On 10/10/2013 18:46, Stephen wrote:
On 10/10/2013 18:38, Michael Chare wrote:
I would like to persuade an elderly female relative to try a hearing aid.
Are either of these likely to be any use:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3508326444...84.m1436.l2648

or

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3009602479...84.m1436.l2649

There is an enormous price range for hearing aids. The more expensive
ones are moulded to your ear and can be programmed to match a persons
hearing defects.

Is there something much better than the above which would be worth
trying?

DOn't bother with Ebay.

Get your relative down to the GP and ask for a referral to Audiology
and/or ENT.

+1

They will also check for obvious physical causes like ear wax.

My father would be totally deaf now without the latest generation of NHS
digital hearing aids. He was firing position on anti aircraft guns
during WWII as he was the only one whose ears didn't bleed. He can still
lip read from the period where he was effectively deaf.

Under the Modernisation of Hearing Aid Services (MHAS) programme, they
will test the relative's hearing on an audiometer, select a hearing aid,
program it up with her specific hearing loss, use a universal mould
fitting and she will go home the same day with a new pair of hearing aids.

It varies with region. There is typically a three week delay between
being tested, taking a mould and getting the full kit back here.

It will be free and it will be adjusted to accommodate her specific
hearing loss.

How do I know all this? I was born profoundly deaf and am now 42 years
old.... I have seen how much audiology has changed over the years.

The latest NHS aids are remarkably good and come with free batteries.
(at least they do for pensioners)

You can go private and get something physically smaller more elegant and
even less visible but its functionality is very similar. The only thing
my mum hasn't got used to yet is using the phone with it.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown