<p>What is out there?</p>
<p>My mom wants a hearing aid. Who is happy with her hearing aid or has a parent happy with hers? </p>
<p>My mom is talking about some hearing aid without volume controls. I have no idea why that would be a good hearing aid.</p>
<p>I recently asked about this, and the consensus of opinion is that Costco is a good place to go for hearing aids. Their hearing test is free, with no obligation, and they sell devices of various types from three different manufacturers. My mother just made an appointment for the beginning of December.</p>
<p>There are also devices one can buy directly that don’t seem to require hearing tests or any special setup. I gather that they are more amplification devices, for people who don’t have significant hearing loss. I think they cost something in the range of $300-600. The Wall Street Journal had an article about them within the last couple of years.</p>
<p>Is she eligible for VA benefits? If she is, they have very good services and equipment.</p>
<p>There are so many choices and options depending upon the type of hearing loss. Medicare will approve of one diagnostic hearing test per year. The audiologist that I brought my aunt to stated that you can have the most expensive product, but if the user is not willing to go through the adjustment period, it will not work. My aunt’s hearing loss is profound, she also has great difficulty discerning words and is not the type of person to be compliant. The audiologist stated that the directional hearing aid that is sold in Radio Shack for $300 would be a good start. They are completely refundable within 30 days even after use. We returned to the audiologist and she tested my aunt with the hearing aid, (it has no batteries, needs to be recharged every night). She believed in her case that the result was as good as the $2,000 pair that the office sells. Needless to say, after 3 months, my aunt only uses the hearing aid on rare occasion. I’ve heard good reports about the Costco services.</p>
<p>Lifelong hearing aid user here and founder of a large hearing loss community website (no longer updated). Best recommendation is to take your mother to an audiologist with the designations of AuD. (Doctorate of Audiology degree) and CCC-A (Certificate of Clinical Competency in Audiology) after their name. It means they have advanced education and clinical practice and are not simply a hearing aid dispenser (HIS - Hearing Instrument Specialist). No one brand or type of hearing aid is best. Two people can have the exact same hearing loss on their audiogram but completely different hearing aids can work best for each of them. Beware any place that only deals with one or only a small handful of brands. A reputable audiologist will have relationships with every manufacturer. Top names are Widex, Siemens, Phonak and there are others. (Miracle Ear is NOT one of them.) Don’t buy hearing aids online (yes, they are usually cheaper, but you won’t get the same service) and I don’t recommend Costco or BJs. Also, there are laws about hearing aid trials. Make sure you ask how long the trial period is. It is usually 4 weeks or more. Hearing aids should be fitted and worn for 2 weeks minimum and then tell them you want an aided hearing test. Get a copy of it. Get a copy of the unaided hearing test as well. Ask the audiologist how to read it. They never tell you unless you ask. Try a second set of hearing aids they recommend for another 2 weeks and get an aided hearing test with those. Compare. Don’t settle. Make sure she is hearing the best she can. There may be fitting fees involved but she is not locked in to paying for the hearing aids during a trial period. They are VERY expensive so know your rights and be up front with the audiologist that you want her to try a few pairs they think will work for her. Keep an eye on the timeline and get the appointments she needs within it. Good luck!</p>
<p>Also, good digital hearing aids often come with remote controls now that offer the user the ability to control the volume as well as several programs that have been set up for different listening situations (noisy restaurants, a public speaking venue, etc.) She should want that control unless she is unable to handle making adjustments.</p>
<p>Sounds like good advice, NYMom. I will try to get my mother to do it with the Costco people.</p>
<p>It has been a struggle just to get her to go to Costco. (Her hearing loss is annoying and affects her life, but it is not what I think one would call “profound.”) Although she can well afford any hearing aids, she is reluctant to spend the $$, and has heard too many tales from people who spent $6K and up on them and never stopped having problems with feedback and so forth. She is also a technophobe, and I am devoutly hoping that the person she sees does not try to get her to use something with Bluetooth connectivity and all that. I am unable to go down there at that time, so she’l be on her own.</p>
<p>I tried to prepare her for the necessity of wearing the hearing aids consistently for a period of time, but she was highly resistant to the notion. I am hoping that shen she actually gets them she is so delighted with being able to hear better that she will comply. (I finally got her to have cataract surgery, and she is thrilled by the improvement in her sight immediately after having the first eye done. So we are hoping that the experience will create a more positive mindset regarding the hearing aids.)</p>
<p>My parents both got hearing aids from Costco. It was less scary for them to go there, where they are comfortable than going to a stand-alone audiologist. They also are fond of the idea that there is a 90-day money back guarantee, as well as loss protection and other benefits from buying at Costco. Mom was tested numerous times over the years before she finally agreed to get hearing aids (her hearing loss is greater than dad’s). Both have been wearing their hearing aids (got different colors so we can tell them apart). We have NOT been able to hear any feedback coming from the hearing aids (unlike the old models when you could hear staticky feedback from great distances away from the listener).</p>
