What is the best hearing aid for an elderly woman?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

It depends on the kind of hearing loss she has. As a person gets older they are going to be better served with a simple, automatic digital hearing aid. They don't want things they have to fiddle with, adjust, anything complicated etc. They also need something that is not too small and therefore difficult to manage. So one has to find a compromise between a size that can easily be handled versus something they are prepared to wear; even old people have some vanity.

There are three different people who can offer you a hearing aid system:

- A ENT Specialist
- An Audiologist
- A Hearing Instrument Specialist

An ENT Specialist is probably the worst choice. These people are surgeons and while they are highly skilled, they tend to lack interest in hearing aid technology. These people are capable of diagnosing treatable medical conditions and recommending medication or an operation that may be able to help. But if there are no medical solutions, it is best to see someone else for a hearing aid recommendation. In my experience ENT specialists have very little interest once they have ruled out any medical problems, they will then refer on to an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist.

An audiologist has a masters degree in audiology, they have a license to fit hearing aids and test hearing. They also have the knowledge necessary to spot medically referable conditions and refer to an ENT when appropriate. They should be very much aware of all the hearing aid solutions available.

A hearing instrument specialist usually only has a degree, and a state license. But they usually apprentice under and experienced hearing instrument specialist, so should have extensive practical experience of fitting hearing aids. They also understand when it is necessary to refer to an ENT specialist for a treatable medical condition.

Some people who have answered this question have talked about seeing a doctor. This is really not necessary. Any audiologist or hearing instrument specialist has a legal and ethical obligation to refer any patient who has a medically treatable condition. The odds are the elderly woman in question just has an age related nerve deafness. But again, if it is something more complicated any professional will give the right referral.

As for the hearing test it should be provided free and without obligation. Look for the following components of a hearing test. If one of these things does not happen, consider getting a second or third opinion:

- The test should be conducted by the person who you went to see. Don't accept some random technician performing the test.

- The results should be clearly explained. This description should include an indication of which part of the hearing mechanism is causing the problem (outer, middle or inner ear).

- A good hearing professional will program a set of real hearing aids and fit them on the day of the test. This will allow the patient to hear for herself what she is missing out on. It will also determine if she likes amplified sound.

- A good professional will justify and explain why they are making the specific recommendation to you including size, style, model, and brand.

- A good professional will discuss the different prices and the pros and cons of each kind of aid. Expect to pay between $1,000 and $4,000 per ear. The more you pay the more fancy the hearing aid. By fancy I mean the better it adapts to different environments automatically. A good professional should relate his/her recommendation to the patients life style. It is often unnecessary to fit a state of the art aid to someone who rarely leaves the house.

- A good professional will have an extensive follow up program and will offer at least a 30 day trial of the hearing aids. There should be no cancellation fee (or a minimal one to cover molds of no more than $200 for a pair). All future office visits should be free.

Above all ask questions. Ask about success rate, ask about being able to speak to other patients he/she has fitted, and more. Do not be afraid to extensively question your hearing professional. If he/she seems vague or doesn't know, don't accept that, see someone else. Ensure that you trust the knowledge, experience and professionalism of the individual. If this person has a PhD in Audiology, it doesn't mean they are well versed in the latest hearing aid technology. They might have qualified before digital aids were even invented (in the mid 90s). They may suck at programming digital aids (rendering them quite ineffective).

Eventually your common sense and life experience should tell you when you have found a trustworthy individual who knows how to help.

A well fitted hearing aid system can often significantly improve the quality of life for an elderly person. It is not going to restore their hearing to how it was when they were 21, but it should give them the ability to follow conversation at a normal volume. The overall results will vary depending on a lot of factors, these include the extent of the loss, the patients cognitive abilities, the quality of the aid, the skills of the hearing professional, the ability of the patient to follow the rehabilitation advice, and a few other factors too.

As you can see there is a lot involved in getting a hearing aid, but when its done right the results are well worth it. Best of luck to you and the 'elderly woman' involved!

Answer 2

First of all be very careful of who you go to. Some places will do anything to sell a hearing aid to a person of age, whether they need it or not. Get all gaurantees and prominses in WRITING before agreeing to the service. This can be quite a scam. You could also interview the doctors prior to taking the senior for the exam and evaluation. Price check and compare features. Get online and see what the prices are.

Answer 3

only an audiologist/doctor can tell you that. Everyone is different and so are the hundreds of hearing aids. Depends on the type and extent of the hearing loss, as well as the person's ability, want, to correct the problem. Some people get them, pay $3,000 plus then never use them. It is exciting and scary to them at the same time to hear all the noise they've been missing. She needs to be seen by a professional and evaluated. MOST doctors will allow a 30 day trial period if they aren't well received they can be refunded within that trial period.

Answer 4

Actually, pretty much only the audiologist can tell you. ENTs (and I work with five of the best of them in the country) are pretty clueless about HA technology. They can tell you which patients will benefit from HAs, but don't have enough time to keep up on the frequent upgrades, new features, changes in technology etc.

A good audiologist will tell you what the best options are for her type of hearing loss. The state you are located in (not the office) actually mandates the minimum allowable trial period where you can return them and what costs you end up paying (like maybe the fitting cost or custom ear molds, which can't be returned) and which get refunded. The office, of course, can always offer a LONGER period than the state requires, but not a shorter one.

If she is concerned about how the aids will look, an ITE / ITC aid or an open fit minimal footprint BTE aid like the Oticon Delta will be the lease conspicuous, but those configurations don't work with all types of hearing losses, which is why an accurate diagnostic audiogram should be your first stop on this road. Without that you are definitely shooting in the dark.

Sheri

Answer 5

This is no substitute for a proper hearing aid...but Radio Shack sells a little amplifier ("amplified listener") for about $30 that can work like a hearing aid in a pinch. You can hook it up to one earpiece, two earpieces, or a headset. It doesn't look great, but it works! My elderly dad could not afford a real hearing aid and didn't care about looks, so it was the best choice for him.