. I was simply turned off by the audiologist who provided my first hearing aid. 10 years ago. Finding the right audiologist sure has made a difference.)

[NateS]

I was simply turned off by the audiologist who provided my first hearing aid. 10 years ago.

For your entertainment, here is a partial quote of my report to the vendor about the audiologist I was first sent to in 2007:

As a professional myself, I am accustomed to explaining things and answering questions in a manner designed to be understood by the layman, and feel it is my responsibility to do so until the layman with whom I am dealing understands. The gentleman with whom I met at •••••• did not, in my opinion, follow that practice. I am not stupid but when I ask questions which are important to me, I don't expect to receive answers like "I just answered that." particularly when I did not understand the answer and felt it was unclear or ambiguous. I ultimately felt obliged to explain to him that, to me, a question is not answered until I understand the answer. It took me four attempts to try to get an understandable explanation of the difference to my potential hearing improvement between the Audeo V and the IX and I am still not entirely sure I know the answer, although I probably will want to purchase the IXs just to be sure.

In addition, he seemed unaware of paid-for services which I thought were included in the price, including unlimited office visits during the 45-day trial period for fine tuning. He said he would limit those to what he felt was "reasonable" as if I would take time to go see him just for amusement when I didn't have a problem; nor did he acknowledge the following services, repair and loss policy which … I understood you also include: ………

He also made several comments about wives and girlfriends, and (about) my age, which both she and I felt were out of place and inappropriate and made us feel uncomfortable. … Please let me know where you would like to go from here. I am not trying to haggle over price. I just want to be sure I receive all the included services, etc. to which I am entitled, as well as personal attention by a caring professional which will maximize the chances that these hearing aids will work out for me as a success. Telling (my significant other) that if these hearing aids did not work out, that she "could just get a younger boyfriend" did not engender my confidence, nor hers, in his prospective ongoing professional care and dedication to that result ….

In addition, when I asked him how he defined what he called "reasonable" follow-up care, he told me "That will depend on whether you buy a hearing aid dryer from me." and when I asked him how much the dryer costs, he said: "It just depends on how much I think I can squeeze out of you!"

This guy had a fancy office in a high-rent shopping area and all kinds of certificates on his wall. We considered the possibility that we were time-warped into an old Groucho Marx movie - but I'll never know for sure because I never went back to him and was referred to a much more professional audiologist.

I am not making this up! But at least I can laugh about it now.

Nate

[DaveL]

Nate that's quite a story. Just my opinion, I think that some providers pray on OSA patients, and people with hearing loss too.

I'm glad you can laugh at it; I have a bad story with my sleep doc, and regret that I am still a patient. I recently read a rating for him on a rate-your-doc site that sounded very similar to your bad experience. And the sad lesson is, I'm still a patient. I need a kick in a tender spot to get me going.

Back to hearing loss: I am delighted with my service provider. She's so good she makes it look easy. My first experience 10 years ago, first time buyer, resulted in pain, poor performance, and a wallet-flush!

I can't laugh about it yet--meaning that experience 10 years ago. (Lee Iakoka. said: "Don't get mad, get even!")

[NateS]

Nate that's quite a story. Just my opinion, I think that some providers pray on OSA patients, and people with hearing loss too.

I'm glad you can laugh at it; I have a bad story with my sleep doc, and regret that I am still a patient. I recently read a rating for him on a rate-your-doc site that sounded very similar to your bad experience. And the sad lesson is, I'm still a patient. I need a kick in a tender spot to get me going.

How's this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBZ4lCLaQUY

Regards, Nate

[DaveL]

Thanks Nate.
Still a patient of Dr. In Your Ear.