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Doe’s anyone know of charities in the UK to help adults with hearing impairments to get new hearing aids?

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Hi I currently have NHS provided cros aids which are good to an extent but i am finding increasing problems with hearing the phone when i am out and also with hearing things like the tv if I’m in an environment with a lot of background noise. I also have the NHS Phonak Nathos nova PR single hearing aid which is good in quiet situations for answering the phone and connecting to my iPad to watch videos etc. Ideally i would love it if the NHS could offer something like that but my hospital i go to don’t know how to do an amp cros and are not offering the oticon cros at this point in time. My previous place i went to are much worse and don’t offer much more. The next place I could go to would be a much further away journey for me being Charing Cross and i have no idea what they do. I am trying to save to get new hearing aids but this is very hard with the cost of living increases. I know there is access to work but i am unable to work due to my disability varying how i am on a day to day basis so am not eligible for access to work. I am also not a student so can’t claim anything for help through the disability students scheme. Help are there any charities that help adults with getting hearing aids and devices to help with hearing?

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This is such a shame as there’s nothing wrong with the Nathos Nova. They are very powerful, and when carefully programmed can give you all you need. It just shows how important the Audiologist is.

Like you, I was so frustrated, that I was still asking most people to repeat themselves, I went private and bought Paradise P90s (yours are Marvel M70s), which have one or two extra features, but not much different. One thing I’ve done is to concentrate on Clarity over Calm & Comfort. I’ve changed the base programme for streaming from Calm Situation to Music. This has healped me no end. I can’t help you with sadly. My Paradise P90, with slimtip moulds and 3 fitting sessions cost around £3000

Good luck

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@PeterH thanks i hope i can get some luck but unfortunately this is where the problem ls i love the nathos nova pr and if they could do that in an amp cros great but my hospital have clearly said they don’t know how to do that. I can’t afford to go private and I’m not eligible for access to work and am although reasonably happy with my current cros aids I’m not 100% satisfied and am having to go back about every 6 or so months to get things adjusted and this is not a good thing. I wish that there could just be either a big update to the current nhs catalogue to include some of the newer models rather than a very slow roll out but that will never happen so i kind of feel stuck as i only get around 700 a month in benefits deduct all the monthly costs and that doesn’t leave me much to save for new hearing aids. I could do repayment plans if i could get them around 40-50 per month over many years which i don’t think would be possible so I’m just looking in to every solution I can at the minute.

I got over £1500 towards new hearing aids when I was sailing.

I just applied to local charities near me.

I got the Roger On funded through my village charity as well.

I would have a Google as to what’s around you.

@Zebras unfortunately having looked at charities around me most of them deal with food banks, homelessness and support for children with disabilities and families who need help with furnishings etc. will keep looking but so far no luck at all

@zebras thanks for that I’ll have a further look into that and maybe just ask my hospital one last time if there is any chance at some point they will get an upgrade to the cros aids and then take things from there in terms of a applying to hospital Saturday fund to see about getting help

I truly empathise @LRav, it’s not easy with more than one disability! Thinking out loud though, where there is life, there is hope… Boots Hearing Care, let you pay up monthly over 2 years, I think it’s 11% interest? I did this in my last 2 sets of private hearing aids, although that was interest free for both sets, if you could get a grant of around £1500, and whatever you can save… Boots will have, The new Phonak Lumity Cros, it will probably come in around £3,300, if you get some funding, maybe pay half upfront, and pay the rest up monthly, around £60 a month? But obviously, the bigger the grant, the less you would have to pay… Perhaps “Go Fund Me”, might be an option? I know absolutely nothing about that, or how you go about this, but if you don’t try, you don’t get!!! All the very best, and good luck in your endeavour for better hearing… Let us know, how you get on… Cheers Kev :wink:

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In reply to @LRav

@LRav

Make sure you fully explain when you apply that your is technology from 2015 and your NHS has no up coming plans to hand out newer CROS.

Explain your struggles as well.

When my health was better, I did a lot of keelboat racing with sponsorship which I explained and it helped my case.

I found out that the Phonak Naída Lumity Rechargeable is suitable for your hearing loss so that’s a Aid which you’re used too.

IMG_0333

My first year boat :slight_smile: I included this photo in my application.

Including photos helps them understand your situation better and will help your case.

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@Zebras @kevels55 I will def look into going down this path but i think before i go ahead i just need to double check that the place I go to definitely have no plans to update the range of hearing aid they provide at any point soon. Once I’ve done that I’ll speak to my GP about getting them as a supporter for the application for the grant

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@Zebras @kevels55 unfortunately at the moment in time i can not get my doctors support for the application for funding to try and get the lumity cros as they want me to exhaust every option with my first. Also they want me to see if i can get an idea based on my hearing aid centres response to an email i sent on how long it might take before they have newer models of cros aids as they said they are hoping to have something shortly. So delay in applying for funding as i have no one else who would be able to support the application.

Both the Oticon Real and Starkey Genesis (Bi) options are available now. I’ve just ordered the Starkey one for a client (Genesis 16 RICrt CROS), as I think the battery tech is better than Oticon’s.

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@Um_bongo thanks for this i really think I’m going to have to get on my high horse a bit now with my nhs hearing aid centre as I’ve asked more than once now and it’s just not good enough any more. I’m always losing batteries in public places and people have to scrabble around to try and find it for me (eg friends or family) and if they can’t find them I have to put new batteries in. Which is quite frankly a bit embarrassing I also struggle with getting the battery door open all the time and getting the batteries in. My nathos nova pr is perfect in quiet situations only but not good for anywhere it gets remotely noisy so it’s just not great for normal everyday environments like a shop, restaurant etc. I just want them to either sort something out for me or make it so i can get my doctor to support the funding application by showing I’ve tried all avenues they can provide.

In reply to @LRav

Sorry Lauren, I don’t know of any charities for hearing aids, I am unsure if there will be any here in the UK… Although we have the NHS, but they are chronically underfunded, so you might get the basic Cros aids, with very few bells or whistles, so hearing charities might be kinda thin on the ground, basically because NHS are provider’s, and aids are free at point of service… Good Luck, cheers Kev :wink:

@kevels55 i was going to try and apply for funding through Saturday hospital fund but needed support of my doctor to apply but doctor has said he will only support me if I’ve exhausted every option that my ent has to offer and if i am unable to get an idea of a date when they will be getting new hearing aids from my audiologist. My hospital currently does not have a cros aid option due to problems with there supplier so if something went wrong with my cros ii I’d be stuck.

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