Yesterday I had my annual hearing and hearing aid annual check up.
The market is very competitive for hearing aids these days. There are many gimmicks and you better watch yourself. What you're actually looking for is a good quality hearing aid but it's hard to sort things out with all the sales gimmicks.
I chose a phonak which is highly rated. I get free batteries for a lifetime as well as annual hearing aid checks. You can go in for service at any time. Now the price? Before I get there we have these things that contribute to the price. My pension plan contributes $900.00. Our government has an aids to daily living program which contributes $900.00 AMA (Alberta Motor Association )contributes $2500.00 AMA also supply the batteries. So that's $4300.00 and then I get to pay close to $2000.00.
So yesterday they did another hearing test and that was fine...not much change from last year. The hearing aids wear cleaned and balanced. Then they downloaded any new updates. There was also some feedback which they said they fixed but today I still have feedback. So the hearing aids were louder and so was the noise.
So hearing aids are not perfect but they are much better than the alternative. The Micro Manager thinks I still can't hear. Most people I can hear very well but the odd person is difficult to hear and she's one of them . She is sure that I purposely ignore her. She gets frustrated with me. So the hearing aids are no problem , but some people have trouble believing I can hear.
Hearing aids sound pretty high tech these days. Glad you got yours sorted out. I think I need one.
ReplyDeleteThey are basically a chip loaded with stuff!
DeleteI'm glad your hearing aids work reasonably well for you and that you had good service where you bought your aids.
ReplyDeleteYes, they work well and I accept that they don't give you regular hearing.
DeleteI hear you (no pun intended) and I feel your wife's pain on the difficulty spouses have being heard. My husband has hearing loss and has the most trouble with a certain pitch and guess what, my voice is that exact pitch :) We joke that I wore out his ears after forty years together. He refuses to try a hearing aid, so sometimes the joking keeps us from doing something much worse! Good for you for doing your best to improve your hearing. As you said, hearing aids are not perfect but they are pretty darn good.
ReplyDeleteI don't have an option I miss too much and sometimes you don't realize you missed something.
DeleteIt is always great to have a good company that backs up their service on hearing aids. It sounds like you have a good one. I tell my husband he has selective hearing because he doesn't hear me either!
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is frustrating not to be heard. However, I know that I do my best.
DeletePhonak is my current brand. They are 4 years old. I can get some govt assistance again for a new pair in another year.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting yesterday that they loaded updates.
DeleteI'm rather out of touch. I had no idea of the cost of hearing aids. Thank heaven my hearing (so far) is A1.
ReplyDeleteThey go up in price from what I have. I have the middle option.
DeleteHello, they are very expensive. I think my hubby is do for a check up with his hearing aids. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that a little check up and cleaning improved the aids.
DeleteI have to start wearing mine regularly! I got them mainly to hear bird song, but when I am outdoors if it is windy to any extent, what I mostly hear is the wind roaring in my ears. If my wife is facing me I have no trouble understanding her, but if she is looking out the window, for example, and talking to me, I hear noise, but cannot tease apart the words.
ReplyDeleteHearing aids are very poor for hearing birds. You can't tell the direction the sound is coming from.
DeleteIt's wonderful that you satisfied with the hearing service that you have. It also nice that there are plans that contribute money to the purchase of hearing aids.
ReplyDeleteOne has to shop around as there are many gimmicks.
DeleteI have a friend with hearing aids and sometimes I think he still cannot hear very well. Maybe it's like you said, my voice is in that part of the spectrum he doesn't hear. Glad you made the investment and that it's still worthwhile. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe higher end hearing aids are much better. Since we have lost hearing , we forget about all the noise there was. It's difficult to get used to the noise again.
DeleteSounds like you're in the perfect place ... hear what you want, and ignore the rest!
ReplyDeleteYe, you wouldn't wan to let people get away when they were talking about you.
DeleteMy hearing aids could be better. I have had these for awhile but am too cheap to put more $$ into them right now. They are small and digital but aren't the same as real hearing. I find that wearing masks makes it harder to understand most people! I am pretty good one-on-one but in larger groups or amplified settings, I struggle to follow what is being said. Glad you have better luck with your!
ReplyDeleteYes, the noise is a problem. when I'm outdoors the wind is a nuisance.
DeleteI've been thinking lately that I should have my hearing checked. I think I must ask Roger a million times a day, "What did you say? What? What?" Thank you for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteYes, get checked. Here we can get free tests so look around for a free test as well as other things.
DeleteI think when we live with someone we sometimes tend to "tune them out," without even meaning to, when we're busy with something else -- they're a sound we hear often and they don't capture our attention like an unusual voice would. That's no reflection on you or the micro-manager! I think it's just human nature. I know Dave and I have trouble hearing each other sometimes.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right.
DeleteFirst of all I've got to congratulate you on being so regular with your posts on Hiawatha House. I found this post to be especially interesting for two reasons: 1. I had no idea hearing aids could be THAT expensive! Wow. Well, I knew they were up there, but not that much. This leads me to believe there are probably a lot of folks out there who need them but are having to get by without them due to the costs. 2. Although I think my hearing is okay, at least for a seventy-something, I am having some issues with the mask wearing thing. It's not that I can't hear people who are wearing masks, it's more that I can't understand clearly what they are saying. If that's true for me it must be even more so for folks who have hearing issues. How about that? Have you noticed it?
ReplyDeleteHearing loss is when we miss a syllable or a word or several words and then things don't make sense. My volume on hearing is just fine. There are some pitches that I miss.
DeleteI went and got my hearing tested a few months back. It all checked out normal, which is kinda surprising considering my background. My "micro manager" feels the same - nothing to do with hearing. I told her she's wearing out those frequencies. :D
ReplyDeleteYou are a lucky guy that you don't have any hearing damage. I used to think that the tuning out thing was rubbish. Now I have to admit that there might be some truth to it.
DeleteMy annual review is tomorrow. The biggest difference between the two of us is the cost of the same hearing aid. Mine is paid for in America. 'Nuff said.
ReplyDeleteI have not used my hearing aids except once in the last year. I can hear the only person who visits, my neighbor, Cathy.I did used to wear them when we went to the movies. That's done. I did wear them to visit my nephrologist; it was imperative I heard and understood every word.
Hearing aids are a nuisance but you get used to them.
DeleteI have had hearing aids now for about four years, I think. There are still many sounds and voices I cannot hear well. Children's voices are difficult, and I have trouble distinguishing many consonant sounds. I use close caption on the TV for a lot of programs. It's interesting. I can always understand news anchors and reporters, but actors mumble.
ReplyDeleteYes, certain pitches are hard to pick up I find speech with accents to be a challenge.
ReplyDeleteHA ha. The same discussion happens at my house!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a good quality hearing aid.
ReplyDeleteselective hearing...we have that here too:)
ReplyDeleteIt is important that you are able to hear The Micro Manager. You need to hear her instructions, her rules, her admonishments and her occasional praise - "There's a good boy Red!"
ReplyDeleteMy dad has them.
ReplyDeletesounds like great service by companies for who have hearing problems dear Red
ReplyDeletei wonder if any other wife would say differently lol
one of my aunt had hearing problem but there were many who did not believe she had actually as they found her responding even lower voice sometimes
may be this problem can vary time to time probably