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Are Hearing Aids Worth It?

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Perhsps this story will help in discernment, particularly the older generation thinking about estate planning.

An old guy had his annual physical and the doc suggested hearing aids. That resonated with him as his wife had been bugging him for the last two years to get some hearing aids.

He followed their advice and ended up getting fitted for his new ’s. Some six months went by and he told no one, including his wife, about his new hearing aids.

In unforeseen circumstances, he ran into his doc at the local store. The doc noticed the improved hearing immediately.

The doc asked him if his family appreciated his improved hearing. He replied “Not really. I just sit at the family gatherings and say little and nod my head as I did before.”

Well the doc thought that unusual and asked why. The guy replied “Now that I hear better, I realize what they’ve been saying about me. I’ve been over to my attorney three times to update my will since I bought these.”

So if you’re hesitant on new HA’s, you have another reason to invest in them.

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Regardless of the humor. I have a high frequency hearing deficit from exposure to loud airplane noise while giving flight instruction in small airplanes. At that time, in the early 1970s, the only hearing protection that was available were small, yellow foam earplugs. The problem with wearing them was that I couldn’t hear my own voice volume and was yelling at my students even when they performed superbly. Now, flight instructors have inter-phone systems with noise canceling headphones.

The first thing I noticed, after being fitted, was that I could hear my wife without having to ask her to speak up, or say again, or my telling her she’s mumbling, which she didn’t appreciate. Also, she tells me that I don’t watch the TV with the volume blaring. As a matter of fact, now I find that she’s listening with the volume too loud.

My hearing aid specialist at Costco, where I was fitted with them, told me that many older customers have their hearing tested at the urging of their wives. Remember the old adage, “Happy wife, happy life”.

Always nice to hear a success story.

The weird shift I’ve noticed in the past few years is that it used to be patients wouldn’t come to see us because they’d met people who had had bad experiences back when hearing aids were much worse and they didn’t want to put up with similar irritation. Now hearing aids have gotten a lot better and so we have some people walking around talking about how life-changing they are as well as a shift in manufacturers doing a lot of direct-to-consumer marketting with outrageously positive claims, and so new users are disappointed that the hearing aids aren’t always immediately perfect and easy.

This sounds like a riff of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, where a guy has a huge lump of wax taken out of his ear. He comes to the doctor a week or so later to complain that now he can hear his wife nagging all the time and can he please put it back :slight_smile:

Yes- amazing how people people can be reluctant to acknowledge their hearing (or vision) isn’t what it ought to be, even at an age far beyond the peak of their mating years. I suspect most of this comes down to the wrong type of vanity- wearing or glasses visually signals such imperfections. Presenting as stupid because things aren’t heard/seen does not appear to bother most of those individuals, the usual victory of misguided instincts over reason…

If you reside near a Costco location and you are a member, they will give you a free hearing test. They also now sell four brands of top of the line hearing aids. They sell them at very reduced prices. Also, they will give you superb customer service, plus a 180 day money back guarantee. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, Costco is the second largest purveyor of hearing aids right be hind the . An annual membership is $65. I just was fitted with the Jabra Enhanced Pro 30 hearing aids for $1,699. They are exactly the same as the ReSound Viva which are around $4,500. As a matter of fact, I was fitted with the Jabra Enhanced Pro 20 hearing hearing aids in December 2024. Because I am still within the six month return period, they traded them for the newest model. I only had to pay an additional $100 for the price increase. However, the 30s have a three year warranty instead of the two year for the previous ones. The after sale care has been fantastic.

It is great to hear your success story with Costco. If I were in the market for new hearing aids, Costco would definitely be a first stop. Can’t beat their prices, Returns, and support! Well worth it i would say!

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