Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
  • Hearing aids-NHS or private?
  • pearlbaz
    Free Member

    My ma has had degenerative hearing over the last 10 years, and is 82 years old. She recently had an upgrade to digital from analog aids on the nhs, but despite the best efforts of the audiologist, the old and new ones are not up to the job, and either whistle, distort, or pick up so much background noise, that she cannot discern what is being said. Is she likely to get more success by visiting a private hearing aid supplier? Its upsetting seeing your elderly parents struggle when there may be a better product out there. Any experiences appreciated.

    Stoatsbrother
    Free Member

    Under the AQP procedures we now mainly refer our NHS patients on the NHS to private providers who give them an absolutely excellent service There are a lot of organisations out there, including boots and specs savers, who seem very happy to try and persuade patients to pay thousands of pounds after a so-called free hearing test for something which isnt necessarily any better.

    Lots of people do seem to have trouble particularly with discrimination of multiple voices and voices against music background with whatever aids they get. Sad.

    CountZero
    Full Member

    Lots of people do seem to have trouble particularly with discrimination of multiple voices and voices against music background with whatever aids they get. Sad.

    My late step-father was given an NHS aid, and he struggled just to get the bloody thing into his ear properly, the hearing tube would fall out, and he could never get it back in properly, and I had to refer to the instructions each time, because I could never get the bloody thing back together!
    I got him a cheap little Chinese one that fitted right into his ear, but he had issues with that as well, because he could never see to switch it off, the battery would die, and he could never get the battery in properly.
    Plus they used to get clogged with wax and he couldn’t hear then anyway.
    Oh, and I struggle with discrimination of multiple voices against noisy backgrounds, and my hearing has been tested and found to be on a par with someone a third of my age, the testing was done because I worked with very noisy machines in enclosed spaces, average being 92dB for hours at a time; I wore proper hearing protection, others didn’t.

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    batfink
    Free Member

    we now mainly refer our NHS patients on the NHS to private providers who give them an absolutely excellent service

    who seem very happy to try and persuade patients to pay thousands of pounds after a so-called free hearing test for something which isnt necessarily any better.

    Am interested in this for the father in law….. was going to send him to specsavers to get sorted. From your above, I’m not clear if you are recommending them or not?

    jkomo
    Full Member

    To be clear, if you go to Specsavers for an NHS hearing aid, they will not even mention private.
    The latest NHS ones are fantastic, and are equivalent to around £1000 private ones.
    When did She get her latest digital ones?
    More expensive ones have more channels so more tunability, and a lot more functionality which She may not need. But you will get more time with the Audiologist.
    All hearing aids take time to adapt to though.

    pearlbaz
    Free Member

    she received the new ones 2 weeks ago, and has an appointment for a tretune next week. They said her hearing test results had remained the same over the past 6 months, but she’s still having discrimination problems. Better if she looks at you while you speak, I guess she’s lip-reading to reinforce what she hears

    Pawsy_Bear
    Free Member

    Ive got hearing aids. Went private but now NHS. NHS ones are brilliant. And cost nothing. Private can cost upwards of £4000. And if their hearing deteriorates further will need bigger ones and pay again. It can become very very expensive.

    stuey
    Free Member

    My Dad’s got two aids and my friend is an Audiologist => latest NHS ones very good.

    Ro5ey
    Free Member

    Pardon ??

    Cmon men .. standards are slipping … Im what? The 8th poster !!

    McHamish
    Free Member

    I have in ear private hearing aids.

    I have severe tinnitus and fluctuating hearing loss so needed hearing aids that A. could be adjusted easily and separately (I have a remote), B. had different settings for different environments (without them i can’t hear anything in the pub). As my hearing fluctuates across all frequencies, i can get settings for different levels of hearing loss (not just volume adjustment).

    Plus I was reluctant to wear the big ugly external hearing aids the NHS gave me…you can’t see my private aids unless you look directly into my ear.

    They’re expensive though…i went to a private clinic in London and paid for 5 years of unlimited after care. Sometimes my hearing fluctuates to the point that the hearing aids don’t work effectively anymore and i need to take them in to be tuned to the right frequencies.

    It takes time to get used to hearing aids, particularly if you have had hearing loss for a while. You brain would have got used to trying to make do with your hearing loss and is now getting a lot more input than it did before. Give it time and she’ll get used to them.

    perchypanther
    Free Member

    Do they make aids for cats?

    I’m sure i’ve read something about it on here?

    McHamish
    Free Member

    Only bad ones.

    the-muffin-man
    Full Member

    I’m with Specsavers through the NHS now – so much better, and I can go in at weekends so don’t have to take a day off. They don’t push private at all.

    Re the actually aids – I’m not bothered about my hearing aid being visible so I’m happy with what they offer.

    And very much this…

    It takes time to get used to hearing aids, particularly if you have had hearing loss for a while. You brain would have got used to trying to make do with your hearing loss and is now getting a lot more input than it did before. Give it time and she’ll get used to them.

    …I know loads of people who only wear them occassionally and constantly moan that they don’t work – they just don’t give them a chance. Put it in and leave it in all day – mine goes in first thing and stays in till I go to bed.

    McHamish
    Free Member

    Put it in and leave it in all day – mine goes in first thing and stays in till I go to bed.

    Yes, me too.

    The only additional thing for ‘in ear’ aid is occlusion – this is where is sounds like you’re head is under water when you talk and eating is loud. I take mine out to eat – my wife tells me I have to get used to it.

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