Non-motoring > Hearing aids Miscellaneous
Thread Author: legacylad Replies: 18
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New Thu 4 Aug 16 10:53 
 Hearing aids - legacylad
My 98yo Aunt in the nursing home has now lost both her hearings aids. No sign of them anywhere after a full search, probably hoovered up!
She tells me that they cost £2k each from a company who visited her at home. I didn't believe that price until I had a look on Specsavers website, where prices vary from £495 to £2795.
I need to buy shares in that company, although SSavers are a franchise.
Next job is to find her home insurance documents, assuming she has home insurance, and see if she is covered on the policy.
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New Thu 4 Aug 16 11:04 
 Hearing aids - Stuartli
I have two hearing aids acquired through the NHS a year ago and manufactured by Siemens - the NHS apparently pays a sum of around £90 for each hearing aid according to a story I read a little while back.

However, the point I want to make is that one of the first things I did was to check with Swiftcover, who provide my house and contents insurance cover, if the hearing aids were included in the contents section.

I was assured in writing that they were.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Thu 4 Aug 16 at 11:04
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New Thu 4 Aug 16 11:16 
 Hearing aids - commerdriver
Most house insurance policies have a maximum value for general contents and need items above a certain value to be specified, in mine it is items over 2000 pounds.

I am astonished at the price of hearing aids as someone who will need at least one as I get older in all probablility
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New Thu 4 Aug 16 12:16 
 Hearing aids - smokie
Free on the NHS, along with the batteries. The really expensive ones are the latest remote controlled high tech in-canal gizmos.
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New Thu 4 Aug 16 12:42 
 Hearing aids - VxFan
>> I didn't believe that price until I had a look on Specsavers website, where
>> prices vary from £495 to £2795.

A colleague (who's now retired) paid £5000 for a pair of hearing aids. Work paid for one in the end as he argued he needed his hearing to be able to do his job.

NHS ones were no good, so he had to go private. So no free batteries either.
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New Fri 5 Aug 16 00:59 
 Hearing aids - Stuartli
>>NHS ones were no good, so he had to go private. So no free batteries either.>>

I think you'll find that that is not correct. The price of hearing aids from suppliers outside the NHS normally includes up to around four years maintenance, including batteries,
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New Fri 5 Aug 16 01:14 
 Hearing aids - VxFan
>> I think you'll find that that is not correct. The price of hearing aids from suppliers outside the NHS normally includes up to around four years maintenance, including batteries,

Nope, not in his case. Like I said, he has to buy his own batteries.
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New Thu 4 Aug 16 13:30 
 Hearing aids - Bobby
Will she have home insurance if she's in a nursing home?
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New Thu 4 Aug 16 14:29 
 Hearing aids - Clk Sec
Might be worth asking the proprietors of the nursing home, to see if it is covered under their insurance.
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New Thu 4 Aug 16 15:25 
 Hearing aids - Slidingpillar
Profit margins are huge. Speak to nursing home, they may be able to sort the GP and fast track into the NHS system.
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New Thu 4 Aug 16 15:29 
 Hearing aids - Armel Coussine
Herself thinks I ought to get a hearing aid, but I don't want one. I'd rather stay slightly deaf.

There are a lot of things one doesn't want to hear. On another level, it discourages people from mumbling indistinctly and forces them to speak up.
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New Thu 4 Aug 16 16:13 
 Hearing aids - Roger.
My NHS behind-the-ear digital hearing aids are branded Phonak. I hate wearing them, just as I hated wearing the in-ear privately purchased one I had previously.
I've had good service from our local NHS hearing services.
In fact a quick phone call this morning has them popping a new plastic tube, earpiece to aid, in the post to me.
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New Thu 4 Aug 16 17:25 
 Hearing aids - helicopter
I had a quick screen hearing check at Specsavers whilst waiting for SWMBO to sort out her lenses and was told I needed an aid for my right ear as I was unable to hear higher pitch sounds.

I declined their offer of a full test and went to my doctor who referred me to an audiologist and within two weeks I had an NHS digital aid. The cost .......zilch.

I could not believe the speed and efficiency of the testing and fitting and the follow up has been excellent.

I just wish now people would not noisily scrape their plates with cutlery and those birds would pipe down.
Last edited by: helicopter on Thu 4 Aug 16 at 17:26
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New Thu 4 Aug 16 17:41 
 Hearing aids - rtj70
Specsavers have a contract with the NHS in some areas don't they? So hearing aids from there might cost "zilch" too.

Go to:

www.specsavers.co.uk/hearing

and type in your postcode. If they are available in your area, contact your GP in the first instance.
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New Thu 4 Aug 16 18:00 
 Hearing aids - Pat
>> and those birds would pipe down<<

I know it was said in jest but it's one of the most beautiful sounds in the world......imagine those who have never heard it.

Pat
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New Thu 4 Aug 16 18:10 
 Hearing aids - CGNorwich
I wish the collared dove sitting on my chimney would learn a new tune though.
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New Fri 5 Aug 16 01:05 
 Hearing aids - Stuartli
>>I've had good service from our local NHS hearing services.>>

My local hospital's audiology department has the very latest test equipment, spends a considerable amount of time initially checking out your hearing ability and serves up quality hearing aids from a top manufacturer that are calibrated based on your tests using a computer.

All batteries, ear tips etc are supplied free of charge.

I only wish I'd gone much earlier before finally asking my doctor for a hearing test last October. After learning the rest results he asked me if I wished to go to SpecSavers or the local hospital audiology department. I naturally said the latter (which earned a discreet nod of approval) and, as mentioned elsewhere, the NHS service proved absolutely top notch and continues to do so.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Fri 5 Aug 16 at 01:06
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New Fri 5 Aug 16 06:17 
 Hearing aids - Timeonmyhands
My Grandmother went to the doctor complaining that her hearing was deteriorating, he examined her and found a suppository in her ear, that's when she remembered where she'd put her hearing aid.
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New Fri 5 Aug 16 10:11 
 Hearing aids - Ambo
I would try NHS aids before lashing out on private ones. They are simple to use but some private ones have very slim connecting tubes which quickly get blocked with wax and are very hard to clean while tubeless, in-ear types are not suitable for everyone. Wind filters are very fiddly and difficult to change as they must be, every two months.
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