Lots here are hearing impaired. I went thropugh the equivalent of a new car in hearing aids. And they still did not work. Solution: Williams Pocket Talker 2.0 Ultra. You wear it like a personal sound system and two AAA batteries last 100 hours. On the phone I use a Clarity Telephone Amplifier model HA 40. Boosts up to 50 db. At that level hurts like an LRAD attack, so watch the degree of amplification.
Wow guess I have been lucky with my hearing aids. I started hearing loss issue when I was in my 30's. Did not get hearing aids until much later in life. One is very old but still works good, the other is 3-4 years old and works good. Glad you found something that works for you.
I have two different kinds I can wear. One set bought online, which is ok. The other set, VA Medical gave to me for free. The VA ones were "fit to the inner part of each ear. The VA person inserted an instrument that injected some type of plastic mold into each ear. I have a charging station and an iPhone App to go along with them. The ones I bought online, don't have an App. The VA ones are Oticon brand. And, since both of us have a hard time hearing low-to-whispering voices in some movie parts, we bought TV-Ears for that. I don't wear my hearing aids when I wear mine. The volume/tone are right on the device that goes in the ears. Each hooks up to our tv and, when not in use, sits in a charging station next to the tv. I also bought, on Amazon, a squirt-bottle inner ear cleaner and solution. Also, an electronic otoscope, that connects to my iPhone w/an App to see the inner part of my ear all the way to the eardrum. I can see just how much wax is in our ears. Before getting my VA hearing aids, I had a whole lot of wax buildup against the eardrum in one ear. A hearing doctor got all of that out.
I was in my local Verizon store the other day to get some tech assistance, and discovered that the Verizon retail stores owned by Victra (the largest Verizon authorized retailer) carry a line of hearing aids by EARGO. There is a product display with videos and a hearing test (way more rudimentary than you'll get from an audiologist.) I know the folks in that store from being there so often, and I was the only one in the store, so I took the test. I've been to an audiologist recently and I know I have age-appropriate loss (mostly in my left ear)...their rudimentary test picked it up. It appropriately put me on the low end of the "Could Benefit" scale. The part of the test that was slightly deceitful (but still showcased the product's capabilities) was a series of With/Without examples that were nothing more that the product's Noise Cancellation technology so that background noise is filtered out in order to make the speaker more prominent. As I told the 2 Verizon folks, people with perfect hearing would notice the difference/ benefit from noise cancellation. The implication was that the enhancement was supposed to show me how the product would remediate the deficiencies it identified. The girl working there said that these are covered (without a script) by Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and in one other scenario that I now forget (maybe VA?). They cost around $2,000. I have no idea how that compares to the cost of real hearing aids from a real doctor. There is no consultation with a hearing specialist before purchase...you have a post-purchase product consultation a week after receiving the hearing aids. The noise cancellation function was intriguing, and if I needed hearing aids for the standard reason, I would certainly seek out that feature. Anyway, I thought it was interesting to see a display for $2,000 hearing aids in a Verizon store. I also wondered what the conversations between Victra and Verizon must have been like, given that we all see those places as Verizon stores. In fact, one of the staff there told me that Verizon was getting into the hearing aid business. Oops.
We’ve been keeping an eye on Apple products and, since my wife already has everything she needs, I think we might give this a try. I’m getting very frustrated having to repeat EVERYTHING I say. https://www.seniorliving.org/hearing-aids/airpods/
I don't know if there's a product that uses an app to let you amplify specific frequencies. Then one could address the specific deficiencies identified by a professional audiologist.
Interesting ideas! I too, am constantly repeating myself to my husband and practically yelling at him so he can hear sometimes. He can't hear at all with background noise. He will not get hearing aids, which aggravates me to no end. He lost most of his hearing when he was in the Service. He spent his years on an Aircraft Carrier with the jets landing 24-7.
Here is a Consumer Affairs article on hearing aids. It says that the average price for one hearing aid is around $2,300, but costs commonly range from $1,000 to $4,000 per ear. I guess you might only have issues with one ear. Premium hearing aids (rarely required), which may be necessary for individuals with severe hearing loss, can cost upwards of $6,000 per ear. EARGO has 3 models, priced $2,950 (on sale for $2,690) $2,650 and $1650 per pair. The article points out that most places offer financing. EARGO does. The $2,690 ones are "as low as $87/month." Here is a list of Hearing Aid Resources, including programs offered in specific states. For example, these are the resources listed in Virginia: Assistive Technology Loan Fund Authority Central Virginia Lions Hearing Aid Bank Here2Hear Northern VA Resource Center for Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Do you still like this, Cody? I see that Amazon has one that is half off @ $29 and a newer version where the cleaning tips are better secured @ $35.