Hearing Aid

mirrorwall14

Hi,
I’ve confirmed sudden sensorial hearing loss in one ear. Due to my age (30s) and profession (music teacher) my consultant is recommending a hearing aid. I’ve been to audico in the hermitage and have their recommendation for Phonak m50 or m70. This is all totally new to me however. Is it ok to just go with audico (consultant recommendation) or should I be shopping around so to speak? And if so who do I go to? Has anyone any recommendations?

the_syco

Had to Google that one. Perhaps get a 2nd opinion if hearing aids are the way to go, and if so, ensure that the place you buy it from can do some in-house repair work, and that they don't ship everything abroad to have it fixed.

If you've been working for the past few years, you'd be eligible for a grant; https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/disability_and_illness/treatment_benefit_scheme.html

mirrorwall14

the_syco wrote: »

Had to Google that one. Perhaps get a 2nd opinion if hearing aids are the way to go, and if so, ensure that the place you buy it from can do some in-house repair work, and that they don't ship everything abroad to have it fixed.

If you've been working for the past few years, you'd be eligible for a grant; https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/disability_and_illness/treatment_benefit_scheme.html

Yeah I definitely qualify for the grant. Im getting a copy of my hearing test and will try a few places before deciding

Has anyone any recommendations for where to try? Anywhere Dublin region/midlands would work

the_syco

Have seen recommondations of DeafHear in Dublin (top of O'Connell St).

I use Bonavox myself; have done for a few decades.

larko

I'm in the hearing aid business myself so I would recommend shopping around. As previous reply said, make sure you can get your hearing aid repaired/adjusted and not have to wait for weeks on end. I would also check (esp with Hermitage) that you are not charged every rehab visit you make. I heard something like that recently but I can't confirm.

I always found musicians/music teachers the hardest people to fit. Very specific to sound (music) and things wont sound like you are used to them sounding so there is a settling in period.

You might do well with a hearing aid that works in conjunction with an App so you have some control over your settings given your job.

mirrorwall14

larko wrote: »

I'm in the hearing aid business myself so I would recommend shopping around. As previous reply said, make sure you can get your hearing aid repaired/adjusted and not have to wait for weeks on end. I would also check (esp with Hermitage) that you are not charged every rehab visit you make. I heard something like that recently but I can't confirm.

I always found musicians/music teachers the hardest people to fit. Very specific to sound (music) and things wont sound like you are used to them sounding so there is a settling in period.

You might do well with a hearing aid that works in conjunction with an App so you have some control over your settings given your job.

Yeah two other consultations done and hermitage is now bottom of the list for both initial cost and ongoing costs. They were offering the midrange for the price others are offering the top

Thanks for the feedback. I’m definitely looking at one with an app tbh, as you say it would drive me crackers to not be able to change things

the_syco

larko wrote: »

I always found musicians/music teachers the hardest people to fit. Very specific to sound (music) and things wont sound like you are used to them sounding so there is a settling in period.

I was lucky in that a group of pianists got hearing aids a few months before me, and thus the audiologist that I used was able to put a program into the Widex Menu 5 hearing aids that I got.

I looked into hearing aids whilst I lived in Toronto, and the audiologist that I used there recommended Siemens. The upper end Siemens cost the same as the mid range Widex (I would be looking at getting one for both ears at once), and the upper end Siemens had hearing aids that were more for those who listened to music. As I like to listen to music on my down time, it was one of the things that I specified when looking at different makes & models.

I think the Siemens hearing aid division I think was recently bought by Signia.

larko

And now Siemens (Signia) have merged with Widex so I reckon there will be technology sharing between them. I like both brands. Been having good results with Signia Pure recently.

the_syco

larko wrote: »

And now Siemens (Signia) have merged with Widex so I reckon there will be technology sharing between them. I like both brands. Been having good results with Signia Pure recently.

That's a pity. Although the sharing of tech is great, less competition is not, as prices may stagnate.

midasman

OP - did you get sorted with your hearing aids?

As others had posted - make sure you shop around for prices / services etc. There is a wide range of standards in the market. I'm also in the hearing aid industry and would echo much of what has been posted. When you buy hearing aids, you are really buying a service from a company to maintain them to your needs over the years. This maintenance should always be free (included) and likewise repairs should mean a new unit on the day while yours is in getting repaired.

Let me know if you need any assistance!

M

mirrorwall14

Got sorted in the end thank you. Had to wait a bit longer than expected because funds were tighter after maternity leave than expected. Very happy with the phonak and its dead handy day to day to have the bluetooth and it to be chargeable. I'm lost without it now

alexago

Glad that I've found this thread as I'm in search of good hearing aids. The choice is wide and it is difficult to understand which devices to buy.

Thanks for sharing your experiences and any updates and thoughts are appreciated.

TomOnBoard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120918203#Comment_120918203

Just watch out for the very sharp practices adopted by some vendors in terms of pricing..

1. Establish what type of hearing loss you have through a thorough hearing test.

2. Ensure you get a printed copy of your test results.

3. Establish what level of Hearing Aid (HA) you may need as in:

Tier 1: top of the range with all the bells and whistles

Tier 2: middle of range in terms of features

Tier 3: bottom of the range in terms of features

Tier 4: really basic

Tier 5: simple sound amplifiers

4. Get prices from all vendors for each tier

5. Establish services being offered, including:

No. of years warranty

Cost of consumables such as batteries, wax guards, domes etc.

6. Compare prices and services offered

7. Get trials of at least 4 weeks duration to test drive them. Some insist you pay up front and offer a full money back within 2-3 months if you're not satisfied.

8. DO NOT allow sharp practices to suck you into making a purchase before you're ready. Some folks out there would rate below back street used car salesmen

9. If you have the correct PRSI history, you may get a grant of €500 per side from that

Some vendors such as HH don't advertise prices so it hard to compare. Here's my experience of prices for tier to tier in the recent past;

Specsavers seem least cost and least thorough

HH are thorough (if you push them) but near the dearest pruve-wide

Boots are near bottom on price. Don't know about their service.

Hope this helps.

looksee

Specsavers aids are cheap but spares are very expensive, their domes for example are around €20 for a pack of 6. I have the 'top of the range' aids, god knows what the bottom of the range are like. They have been repaired twice so far in 2+ years (admittedly free), service is hit and miss depending on who is the audiologist on the day. Repairs can be very slow, I have been left without aids for up to 2 weeks.