Hearing Aids(1)

Pipaw

Before my DW retired in 2012 she was given free hearing aids and wore them religiously. A few years later she started using a C- pap machine. She used it for a couple years then she stopped. Despite the doctor’s advise to use it, she doesn’t want to. The doctor says” In this stage of her life (Alzheimer’s), you have to pick your battles.” I am going to take DW for a hearing test this week. I’m satisfied she will be told she needs to wear her hearing aids. If she refuses to wear them, is this another “pick your battles “ and keep the peace?

Pipaw

IWBH1990

My wife wears hearing aids, and wore them probably 10 years before EOAD set in. She is almost completely deaf in one ear so maybe that fact keeps her willing to wear them. She will wear them at the start of the day, but by evening it is not unusual for one or both to be missing from her ears. The reason I am jumping into your thread here is to suggest if you end up getting aids, you might want to consider getting a pair you can track with a smart phone. My smart phone can not only tell me how much battery strength is left in the aids, but also can track them if they are lost in the house.

Dave

Lorita

Hi Pipaw,

 Welcome to the forum.  You'll learn a lot here - ask whatever questions you might have.  Picking your battles is the right thing to do.  My husband wore two hearing aids for years before his diagnosis of Vascular Dementia.  As the disease progressed it became increasingly hard for him to take care of them, keep track of them or adjust them.  The last year or so I'd have to adjust them and sometimes help him get them into his ears.  It was worth it because he could hear but taking care of them became mostly my job.  Just be prepared to help care for them and keep track of them.

Rescue mom

My experience was very similar to Lorita. My mom needed hearing aids badly. The first thing was that she could not remember to put them in, nor how to charge them (that may not be such a problem now), nor keep up with them. Then she couldn’t remember “why is this thing in my ear” and she’d take it out—anywhere— and of course not remember where. She might wear them 5 minutes, then out. Rinse, and repeat.

It soon becomes a near full time thing the caregiver has to take full charge of. Other things were often higher priority at that point.

ElaineD

The Lyric hearing aid is placed inside the ear, close to the eardrum.   The are NEVER taken out, not at night, not for showering.

The battery lasts for up to 3 months.  The contract for one year covers 8-10 pairs, so you go to the audiologist have then changed out for a new pair.

I LOVED them, and would buy them again this very minute, but in our area the contract costs $4,000/year.   Too expensive for me, at the present time.  If I do go blind (recently diagnosed with Macular Degeneration) I will certain get these hearing aids as I find it hard enough NOW to fiddle with the tiny hearing aids and the even tinier batteries.

My audiologist told me that one common use for this type of hearing device is for  elderly people often in care settings.

Just a thought.  Of course, I'm not sure how easy it would be for a PWD to be fitted for the Lyric Hearing Aids.

Elaine

mariawotters

My neighbor is starting to lose her hearing, it's so annoying . Can you advise something?

Brigv

One more vote for Lyric hearing aids. They are comfortable and 100% invisible, and thus are perfect for those people who don't want to wear hearing aids. Of course, they are expensive, but good hearing aids always cost much. I was recommended to buy them at the staten island audiology clinic https://audiologyisland.com/ (I've been visiting it for several years). That's why, before making the purchase, my advice is to address an audiologist and choose a hearing aid together. And it is ok to tell how much money you are ready to spend.

 

 

King Boo

There are many different retainers to put on hearing aids :  https://www.oaktreeproducts.com/products-search?qs=retainer

Current hearing aids can be tracked with an app on a smart phone by the caregiver, too, if they have bluetooth.

Lyric definitely has it's applications for this population if you have an appropriate ear and appropriate access to have them changed out in the office. 

Assuming the hearing aids are fit appropriatey (there is a vast range in the various level of care available, or lack thereof, in some cases ), sometimes the compromise is to encourage use during key hours like meals or an activity where they are distracted and can benefit; when they are tired, tolerance for stimulation may go down and this may be the point where the aids are taken off.

I always recommend a Pocket talker with headphones for emergency use (i.e. like in the hospital, if aids break, etc)

my2goldens

My husband has both hearing aids and a Cpap machine. His new set of hearing aids cost us a fortune and are barely two years old. He is no longer is able to figure out how to wear them so they are sitting in their case. And no longer uses his Cpap machine. Two battles I gave up on. Just not worth the challenge anymore.

RIM

I recently bought Bose hearing aids, $850,  for my elderly father (MCI). They’re bought online from Bose and deliver in 3 days,  adjusted via a simple app.   The only thing I don’t like is they are not rechargeable.  Overall they work very good and seem to increase his cognition.

NylaBlue

We’d both be happy for my DH to cease using the CPAP but he snores so loudly without it that I doubt our neighbors would be able to sleep; I know I couldn’t. It also unnerves me to hear him stop breathing multiple times a night without the CPAP.