Hearing aids

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Wicksey
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Hearing aids

Postby Wicksey » Sat Sep 14, 2024 10:08 am

After having labrynthitis about 30 years ago I lost some of my hearing and developed tinnitus. A few years back I had a hearing test at the hospital and was sent to a private hearing aid shop to be assessed. It seems that you do not get hearing aids on the NHS here, and the private ones seem to cost thousands. I did trial some back then, but found them intensely irritating and everything seemed too loud.

Now I am getting fed up watching TV with either headphones on or constantly reading subtitles, and my OH is tired of repeating himself, so off to a hearing aid centre I went this week. I hear most things very loudly. The noise of traffic, clattering plates in a cafe, music .... I can hear all at full volume and it hurts my ears. I can hear my OH speak but can't always compehend what he says.

So I have trial aids again, the new ones are much more comfortable and it's true I can hear the car indicators click which I've never heard before, and watched TV last night clearly. I didn't ask my OH to repeat what he said once. However, they are 3,500€ for the pair, and I'm thinking about cost to benefit ratio. I understand that they tend to wear out and need replacing after about 5 years, so they seem pretty pricey to me. I called into the vets for some food and our friendly lady vet has a piercing voice at the best of times, but it was too much, although I did hear the payment machine beep when I showed it my card which was a novelty. These trial ones do not have full controls so I cannot adjust them.

Has anyone else here got hearing aids and did they buy them through a chain of companies? We are trying to get some interest free credit but it's difficult as I chose not to get my pension paid direct into my Spanish bank. I prefer to choose when I exchange it into Euros via Wise, and also send some to a UK savings account, so want to be in control. This is the first full month of receiving it anyway, so do not have much evidence of getting a state pension.

My overall impression is that they are great for TV, but I can hear everything else at the moment pretty well. Plus I'm prone to ear infections and this morning my ears are already itchy :thumbdown:

El Cid
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Re: Hearing aids

Postby El Cid » Sat Sep 14, 2024 11:33 am

Hearing aids are notoriously overpriced. The technology in the latest Apple Airpods is as good or better than any hearing aid and even at Apple's high prices, they are less than €300. Someone is wildly profiteering! The latest Airpods are now capable of being configured as hearing aids and are now clinically approved as hearing aids by the FDA.

Maybe this will put commercial pressure on the hearing aid companies to reassess their pricing.

Sid

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Wicksey
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Re: Hearing aids

Postby Wicksey » Sat Sep 14, 2024 1:32 pm

I do get that impression Sid. It's probably a closed shop and I'm unlikely to get a bargain from any other chain. I've seen them for sale on the internet but not sure how you'd fine turn them. I only have a small part of my hearing affected but can hear everything else very well. I have not even put them in this morning and I really don't feel I need them. 3.5K just to turn off the TV subtitles is looking expensive! Plus, with my glass on, I find they irritate my ears, which is the problem I had last time.

Manchesteral
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Re: Hearing aids

Postby Manchesteral » Sat Sep 14, 2024 10:15 pm

Wicksey wrote: Sat Sep 14, 2024 10:08 am After having labrynthitis about 30 years ago I lost some of my hearing and developed tinnitus. A few years back I had a hearing test at the hospital and was sent to a private hearing aid shop to be assessed. It seems that you do not get hearing aids on the NHS here, and the private ones seem to cost thousands. I did trial some back then, but found them intensely irritating and everything seemed too loud.

Now I am getting fed up watching TV with either headphones on or constantly reading subtitles, and my OH is tired of repeating himself, so off to a hearing aid centre I went this week. I hear most things very loudly. The noise of traffic, clattering plates in a cafe, music .... I can hear all at full volume and it hurts my ears. I can hear my OH speak but can't always compehend what he says.

So I have trial aids again, the new ones are much more comfortable and it's true I can hear the car indicators click which I've never heard before, and watched TV last night clearly. I didn't ask my OH to repeat what he said once. However, they are 3,500€ for the pair, and I'm thinking about cost to benefit ratio. I understand that they tend to wear out and need replacing after about 5 years, so they seem pretty pricey to me. I called into the vets for some food and our friendly lady vet has a piercing voice at the best of times, but it was too much, although I did hear the payment machine beep when I showed it my card which was a novelty. These trial ones do not have full controls so I cannot adjust them.

Has anyone else here got hearing aids and did they buy them through a chain of companies? We are trying to get some interest free credit but it's difficult as I chose not to get my pension paid direct into my Spanish bank. I prefer to choose when I exchange it into Euros via Wise, and also send some to a UK savings account, so want to be in control. This is the first full month of receiving it anyway, so do not have much evidence of getting a state pension.

My overall impression is that they are great for TV, but I can hear everything else at the moment pretty well. Plus I'm prone to ear infections and this morning my ears are already itchy :thumbdown:
I don't know anything about this situation in Spain but I am currently waiting for my hearing aids to arrive from Germany (courtesy of kela the Finnish health service) they are free but I'm told the retail price is around 2800 euros on the open market! I am practically deaf now so this is a nice gift for me from Finland!

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Wicksey
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Re: Hearing aids

Postby Wicksey » Sun Sep 15, 2024 9:36 am

Manchesteral wrote: Sat Sep 14, 2024 10:15 pm I don't know anything about this situation in Spain but I am currently waiting for my hearing aids to arrive from Germany (courtesy of kela the Finnish health service) they are free but I'm told the retail price is around 2800 euros on the open market! I am practically deaf now so this is a nice gift for me from Finland!
Lucky you! I understand they are not provided free here on the NHS. A friend said that her mum's UK NHS ones aren't brilliant so she had to go private.

DannyB
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Re: Hearing aids

Postby DannyB » Sun Sep 15, 2024 1:28 pm

There are a vast amount of nearly new/ unused hearing aids on eBay etc , as well as ridiculously cheap horrible Chinese ones. My wife wanted a spare pair as hers are always faulty. Got an unused boxed set for £300 pounds , £3000 new. She was however able to get her hearing aid man to set them up for free as he felt so embarrassed about the ones he sold her

Free at Last
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Re: Hearing aids

Postby Free at Last » Mon Sep 23, 2024 9:24 am

Do you have the Andalucia Tarjeta Sesentaycinco, Wicksey? The information about it says it gives access to a discount of between 30% and 35% on the cost of hearing aids (no doubt it wouldn't include the most expensive/advanced models, just as the NHS in the UK only provides more basic ones free), but it might be worth you looking into it.

https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agencia ... /m-ofertas

If you haven't already got the card it is very simple to apply for, the application form is available online and you just need to supply a photograph with it. It does take a few weeks to arrive, lasts for 5 years and is renewed automatically.

El Cid
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Re: Hearing aids

Postby El Cid » Mon Sep 23, 2024 12:21 pm

I haven’t used it for hearing aids, but for spectacles, the discount applies across the board ie designer frames and ultra expensive lenses.

Sid

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Wicksey
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Re: Hearing aids

Postby Wicksey » Mon Sep 23, 2024 1:44 pm

Thanks FaL, I have got a 65 card but when I looked at the long lists of hearing centres there seemed to be only one company anywhere near me, with two branches in Velez Malaga. By then I'd already started the process in Nerja. If I want to try again I will certainly bear that in mind if they offer a discount. For much of the time here ear defenders would be more useful. Walking through the pueblo earlier I was deafened by motos, beeping car horns and general noise which I can hear all too well without any help. The trial hearing aids have gone back to the shop and I've gone back to either the subtitles on the TV or my Bluetooth headphones. It is the accents sometimes I struggle with, even when I can hear the speech clearly. The 'clearspeech' setting on the TV also helps.


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