Hearing aids?

[mossrose]

I talked to a friend on the phone this morning. For part of the conversation, I used the phone at my left ear. Usually I use my phone on speaker, but I always have trouble talking on speaker with this particular friend. Whether it's an issue with both our phones or what, I don't know.

Used my right ear for a while and decided I would try switching to see what happened. I have not been able to use a phone with my left ear for almost 24 years. All I could hear was basically white noise.

I could hear my friend talking and could understand what she was saying! It sounded like she was talking to me from the inside of a tin can, but I could understand her! For the first time in all these years I can use my left ear for a phone call!

That is huge!

[Cow Poke]

He quilts! That's amazing!

Yup - he's about 6'2" (slightly diminished by age and slouching) big man who, somehow, got involved in hand-making beautiful quilts.

So sad about his wife. What a terrible thing, this stupid covid is, to disallow loving couples o be together at the end.

It was merciful, though, in that she had just begun showing signs of dementia and confusion. She was so sharp and witty all the time I have known her, but the last time I went in and visit her, I had my sunglasses on the top of my head, and she, for whatever reason, thought my sunglasses were a kippa, and she told me "I'm not Jewish, why do I need a Rabbi?"

I apologized, left the room, took my sunglasses off the top of my head, took off my suitcoat, and came back into the room, and she said, "Did you see that Rabbi that was in my room?"

Fortunately, we have many wonderful memories of this woman, and we know she is in His presence. So does Preston, who realized he was getting to the place where he could no longer help her get up when she falls, or ease her pain when she hurts.

[mossrose]

She just passed away a few months ago, so that's no longer a factor. He's the one would walk over to her rehab building, and wave at her in the window, but he wasn't even allowed to be in the room with her because of Covid concerns. And they had been married for like nearly 70 years.

This is the guy who makes BEAUTIFUL quilts, intricate scroll saw jigsaw puzzles, and all kinds of crafts --- or did, til just a few years ago, when he gave up power equipment, but still makes quilts.

He quilts! That's amazing!

So sad about his wife. What a terrible thing, this stupid covid is, to disallow loving couples o be together at the end.

[QuantaFille]

Pardon?

It's hard to know yet. She has them turned to a fairly low setting, and I haven't really done anything that I can tell.

We watched one tv program last night and I was able to hear the conversation in the show despite the crappy music they were playing at the same time, and I also had to turn the volume down a bit. So I guess that's a good sign.

They are very comfortable, and the biggest issue I have is that I think they are making my glasses a bit wonky, so I need to go and have them adjusted. And it's a nightmare with glasses AND a mask! The mask is a pain to take off as it seems to get caught under the hearing aid and I end up having to take the aid at least partially off so I can untangle the mask elastic.

Hopefully that will improve with practice.

At work, I wear glasses, earbuds (w/cord behind my ears), and a mask and things do get tangled. I have had to figure out in what order to put them on to minimize tangling and maximize comfort. I put the earbuds on last and have figured out how to thread the cord under/around/through the glasses temples and mask straps (which goes behind my head, not behind my ears) to make everything stay in place. I recommend something to convert your mask to one that goes behind your head and stays off your ears. That seems to help more than anything. One less thing behind your ears is one less thing to get tangled.

[Cow Poke]

It is sad, and I think that is part of the brain degenerating into dementia. It's too bad his wife is against the surgery. Would he still be eligible?

She just passed away a few months ago, so that's no longer a factor. He's the one would walk over to her rehab building, and wave at her in the window, but he wasn't even allowed to be in the room with her because of Covid concerns. And they had been married for like nearly 70 years.

This is the guy who makes BEAUTIFUL quilts, intricate scroll saw jigsaw puzzles, and all kinds of crafts --- or did, til just a few years ago, when he gave up power equipment, but still makes quilts.

[mossrose]

so do the hearing aids have to have a box in your pocket that does all the work, or are they completely self-contained, microphone and speaker?

https://www.oticon.com/solutions/ruby

These are the ones I got, Sparky. They are pretty small, and if you don't know I wear them, you likely won't know I wear them. The colour I have is the second from the left in the colour choice picture. The whole bit that fits behind the ear is about an inch long and is completely self-contained. Rechargeable lithium batteries that last for 24 hours and charge in 3. I can wear them all day and set them in the charger at night and leave them until I put them in the next day.

They communicate with each other to set volume. If I turn one down or up, the other one will adjust itself accordingly. No box in my pocket or anywhere else. Just the 2 aids. When she had me in yesterday, she did all kinds of things on the computer to adjust the settings and so on. I don't understand any of it.

[Sparko]

so do the hearing aids have to have a box in your pocket that does all the work, or are they completely self-contained, microphone and speaker?

