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Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others
Hearing Loss | Last Active: 9 hours ago | Replies (1518)Comment receiving replies
@julie04 I thought I would give you a "report from the trenches" on our audiology visits this week. In order to persuade Jerry to see a doctor of audiology, I made an appointment for both of us at the doc recommended by my primary.
It was a great visit - she was thorough, not only in her testing, but her interviewing and explanations. She looked him right in the eye and told him he was not the only one affected by his refusal to wear his aids.
The net result - even though my tinnitus is worse, and my hearing is only slightly decreased from 2 years ago, I am not yet quite at the point of benefiting clearly from an hearing aids. Instead I will be trying some apps to mask the tinnitus when it is bothersome, but I have lived with it for so long that I can normally ignore it.
Jerry's hearing is also slightly worse - and he definitely needs aids, but she looked at his and determined they are 4 & 7 years old and old technology, in addition to being uncomfortable. We will be looking at new aids for him, so now I will go to the hearing discussion group and see what people are saying. She is recommending a Phonak with Bluetooth, because service should be widely available with our two homes. The problem is, of course, the 45 day return policy - which won't work with our travel plans.
What do you think of trying Costco aids? They seem to be well-rated, can be serviced near both homes, and have the 6 month guarantee, attractive because he has had such a hard time adjusting in the past. I figure we can do that, and if they don't work out, still have the Phonak option when we come home in the Spring.
Replies to "@julie04 I thought I would give you a "report from the trenches" on our audiology visits..."
I have to had the Phonak behind the ear aids for over 6 years now and Costco has been there every time I needed service. The only problem I have encountered is not being able to get an appointment within a day or two when the hearing aids need repair. They have been very accommodating for small adjustments when in the store (such as clean outside, replacing wind pads, etc..). I will certainly use them for my next set when needed.
Hi Sueinmn. Glad to know you're moving forward on this. For you, it's always good to have a baseline audiogram for future reference. Glad you got your guy to move on this too. While I believe that doctors of audiology, AuD level practitioners, are the gold standard for hearing care, I know that many people with hearing loss get good help and service elsewhere.
The AuD folks are always going to recommend the latest technology. It's like buying a computer or a car. The latest stuff is the best, etc. Even when it isn't. Some of the new BlueTooth technology is complicated to use just like computers are. Since HL is more common among the older population, a lot of the good stuff in those fancy devices goes unused. And, few of the providers take the time needed to teach the ropes on how to use it. The good old fashioned telecoil is so easy to understand and use, but many refer to it as 'old technology' and few explain how it works or even tell their patients that it's in their hearing instruments. They push the BT instead.
Back to your question about Costco. Know that Costco sells brand name hearing aids, including Phonak. They may be a step behind in models since those change constantly. The fitter at Costco is likely not an audiologist, BUT if you have a recent audiogram from a trusted source, you have a very good chance to get a good fit at Costco. They can plug in your audiogram results to get the information they need to provide a good fit.
I love that Costco allows such a lengthy trial period. I'm pretty sure other providers can extend it IF they are willing to. Few do though. It might be worth a try.
One concern I have relates to domes vs ear molds. Do the hearing aids your husband is using have ear molds? You mention them being uncomfortable. Molds have to be fit properly, and take a bit of skill from the provider to cast them and fit them. Domes are just stuck in the ear of the user. They come in different sizes, but I have seen many people wearing hearing aids with the domes NOT inserted well into the ear canal. Molds don't pop out, but they can hurt if they don't fit right. Again, this takes skill of the provider and patience of the patient.
My husband has found the Costco hearing aids to be good. He's fascinated by being able to stream on his cell phone, or hear the TV in a noisy place. He's willing to experiment with them. I'm not much help to him because my hearing aids and CI processor are so different since my HL is profound. He bought the top of the line Costco HAs for $1400/pair. No regrets. If his hearing loss gets worse over time, he may need something else.
Glad you're making progress. Safe travels to you too.
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Sue, I got Phonak with Bluetooth hearing aids in July. When I learned they didn't have telecoil (because I didn't know I needed to ask), my audiologist ordered me a second pair and then extended the return policy on the old pair another 45 days and started the 45 days on the new pair. So now I've got until sometime in November on my original pair which turns out to be the pair I kept (another story). My point is your audiologist probably has some leeway with Phonak re the return policy. It can't hurt to ask. Maybe you did already - I went back a number of posts and didn't find your prior ones.