<p>Medicare and/or insurer paid a portion of the price, so cost was less expensive than expected. I think about $750-1000 or so was paid, leaving them to pay the balance of $1000-2000 or so. I’m vague on the details as my folks paid for it themselves (which they can well afford).</p>
<p>They have an assortment of colors so that mom and dad don’t get their hearing aids mixed up. Dad got light tan (sort of skin tone) and mom got silver (matches hair and sort of looks like jewelry).</p>
<p>It has made a huge improvement in us talking with them. Mom can now hear me even when I’m not in the same room as her and no shouting is required. I no longer have to be facing her for her to hear and understand me. </p>
<p>One thing we were told that was persuasive is that if you get hearing aids sooner, they will help you preserve your hearing vs. later and it just amplifies but you’ve already lost the ability to discern the sounds you hear amplified.</p>
<p>At Coscto, there was a range of hearing aids to choose among. Dad opted for what they called the top of the line for him and mom. So far, so good. Have heard from a few people that the top of the line there is about 50% of less of the price of identical hearing aids at other venues. My folks like getting ‘good deals.’</p>
<p>My mother swears that she and all her friends were told Medicare does not cover any of the costs for hearing aids…wonder if she got sold a bill of goods.</p>
<p>Ok, I am correcting myself. Obviously my folks hearing aids were covered by their BCBS insurance, as this official site makes it clear that Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids. </p>
<p>[Hearing</a> Aids | Medicare.com](<a href=“http://www.medicare.com/equipment-and-supplies/daily-living-aids/hearing-aids.html]Hearing”>http://www.medicare.com/equipment-and-supplies/daily-living-aids/hearing-aids.html)</p>
<p>A good source of information is [Activity</a> Stream - Hearing Aid Forums | Hearing Loss | Hearing Aids](<a href=“http://www.hearingaidforums.com%5DActivity”>http://www.hearingaidforums.com).</p>
<p>I’ve mentioned before that I have Rexton hearing aids from Costco. Even though my hearing loss would be classified as mild, I absolutely love them. But, at the time I got them, my store actually had an audiologist working there and he knew what he was doing. Unfortunately, he’s now at Sam’s Club, so I send people there, as his Costco replacement is not as knowledgeable. Recently, I developed a feedback issue that the new guy couldn’t solve. When the Rexton rep visited the store, he had me come in and the problem was solved in less than a minute. With hearing aids, it’s more important to get them adjusted correctly at the beginning and to get ongoing support, than to buy the “perfect” product.</p>
<p>That’s another reason we love having products from Costco, since they’re 5 minutes from our home and we can see them often without too much advance notice.</p>
<p>(former Speech/Language pathologist, here)</p>
<p>I enthusiastically second what NYMom said above: You really need to see an audiologist and NOT a hearing aid dealer to be sure you get the best aid for your particular degree and nature of hearing loss. Costco I am sure has worked for many people, but you will NOT get the best evaluation and certainly not have a wide variety of options to suit your own needs.</p>
<p>There is NOT a one-size fits all type of hearing aid. There are digital aids that can be “programmed” to work for the particular type and configuration of hearing loss that the individual has…it goes on and on.</p>
<p>I’ll weigh in differently. I bought my first hearing aid from my ENT’s audiologist, who seemed fine for the hearing test, but was flustered trying to properly program the the hearing aid, and seemed to resent that I read the manual and wanted features enabled that I’d paid for. She also seemed technically incompetent in getting the hearing aid attached to the programming cable. This was someone with a degree from a major state school. Eventually I decided that the aid I had purchased wasn’t powerful enough, and I stopped wearing it at all.</p>
<p>I then went to Costco, primarily because they will let you put a hearing aid on and wear it around the store for a while, before you buy it. I ended up buying one of theirs, which was more powerful than the one I abandoned. It works better. I’m happier with it. </p>
<p>The guy who did the test and setup seemed fully educated and competent, and all the adjustments were made right in front of me. Now, even he seemed to have some difficulty in programming the thing correctly, but we quickly got it working fine. They also weren’t too keen on selling me the remote control to go with it (because they apparently didn’t want to mess around with it), but I prevailed, and we got it working. </p>
<p>I’ll say that I’d like to find an audiologist who actually has hearing loss so I could work with someone who has a clue. My first one seemed to be perfect for utterly deaf and compliant old people who would agree with anything she said. I wasn’t impressed. My Costco guy was better (and 1/3 cheaper), but even he needed some “guidance” from me. (The big guidance I gave him was not to start out at low amplification settings and work up. I wanted it at the “too loud” stage to begin with, and would work down from there…except that I never worked it down.</p>
<p>I’ll go back to Costco before I’ll go somewhere else. YMMV, and they’re not perfect either. I’ll also say that the charts classify my loss as in the lower end of the “moderate” category, but I can assure you that if both my ears had this loss, I’d be close to what I’d call “deaf”. I don’t think any of the aid sellers really understands hearing loss unless they have it. Good luck.</p>
<p>
I’m planning to buy a hearing aid later this week, so I’m quite familiar with options.</p>
<p>I’d recommend starting out by looking in to what is covered by insurance. Hearing aids coverage can be radically different with different insurance plans. Every time my insurance has changed, my hearing aid coverage also changed including everything from no coverage, to pay 20% of pre-negotiated cost from specific audiologists, to full coverage with annual maximum.</p>
