I know this is not AD related, but I have gained so much education from this website and thought I could get help on this issue. My husband is in the early stages of AD and needs hearing devices in both ears. He tried the ones that go inside the ear and also the type on the outside. He felt they were very uncomfortable and got disgusted and decided not to get one. He is now asking about getting one and we don't know where to start. He has had tests with an audiologist that his Neurologist suggested and he has significant loss in both ears. I told him that it didn't matter to me if he got one as he never listens to anything I have to say anyhow :-). Does anyone have any info for us. Thank you.
One of the first things my husband gave up was wearing his hearing aids. He has the kind that go inside the ears. I don't know why he gave them up but he insists he is "not deaf". Actually anyone who needs two hearing aids is deaf.
These things are expensive and they aren't covered by health insurance. Going forward is something you should only do if you think your husband will cooperate.
And yes, the cooperation IS AD related as hard as that is to hear. These days EVERYTHING is AD related.
Is the hearing loss connected to the AD process or just the fact they don't want to cooperate. I also have to remember that he says things that are never done - this might be one of them.
My husband's hearing loss is not AD related. He was vocational shop teacher for many years and the equipment caused hearing loss. However, he never wanted to bother with hearing aids. Then he was elected to serve as our County Judge and agreed to get hearing aids.. Which somehow irritated him. They fit inside his ear. He complained that they caused his ears to be 'infected'.. and somehow they disappeared after about a month. (they were expensive but at that time his income was enough) His term expired in 2006, thankfully, the year after he was diagnosed but that's another story.
A month ago he decided he wanted hearing aids again so we made apt. for another hearing experience....Yesterday we came home with the tiny wires that fit inside the ears and loop over with the main part sort of behind the ear. He says that works fine and he hears better with no irritation at all.
THE PROBLEM..he can't put them on by himself.. He can't store them by himself or manage the batteries or recharging... This rig comes with a REMOTE CONTROL device so that he can raise and lower the volume as needed (???) Thats not coming out of the package..he can't manage a remote anything. Also, when he's working outside, on the ranch, in the pastures...that won't be a place to take them out and lay them on the seat of the truck!
I don't think they are dementia friendly at all... We have 30 days 'trial' period.. They cost nearly 7,000. yikesss. This morning..I guess we'll just keep them here in the house and when we go somewhere or if he goes somewhere and I or someone else can help him put them in... everything will be fine. Time will tell..
My wife has had one hearing aid for several years (before the onset of AD), but she frequently complains about it hurting her ear. Sometimes I will see her take it out and just hold it until I can get it and put it in my pocket. She is totally unable to clean it or change the battery. With a little guidance from me she can put it in. There is no volume control, so there's no problem there. Even with the hearing aid she misses a lot of conversations, particularly in a crowd or on TV or movies. We have an appointment with the audiologist next month for a recheck.
Hearing aids are a chief complaint of mine, and my DH and I have had more rounds about them than the Good Lord should allow. He has the inside the ear type which is supposed to have the batteries changed about once a week, but he changes them every day. Those little doozies are extremely expensive, especially when I find most of them on the floor or in the washing machine. He, too, says they hurt his ears and takes them out most of the time. Hearing aids are one thing but word recognition is quite another. The first time, about 6 years ago, his was just below 50%. Then when he was tested about 2 years ago, his word recognition was "extremely below 50%. There are no hearing aides that will help word recognition according to the ENT. Take care!
We got hearing aids and they cost $3000 and within 6 weeks he had "lost" one of them! They weren't insured and he said that he would call the doctor about getting a new one, which he never did and if he had they would of replaced it for free. He waited for about 6 months and by that time we would have to pay for a new one. Needless to say I'm not pushing for a replacement.
Thanks for the info. So far I have been telling him that it is ok with me if he has a problem with hearing - that I don't mind speaking louder and repeating - I do, but....... I "know" that we will have the problems of he wants it, has to have it, then won't wear it and then not be able to find it. Thanks about the word recognition. I think I will ask to have him tested again and I will go with him this time. I really appreciate your help.
He is going to ask you to repeat everything anyway. Not being able to hear you is only one problem. Not being aware that you are speaking to him, and not being able to process what you are saying is the dementia part of this. Hearing aids might help him stay with you and in touch in the very early stages, but if he has been diagnosed, he probably isn't in the early stages.
We got my husband hearing aids because we thought that was what the problem was. And it was part of the problem, but not the main part. I've decided not to fight the fact that he has given them up because you have to choose your battles. From what I've read here, that was a good decision. What everyone here wrote helps me accept what has happened.