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Hearing aids

• Message 1. 

  Posted by one who posted here once (U4064841) on Monday, 19th December 2011

  Could I have some advice? Aged P has become increasingly deaf. Years ago she got a digital hearing aid on the NHS, but "coukdn't get on with it." For a long time this didn't seem to matter; she could hear as long as you stood on the right side, hear fine on the phone. It's become harder and harder to make her hear lately. (Though last week I had an encouragingly normal phone conversation, albeit in a slightly loud voice.)
  Just got off the phone and despite me yelling down it I couldn't make myself understood.
  
  She saw an ad somewhere recently and made an appointment for someone to call and do a hearing test. Apparently she and this man had a perfectly normal conversation for 15 minutes, and he pronounced that "for you in your circumstances" it would not be worthwhile. (A cost of about £1000 was mentioned.)
  
  
  What I'd like to know is, have NHS hearing aids improved a lot in the last few years? Are they markedly different from one obtained privately?
  
  Many thanks.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by sweetFeet (U14377598) on Monday, 19th December 2011

  My o/h wears a digital hearing aid in both ears.
  
  He has tried private aids but now has NHS aids and reckons they are superb as is the after care,
  
  If anything goes wrong or they need adjusting he gets an appointment the same day. In and out like a flash.
  
  I don't think he'd dream of shelling out a grand on hearing aids now.
  
  I'd seriously try the NHS.

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by Sunny Clouds (U14258963) on Monday, 19th December 2011

  My NHS aids are really good.
  
  One thing I'd mention is that the tuning is very important. It's not just about volume, it's about sound-balance. If you've had more loss on some pitches than others for many years, it can be difficult getting used to normal hearing so sometimes it can be worth saying can they try for a half-way point.

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by one who posted here once (U4064841) on Wednesday, 21st December 2011

  Thanks both.
  
  Her first step should be to ask the GP?
  
  (Not very confident about this - she sometimes says she can hear everything X or Y says, maybe she doesn't believe she's more than a bit hard of hearing. And as you said Sunny, it would take a while to get used to new aids. Still I can but mention it again.)

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Thanks for all the fish (U10654037) on Friday, 23rd December 2011

  NHS aids have certainly improved in the last few years; however for all my consultant said that theirs were better than private sector ones because of the NHS's buying clout, they are still, IME, inferior. (I have aged private aids and newish NHS ones for when they're away for repair.)
  
  That said, I'm still working, so have to endure meetings and training sessions; I go to noisy pubs, spend a *lot* of time on the phone, etc, and can believe that once I'm no longer working the NHS aids will be perfectly adequate.
  
  You need to get a GP referral, but I'd say going down the NHS route is very worthwhile, because even if money isn't too much of an issue it's handy to have a spare set for emergencies.

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