You might want to see another audiologist hearing aids keep getting better and the fitting and tuning of the hearing aids is critical. As Julie mentioned in another post getting a custom mold can vastly improve your hearing aid experience and they aren’t that expensive.
Just remember you get what you pay for. Over the counter hearing aids are really only good for mild to moderate hearing loss and even that is questionable.
TruHearing and other companies are out there that can give you incredible discounts on the major brands of hearing aids. If you are on Medicare some Advantage plans can cut your cost in half.
Long story short do the research and be your own best advocate.
Good luck to everyone.

Thank you for sharing your feelings and experiences. Hearing loss can easily isolate a person. When you're left out, isolation is a reality. Our personalities are unique. I have met some people with profound hearing loss who manage well because they accept what they can do and avoid what is difficult. Avoidance may be good or bad, depending. Obviously, the age of hearing loss onset makes a difference in the development of one's personality. If you've always lived with hearing loss you don't have to adapt, you have never known anything different.

It's different for an outgoing person who enjoys socializing who suddenly cannot participate in ongoing conversation or in events they have always enjoyed. Obviously, hearing aids, cochlear implants and assistive technology help, but they do not give a person their old life back. This is a reality for most people with adult onset hearing loss. Acceptance matters and so does the need to adjust to what may be a different lifestyle. Being open to learning about hearing assistive technology also eliminates some barriers.

The Americans with Disabilities Act mandates that hearing assistance be available in public venues where one must hear to be able to participate. The ADA also says that those who need hearing assistance must ask for it in advance. It also says that small venues may not need to provide it if it's cost prohibitive. Think about that. Should a small theater have to provide hearing assistive technology? If it is requested in advance, how far in advance is needed for the venue to be able to provide it? On the other hand, if people who benefit from this technology work together to educate the public and the 'owner' of a venue on this, it might be a financial plus to the venue because it will draw more people. Large venues are expected to provide it, but many don't. Why? Because those who need it don't ask for it.

This all relates to being open about our needs, which also means being open about why we have these unique needs. If you are not willing to speak up the odds are you will be left out.

Regardless, you have to know what is available and what works for you.

If you can, consider attending the national HLAA convention in June. You'll be amazed at what you learn there. http://www.hearingloss.org