Hearing Assistive Technology - What do you find helpful?

I have severe hearing loss. I am having problem understanding audio voicemail. and am not able to transcribe audio voice mail into text (so I can read it). My android phone is capable of doing it. but my isp redpocket has not been able to get it running. I have noticed several complaints on tech websites about this. Perhaps someone out there can light a fire under redpocket & get them to get this feature operating.

Try Apple Air Pods Pro. I pair mine with my smart TV and they have clear sound and allow others in the room to hear as well

Are you familiar with the BlueTooth features in your cochlear processor? I do not have the N7, so I don't yet have the advantage of using my cell phone to connect BT to the phone or TV. I suggest you go to Cochlear Americas website to see if there is a video that wile explain this. Is there anyone out there who can share that information?

I use Signia hearing aids bought in 2018, my first pair with [functioning] bluetooth. No, they don't have telecoils. When and if I need to replace these $7,000 hearing aids I would investigate getting a pair with telecoils. If it adds a lot to the cost, though, I might forgo it. That's because so few public venues in the DC-MD-VA area where I live are equipped with telecoil loop systems. Not sure how much benefit the extra cost would provide. Very very few venues retroactively install them, only brand-new buildings include telecoil loops.

Add to that the pandemic-related questions about when people can even safely gather indoors. So many meetings (including HLAA meetings) have gone virtual. Will in-person meetings make a comeback post-pandemic? We don't even know. So I'm not sure telecoil tech is going to attract a lot of advocacy effort right now. Hearing people by-and-large are clueless about telecoil. It takes a lot of education and fundraising to move the needle on the status quo in such an uncertain environment.

FWIW, both the single aid I bought from Costco four years ago ($1,600) and the pair I bought last fall (surprisingly, only $1,400 for the PAIR) had telecoils--no need to ask, they were simply included. When I bought the first aid, I didn't even know what telecoils could do. FWIW, Costco says that all aids should cost far less now that OTC aids are appearing and, like most electronics, whatever we buy costs less and has more features. Shoot, I remember paying nearly $2,000 for one of the very first CD drives...and it wasn't CD-R, just a reader! The first graphics computer I bought (back in the '80s) was soooo big (8 meg RAM, 20 meg HD!!!) that the guys who built it kept it for a couple of days to play with it before handing it over. It cost over $2,000. The computer I have now has 32 meg RAM and a 2TB HD, is Quad Core (much faster) and cost $800...today it would have more features and cost less, or about the same if I upgraded to an even faster speed. Over the years, I've had several graphics computers, plus laptops and tablets for working away from the office. I remember once waiting in line at an electronics recycling center, adding up in my head what I'd paid for to buy the van load of "old" computer stuff: over $10,000. Today, I send entire books to my printer in Thailand, each page a single locked PDF file, complete with all graphics. I can enhance photos in PhotoShop and Lightroom, create detailed maps, etc. -- all things I couldn't do even 15 years ago, at least to the degree it's possible today. So, if you're thinking about a new set of aids, you should be surprised at getting more for less money.

Thanks to all for your suggestions and tips. It's beginning to look like I need new hearing aids, a newer tv and better understanding of technology and more$$$! It looks like I'll be using closed captioning for a while longer.

Telecoils add less than $15 to the cost of a hearing aid, and are often included at no cost. BlueTooth adds $1000+. Guess which tech the sellers choose to promote? Often the sellers tell customers that telecoils are 'old technology'. That's true, but telecoils can connect you to things that BT cannot. A simple neckloop, average cost $50, can connect telecoils to any audio device with an input jack. Cell phone, radio, iPod, laptop, FM or IR receivers, etc. Easy. If you enter a looped venue with telecoils equipped hearing aids all you have to do is turn them on and you will hear everything coming through the public address system(s) clearly with no background noise.

I'm surprised to hear there are 'few' looped venues in the DC/MD/VA area. That is where HLAA is located. I believe Kennedy Center, and other major venues have the assistive listening technology that telecoils connect with. Some venues have FM technology. Some have Infrared (IR) technology. FM & IR require a user to pick up a receiver. Those receivers can be used with basic headsets or ear buds, but can also be used with a neckloop and telecoil equipped hearing aids. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires these venues to provide 'communication access'. The ADA doesn't require a specific kind of technology. BlueTooth does not connect in large venues because it must be paired with the sound system. Each BT user would have to have his/her BT equipment paired, which means that main PA system would have to have many microphones connected to it. Not possible.

I love the BT feature in my hearing aid and also in my cochlear implant processor. But I'd choose the telecoil over BT every time if I had to make a choice. We should not have to make a choice as both should be included.

If people who sell hearing aids would demonstrate what telecoils do so their buyers understand it, there would be a lot of happier hard of hearing people.

Some explain it this way: "I love the new microwave in my kitchen, but I'd never give up my stove. Another pointed out: "Telecoils are like the air conditioning in my car. I don't use it all the time, but when I want it I'm sure glad I have it!"

There is good information at: http://www.hearingloop.org

Have you ever advocated for better hearing in large venues?

Closed captioning on the TV is a blessing! I remember when it wasn't there, or was only on a few programs. We are fortunate for the legislation that mandated captions on all TVs over 13 inches several decades ago. Just about all of them have it today and it keeps getting better.

The question posed was not which is the better technology, but which technologies have been most helpful. Bluetooth is a personal tool that helps me talk on the phone, function well in virtual meetings, comprehend podcasts, and understand speech on home screens. It has been extremely helpful to me, life-changing, in fact. Simply by allowing me to have clear, understandable phone conversations with my loved ones, it immeasurably enriches my life. I’m grateful for it every day.

I have no idea what motivates this debate of the relative merits of Bluetooth and telecoil. The two technologies serve different functions, and are in no way comparable. It’s like debating whether shoes are better than hats. This is a ridiculous conversation.

You expressed concern about the potential 'high cost of telecoils'. There is no high cost for telecoils. Yes, the 2 technologies serve different purposes but overlap. I can do everything with telecoils that BT can do, just in a different way. It is not a ridiculous conversation. It's a teaching moment. Your $7000 hearing aids are working well for you. They have added quality to your life. That's a blessing.