Help for Hearing Impairment

Savvy_Sue

Thanks ...

Hear-Hear wrote: »

You may well find that the older aid is upgraded at that time too !

I'm not sure I'm particularly excited by that: the hearing aid I liked best was the first one I had: it had three settings - 'all around', 'in your face' and the loop. And it had a volume control. The setting I used most was 'in your face', closely followed by the loop.

First upgrade I lost the volume control and the 'in your face' setting. Apparently this aid was SO clever it knew what I wanted to hear and how loud I wanted it to be. As soon as I could, I changed it for one with a volume control, but I still miss 'in your face'. I don't need to hear the racket all around me in a noisy environment: I want to hear what the person facing me is saying!!!!

Anyway, it's the mould I'm most dreading. You may remember I've worked my way through a fully fitted mould, various tulips and mushrooms, and eventually had a mietal mould - I've never been able to find it online but it was a sort of half mould, in a fetching pink. But it took multiple attempts to get the right one ordered and fitted, and even then it wasn't comfortable. It just itches and irritates, and after a couple of hours it's just a relief to get it out.

After a couple of visits I gave up trying. I'm sure I'm a heart-sink patient at Audiology ...

cairndog

I have decided to get a test and advice at Specsavers after having NHS aids for 10yrs,
I am now 77 and need to make the most use of my savings to give me a better quality of life.
I belong to 2 interest groups but don't go much as I can't keep up with what people say and miss out on any demonstrations.
I can't watch TV without subtitles (which are a joke and annoy other people). The phone is a nightmare too.

It seems Specsavers use 2 makes, Widex Unique from £1,695 - £2795,
And Signia Primax from £2,295 - £2,795.So all very expensive and I need to make the best choice.

Has anyone any advice or experience with these please ?
Thanks.

Hear-Hear

Sue - ask for 'Open Jaw' impressions to be taken for your new earmoulds.

Hear-Hear

Cairndog - you've described a not-too-challenging lifestyle there, so unless you have more specific listening needs, why do need to choose from their top-of-range aids? The prices you have shown are for the most sophisticated technology they have available. Probably worth asking why the Widex and Siemens models from the mid-range weren't recommended to you.

Savvy_Sue

Hear-Hear wrote: »

Sue - ask for 'Open Jaw' impressions to be taken for your new earmoulds.

Well. I've been, twice now. First time to get impression for a new mould for the new hearing aid. I'm not sure the audiologist was convinced by the request for open jaw, but she did it.

But in order to have my hearing re-tested, she had to refer me (to her own department). She couldn't just re-test me. So I decided to have both the hearing test and the mould fitting on the same day. That was Friday.

My hearing is still OK in my right ear, all 'above the line', but the left ear has dropped from five years ago - yes it's five years since they last tested my hearing, and I had to ask for that back then. And as well as the lower frequencies, I'm now losing the higher frequencies, and it's classed as moderate rather than mild.

I can't say I was surprised: I knew it was worse than it used to be. A bit surprised the right is still as good as it was, but that's a relief because at least I can still use the phone effectively!

They do intend to upgrade me, but for now they've just given me a replacement of the original. The new one will have FOUR settings so I'm hoping I can get back my 'in your face' setting which is really all I need most of the time: I can't hear in noisy situations!

And eventually I can have it in silver rather than beige, but I may have to start off with beige. Choice of black, silver, beige and brown. When will I be able to have bright sparkly pink?

The new mould is bright pink and sparkly so very happy about that. It has been coated with some anti-allergy stuff in the hope it won't make my ear itch so much. I can't say it's truly comfortable, but it's at least partly because I'm unused to it.

Oh, and I told my boss it's getting worse, and she asked if I'd be happy telling all my colleagues, which I am. She asked if I needed any adaptations at work, which I don't - I have a thing for meetings should it become necessary, but it's not yet. Quite a few of them know I have a hearing loss, but the newer ones don't.

Edited to add ...

Forgot to say the audiologist has referred me to ENT in case there is some reason why the loss has got worse. She suspects it is 'just' old age and decrepitude (too polite to say so of course!) / the passage of time but thinks it's worth being sure.

altocumulus

cairndog wrote: »

I have decided to get a test and advice at Specsavers after having NHS aids for 10yrs,
I am now 77 and need to make the most use of my savings to give me a better quality of life.
I belong to 2 interest groups but don't go much as I can't keep up with what people say and miss out on any demonstrations.
I can't watch TV without subtitles (which are a joke and annoy other people). The phone is a nightmare too.

It seems Specsavers use 2 makes, Widex Unique from £1,695 - £2795,
And Signia Primax from £2,295 - £2,795.So all very expensive and I need to make the best choice.

Has anyone any advice or experience with these please ?
Thanks.

Although I would admit getting aids privately is a whole different experience to via the NHS - have you been offered any by the NHS?

Do you have any Independent hearing aid suppliers locally? When I wore aids from a private supplier, I found the Independent less expensive and more responsive.

altocumulus

cairndog wrote: »

I have decided to get a test and advice at Specsavers after having NHS aids for 10yrs,
I am now 77 and need to make the most use of my savings to give me a better quality of life.
I belong to 2 interest groups but don't go much as I can't keep up with what people say and miss out on any demonstrations.
I can't watch TV without subtitles (which are a joke and annoy other people). The phone is a nightmare too.

It seems Specsavers use 2 makes, Widex Unique from £1,695 - £2795,
And Signia Primax from £2,295 - £2,795.So all very expensive and I need to make the best choice.

Has anyone any advice or experience with these please ?
Thanks.

Although I would admit getting aids privately is a whole different experience to via the NHS.

Do you have any Independent hearing aid suppliers locally? When I wore aids from a private supplier, I found the Independent less expensive and more responsive.

cairndog

altocumulus wrote: »

Although I would admit getting aids privately is a whole different experience to via the NHS.

Do you have any Independent hearing aid suppliers locally? When I wore aids from a private supplier, I found the Independent less expensive and more responsive.

Thanks altocumulus, a friend has tried one in this area but felt they were sold one stronger (so more expensive) than necessary.
Hard to decide it's so complicated as they're all in business to make money.
But I'm fed up with the Siemens Octive M+ I have from NHS

cairndog

Hear-Hear wrote: »

Cairndog - you've described a not-too-challenging lifestyle there, so unless you have more specific listening needs, why do need to choose from their top-of-range aids? The prices you have shown are for the most sophisticated technology they have available. Probably worth asking why the Widex and Siemens models from the mid-range weren't recommended to you.

Hear-Hear, since your reply in January I've had another NHS test and one ear is a bit worse than 2yrs ago.

I have a Siemens Octive M+ at present. I dont know what that equates to in the Widex and Siemens models from Specsavers, Boots etc.
Someone suggested trying n Independant supplier, but are they truly independant ? I'm rather sceptical about that.
Can I have your views please.

altocumulus

cairndog wrote: »

Hear-Hear, since your reply in January I've had another NHS test and one ear is a bit worse than 2yrs ago.

I have a Siemens Octive M+ at present. I dont know what that equates to in the Widex and Siemens models from Specsavers, Boots etc.
Someone suggested trying n Independant supplier, but are they truly independant ? I'm rather sceptical about that.
Can I have your views please.

I don't know, but experience does suggest NHS aids are of a lower spec than those you are offered privately! When I started privately I could get ITE, as opposed to OTE with NHS and the latter were only offering one - not two.

I appreciate it's not an easy decision for you, especially if money's a bit tight. Have you tackled your audiology department for an alternative (though if they're like mine they probably couldn't care less! - I'd be wearing a baha now if mine had been more supportive 10 years ago.....)