Hearing aids in but still not understanding words

Thanks Julie
Will report back. Actually when I asked my old audiologist if she thought ear molds would help me as a relative had suggested it her reply was “Then do you want something blocking your ears?”. End of conversation. I was taken aback expecting a pro and con discussion of molds and I just stumbled out that I didn’t know. That and her lack of familiarity with the Roger On made me realize that I could do better.

The Digital Handy Control by Phonak operates on 3 AAA batteries. The audiologist has the prime the Digital Handy Control with my hearing aids. I do not use a neck loop as I was never ask to use one.

I joined the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) after I retired in 1993. It was the best decision I ever made. They have a publications and a yearly Conference to learn all about hearing loss, and suggestions for supporting your hearing loss. They also have captioning at the Conference so we do not miss one word during the presentations.

Have same problem. Not a volume problem but can’t understand what is being said?

Likewise. I have worn hearing aids for the past 6-7 years with steady deterioration of my hearing overall. A couple of months ago I purchased new Phonak Luminas and have been working steadily with my audiologist and with a Phonak training rep to optimize my hearing and comprehension. I still struggle with interpreting many words, particularly in situations where there is any background noise at all or with people who speak rapidly.

Recently people have started masking again for Covid’s resurgence, and masks make it virtually impossible to understand what people are saying; I rely heavily on reading lips. I have and use a Roger mike and a Phonak TV connector. Both are helpful, but the Roger mike is of very little use in noisy rooms. It seems the technology that has been developed thus far still leaves us to deal with some of the core issues of hearing loss pretty much on our own.

I find myself being careful where I go and what situations I put myself into. It’s hard living that way, but the alternative is frustration, stress, and feeling excluded from much of the interaction around me. I am learning to speak up, but it’s a long learning curve for people with normal hearing to understand our limitations and needs. My husband still often speaks to me from another room and expects that I will be able to understand.

@kmseay I have experienced everything you write about - especially the spouse talking from the other room while not looking at me. 3 Commandments to talk to me: Get my attention. Face me. And ideally be within 6-10 feet.

I use my Roger On all the time even in noisy restaurants. It took me awhile experimenting but if I just want to hear my table mates, I realized I can't leave the mic on the table because then it will pick up 360 degrees of sound - the entire restaurant. I have to point it at the person talking. I also play around with the ambient balance button on my Phonak app. By moving the icon to the left it can block out different levels of the noise around you.

Captioning on the tv needs more training. I find the font too small and speakers talk like auctioneers so fast that it is hard to understand every word.
I use a Willams Sound Pocketalker with a TV line that holds a microphone attached to the TV and I wear head phones. I can hear every word as if the speaker is on my shoulder speaking into my ear. With the Pocketalker, it controls the volume and the tone of the voice. If interested ask for Cathy at Williams Sound 1-800-328-6190. I also use a Clarity Alto Plus landline phone. It has volume and tone control. She helped me when my equipment broke down after using it for 10 years. I am 88 years old and have been hard of hearing since I was 4 years old. Remained in the public schools, went to The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. graduated in 1959 and worked as a microbiologist for 35 years for the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture. There was no support for people with hearing loss only those who use Sign Language.

Molds attached to behind-the-ear hearing help you hear if they are molded correctly. They do not block your hearing only if they are a poor fit. Join Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA).

I too use a williams sound pocket talker. it works MUCH better than my 6K
octicon, audiologist fitted, digital hearing aids??? can someone explain why????

If you are having trouble with your audiologist try an Audiologist Dept. at a University or hospital. I went to the audiologist at The Ohio State University, Columbus OH where audiologists are trained to become audiologists. It was the Speech and Hearing Dept. on the west campus of The Ohio State University.