[mossrose]

We have an older gentleman in our church who is pretty much my Dad's age (or how old Dad would be were he still with us) and he had pretty advanced hearing loss (as did my Dad).

It used to be that Preston would be able to use our little wireless hearing assistance things to listen to the sermon, but it got to the point that nothing seemed to help, and he was beyond hearing add solutions. He actually was a candidate for the cochlear implant, but his wife was scared to death that he wouldn't live through it.

So, this gentleman, Preston, is a BRILLIANT man, but lives in this world where he can hear absolutely nothing, so he has the appearance of a... how to I describe it... he kinda looks "lost" - not engaged at all, when you talk to him, you reach for his little whiteboard and write your message, then he YELLS the answer (obviously doesn't know he's yelling) and you'd never tell that this guy was a major consultant on international oil/gas projects as a senior petroleum engineer.

It's really sad how deafness can imprison some people in their own little solitary worlds.

It is sad, and I think that is part of the brain degenerating into dementia. It's too bad his wife is against the surgery. Would he still be eligible?

[Cow Poke]

You're joking, right?

$900 is paid by the Alberta Aids for Living thingy which is available to all seniors. Alberta Health Care pays nothing, nor do they pay for eyeglasses or any dental.

The 4 grand is my out of pocket. The $900 is over and above that.

And Mr. mossy is likely going to have to get some too, down the road. We praise God for His generous provision that allows us to be able to get things like this we need.

We have an older gentleman in our church who is pretty much my Dad's age (or how old Dad would be were he still with us) and he had pretty advanced hearing loss (as did my Dad).

It used to be that Preston would be able to use our little wireless hearing assistance things to listen to the sermon, but it got to the point that nothing seemed to help, and he was beyond hearing add solutions. He actually was a candidate for the cochlear implant, but his wife was scared to death that he wouldn't live through it.

So, this gentleman, Preston, is a BRILLIANT man, but lives in this world where he can hear absolutely nothing, so he has the appearance of a... how to I describe it... he kinda looks "lost" - not engaged at all, when you talk to him, you reach for his little whiteboard and write your message, then he YELLS the answer (obviously doesn't know he's yelling) and you'd never tell that this guy was a major consultant on international oil/gas projects as a senior petroleum engineer.

It's really sad how deafness can imprison some people in their own little solitary worlds.

[mossrose]

I should add that I didn't pay anything for the hearing test. AHC might cover that cost for seniors, not sure.

I have followup care every 6 months, and a hearing test every year, which to my knowledge will not cost me anything out of pocket. ALL the supplies I need for the aids are free of charge to replace. Those are the little caps that have to be changed once a month, and little thingys to replace a tiny bit that may get waxy. Those need to be changed every 2 weeks. All of those things are free for 3 years, when the batteries will have to be changed.

Don't know what happens then. Probably new and improved aids, I suppose.

[Christianbookworm]

Insurance companies don't recognize the importance of hearing aids. I've also had people assume I was intellectually disabled because I wear aids and glasses. Don't know why. Just that a job interviewer spoke really slow and assumed I was incapable of folding clothes or anything.

[QuantaFille]

why didn't your socialized medicine pay for your hearing aids?

Because socialism=famine. This has been established.

[mossrose]

why didn't your socialized medicine pay for your hearing aids?

You're joking, right?

$900 is paid by the Alberta Aids for Living thingy which is available to all seniors. Alberta Health Care pays nothing, nor do they pay for eyeglasses or any dental.

The 4 grand is my out of pocket. The $900 is over and above that.

And Mr. mossy is likely going to have to get some too, down the road. We praise God for His generous provision that allows us to be able to get things like this we need.

[Sparko]

Darlin', I paid $600 for mine in 2013. Yeah, it's pretty sucky. And I don't feel like shelling out another 6 or 8 hundred after dropping 4 grand yesterday for hearing aids.

But I was able to download the apps on my phone, although there is one function that doesn't work on the android systems.

why didn't your socialized medicine pay for your hearing aids?

[mossrose]

Have you had a chance to know if they're working for ya?

Pardon?

It's hard to know yet. She has them turned to a fairly low setting, and I haven't really done anything that I can tell.

We watched one tv program last night and I was able to hear the conversation in the show despite the crappy music they were playing at the same time, and I also had to turn the volume down a bit. So I guess that's a good sign.

They are very comfortable, and the biggest issue I have is that I think they are making my glasses a bit wonky, so I need to go and have them adjusted. And it's a nightmare with glasses AND a mask! The mask is a pain to take off as it seems to get caught under the hearing aid and I end up having to take the aid at least partially off so I can untangle the mask elastic.

Hopefully that will improve with practice.