Nowadays, more and more elderly people have hearing problems. So, what are some of the issues that need to be considered when buying hearing aids for the elderly?
Hearing aids are not the more expensive, but not the cheaper
Generally speaking, hearing aids cost a few thousand dollars, so if the hearing needs of the elderly are not very high, there is no need for expensive hearing aids. Some of these hearing aids cost tens of thousands of dollars, but some of their features are simply not available to the elderly. Therefore, price is one of the factors to be considered when buying hearing aids.
Don’t ignore the hearing needs because of the appearance of the hearing aid.
It is generally recommended for the elderly to use the behind-the-ear type because it is relatively more powerful and easier to operate, especially when the elderly’s fingers are not very flexible. Some seniors may care more about appearance and don’t want others to know that they wear hearing aids, but in-ear models are actually easier to get dirty and require more maintenance. The more compact a hearing aid is, the more functional limitations it has. We should advise seniors to give priority to those that are easier to operate and fit better, and appearance is a secondary concern.
Try to wear them on both ears
Many seniors have hearing problems in both ears but are only fitted with one hearing aid for various reasons, including financial ones. In fact, hearing aids for one ear are much less effective than hearing aids for both ears. It makes sense that people are born with two ears. The binaural fitting can better localize sound sources, better reduce noise, and better identify sound while avoiding the head shadow effect and hearing deprivation. Many people with hearing loss who are fitted with one ear regret it at a later stage because when they go back to the other ear, the effect of the later ear is obviously not as good as the first ear.
Don’t listen to others and don’t wear other people’s hearing aids.
Some elderly people are used to “consulting” their friends or friends who have already worn hearing aids before they wear them. Some of our friends say that the brand is good, so they follow the trend, but the results are not as good as our friends say. In some cases, hearing aids are used by other people, but the result is that they cannot hear at all. The effect of hearing aids varies from person to person and requires precise debugging according to each person’s hearing condition so that the hearing aid is the best one for you.
Before and after the purchase of hearing aids, be sure to do a good job of thinking about the elderly
Most elderly people are stubborn, they think “I can still hear, just speak louder, I don’t need a hearing aid”. Many elderly people have severe hearing loss and should be fitted with hearing aids as soon as possible to prevent their hearing from declining. For some elderly people who are used to saving money, we’d better not tell them the price of hearing aids, because some of them will continue to tolerate the inconvenience caused by hearing once they hear the price, and are not willing to try hearing aids. Secondly, after getting a hearing aid, it will take some time to adapt to it. It is normal to hear less comfortably. Don’t say: “Why can’t you hear with the hearing aid?” This kind of words will undermine the elderly’s self-confidence and make them give up hearing aid.