<p>Next I’d focus on what characteristics are important to you. You might want to go to a hearing aid dealer and/or audiologist for this step. First appointment is usually free. For example, if appearance is important, there are hearing aids than are all but invisible to others (assuming hearing loss is not very severe). If you want maximum performance, then you’d probably want a larger size, with advanced directional tech using communication between ears and similar. Most hearing aids have different levels of technology options in the same model, at different prices. Some might be focused more on hearing in specific situations, such as a noisy restaurant; or might be focused on bluetooth / smart phone compatibility. Balancing desired features and cost will help generate a list of hearing aids to consider. </p>
<p>Regarding volume control, almost all hearing aids will have some sort of volume option. However, in advanced models it is often done through different digital programs instead of a direct volume dial. For example, you might have 1 program for loud, 1 for normal, 1 for lots of background noise, 1 for on the phone, etc. You’d press a button to switch programs Some models have buttons for switching programs hidden in a pen or in a smart phone app, making changing modes less noticeable that having to press at your ear.</p>
<p>I’m an ENT so I do have a bit of a biased opinion here, but you can look to a great article from consumer reports on the best way to purchase hearing aids.</p>
<p>[Top</a> Hearing aids | Hearing aid Buying Guide ? Consumer Reports](<a href=“http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/hearing-aids/buying-guide.htm]Top”>http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/hearing-aids/buying-guide.htm)</p>
<p>They strongly recommend going to an ENT who works with a qualified audiologist. This is the model I use in my practice. I am located in Florida and treat a very large population of patients with hearing loss. The team approach we use works very well for our patients. EVERY patient is seen first by the physician. Wax? Infection? Some other anatomical issue? Then they have a hearing test by one of my PhD audiologists. We all then go over the testing together with the patient and determine the best option to treat their hearing problem. Some need surgery, some need hearing aids, some don’t need anything but a follow up test in a year, and some patients simply cannot be helped.</p>
<p>You should only buy a hearing aid from an internationally known brand. As someone else mentioned, I agree that Phonak and Widex are the best. They offer a wide range of products and options. Most patient do not need $6000 hearing aids. Most of our patients pay about $1700/aid.</p>
<p>Steer clear from Miracle Ear, Audibel, etc… We see a lot of poorly fit and inappropriately fit patients from these places. I cannot even begin to list the stories in my 20 years of practice in Florida.</p>
<p>It varies between states, but most have a trial period for hearing aids where you are entitled to return the aid for any reason minus a reasonable fitting fee. Florida is 30 days.</p>
<p>I find it hard to believe that a 90 yr old whose hearing has been gradually worsening over a decade needs to pay to see an ENT before an audiologist.</p>
<p>
“The best” depends on what you are looking for. For example, if a primary consideration is wanting a hearing aid with a powerful enough amplifier to support a severe hearing loss in a minimal size, Starkey generally does a much better job at this than comparable models in Phonak or Widex, such as Starkey Soundlens vs Phonak Nano.</p>
<p>My dad recently tried hearing aids from Costco. He returned one, but the other one fell out of his ear out in the yard and my mom found it several weeks later after it was too late. His devices were very tiny and not at all noticeable when he was wearing them–I’m sure that this would be a great feature for a lot of people, but I think he would have been better off with much larger devices that would be easier to find, and easier for him to manipulate. I’m sure the miniaturization added plenty to the cost. As it was, he was constantly fiddling with them and bugging my mom to adjust something or other, dropping one and bugging my mom to find it, bugging my mom to check/change the battery… you get the idea.</p>
<p>When you buy a hearing aid, the way they are priced is that about half the cost is for service for the duration of the warranty, whether that be in-office fixes and adjustments or if it needs to go back to the factory for repair. That’s why sometimes the most important thing is who is going to take care of your hearing needs. You want a competent person not out to make a buck, and ready to sell you new aids every two years. This is why it is sometimes best to visit an audiologist that works at a hospital. Likely to be a well-trained person and also probably not working on a commission.</p>
<p>The way we work it in our hospital-based clinic is the patient only sees the ENT if warranted after the hearing test. Hearing loss that is the same in both ears usually does not warrant a visit to the ENT, unless there are other troubling complaints or if there is conductive hearing loss. However, if there is a difference in hearing between the two ears, either in the difference in the softest sounds each ear hears or in the ability to understand words, then it is worth investigating further to rule out other problems, some serious. An audiologist in private practice should refer a patient with an ear difference, conductive hearing loss, vertigo, or sudden hearing loss to an ENT (ASAP in the last case). </p>
<p>Whatever your mom decides to do, make sure if she is not satisfied to keep going back for adjustment. It’s included in the price in most cases.</p>
<p>(@Data10 – while Starkey does a fine job with their custom products, why would you fit a SoundLens for a severe hearing loss? )</p>