I am one of those you refer to “pensioners living semi-isolated withdrawing from vital social lives”. And it really ticks me off how much auto sale hucksters, carnival barkers and the hearing aid industry in whole or in part HAVE IN COMMON.
I’ve paid a huge price for my hearing aids and “accessories” to enhance my hearing (which has not delivered on the enhancing part). Now im down and out not in Beverley Hills but the polar opposite". I dont wish to go i to reasons why any of this happened including moving to the polar opposite of Beverley Hills.
They’ve sold me a pig in a poke, taken almost my entire savings and left me high and dry with no affordable prospects that will help reverse the devastating losses I’ve suffered which include social distancing from my family and to a lesser extent my community. The distancing is not pandemic-related but more my becoming a humorless bore, who can’t keep up with conversations and other various and sundry reasons - the technology is there and so is medicare for which I pay an exorbitant price, that i need to function effectively and participate and enjoy things like Christmas Eve gatherings with family, government social programs for which i unfortunately make just $21 dollars a month too much to be benefit. Its too exhausting and boring to go to community gatherings due to the constant echoing sounds vibrating and bouncing off the walls yada yada. So i stay home and vegitate watching out my window as life and neigbors pass by probably thinking im either a senile recluse or have antisocial borderline personality disorder. Ive been reduced to begging, crying and near collapse. Every news magazine quotes half the top-heavy government alphabet soup agencies about how hearing loss and isolation leads to dementia but nobody does anything. Its late and i am rambling trying to type on a cheap piece of orient-sourced tablet so i will shut up… Hopefully you get my drift. In closing everything i own is defective outdated junk but i still dont qualify for WHATEVER… Have a pleasant evening!