What did you do for a backup set of hearing aids?

[Z3Dreamer]

Option 1 - Who needs it? Don't spend any money.
Option 2 - Get a used one on Ebay. Pay someone to program what I buy, using a 5 month old audiology report.
Option 3 - I am on an MA plan. A new set of Signia 5x's will cost me $1,400. A set of 7x's will cost me $2,000.
Option 4 - My only HA's are new Phonak's. They were purchased last year. Wait until they need replacing in about 3 years. Then use them for backups.
Option 5 - Buy Air Bud Pro 2's. Then buy an iPhone or a Samsung. You can then upload your audiology report to these phones. These phones have some sort of transparency mode so they can function as hearing aids.

I have mild to moderate hearing loss in some of the upper ranges.

 

[Car-Guy]

My DW has been saying I need hearing aids for years.... However, I like it as it is. I suspect we have fewer arguments because I don't understand a lot of what she is saying. If I ever get a pair I'll probably buy a backup pair too so I'll be watching this thread for ideas.

 

[levindb]

My Medicare Advantage plan gives me $1500 towards hearing every 3 years. My latest Jabra hearing aids have a 3 years warranty, and I have already replaced them once...they send me the new ones, and I then return the old. Meets my needs.

 

[Z3Dreamer]

My Medicare Advantage plan gives me $1500 towards hearing every 3 years. My latest Jabra hearing aids have a 3 years warranty, and I have already replaced them once...they send me the new ones, and I then return the old. Meets my needs.

So, you don't need a backup. Correct?

 

[WWDog]

I wear a T shirt that says to speak louder.

 

[bbqcoder]

I have my previous set as a backup. Plan to get new aids in a few months so that my current ones will be the new backup. Currently have the Kirkland brand. Will go to Costco to see what they recommend since they currently don't have any Kirkland (rebranded Phonak) models available at this time.

 

[zinger1457]

My golfing partner gets a pair though the VA, I think every 3 years. I almost fell over when he said they are $6K/pair, the VA foots the entire bill. Seems way overpriced to me but I know nothing about hearing aids. Is the technology in hearing aids so advanced to justify that cost?

 

[bbqcoder]

My golfing partner gets a pair though the VA, I think every 3 years. I almost fell over when he said they are $6K/pair, the VA foots the entire bill. Seems way overpriced to me but I know nothing about hearing aids. Is the technology in hearing aids so advanced to justify that cost?

It's mostly the audiologist markup. My understanding is that you're paying for future visits with the upfront cost. That is, it covers the cleanings, tuning, annual service, etc which I personally don't need as a longtime, advanced user.

 

[6miths]

I have my old Kirkland ones as backup to the Philips ones that Kirkland gave me last time in place of the Kirkland brand that was out of stock at the time. I also have AirPods Pro v3 and they are actually quite passable. I find them more comfortable than my hearing aids though obviously more visible. I like the AirPods for watching TV. I find that they are not as good as my hearing aids at damping down louder sounds, especially high pitched ones. The LiveListen feature can come in handy as well.

 

[levindb]

So, you don't need a backup. Correct?

Backup due to loss or malfunction, I wait for the FedEx next day delivery. My older devices do not provide a significant improvement, so I do not even bother them.

 

[old medic]

HUH??

 

[Z3Dreamer]

Backup due to loss or malfunction, I wait for the FedEx next day delivery. My older devices do not provide a significant improvement, so I do not even bother them.

So, your backup is that you can get a new pair the next day if you lose them or they stop working. My problem is that with a mild to moderate hearing loss, I don't wear them all the time (and I am not going to), so when I am out, I may or may not remember to have them with me. If I had a rechargeable set in my car and a set at home, I would be golden.

 

[Murf2]

So, your backup is that you can get a new pair the next day if you lose them or they stop working. My problem is that with a mild to moderate hearing loss, I don't wear them all the time (and I am not going to), so when I am out, I may or may not remember to have them with me. If I had a rechargeable set in my car and a set at home, I would be golden.

Well, there’s you problem.
I tried the same thing at first. I have mild / moderate loss also. After a couple years I gave up & started wearing them all the time. I know you don’t want to hear it but it really is a much better experience.
As far as backups. Kept my old pair but Costco has loaners if mine need repair. If I didn’t have these options, I think I’d buy a used pair & have them reprogrammed.
I’ve got a question for you, though.
If you’re only wearing them part time, what makes you think you need a spare pair?

 

[Z3Dreamer]

Well, there’s you problem.
I tried the same thing at first. I have mild / moderate loss also. After a couple years I gave up & started wearing them all the time. I know you don’t want to hear it but it really is a much better experience.
As far as backups. Kept my old pair but Costco has loaners if mine need repair. If I didn’t have these options, I think I’d buy a used pair & have them reprogrammed.
I’ve got a question for you, though.
If you’re only wearing them part time, what makes you think you need a spare pair?

I am evaluating. Seeing what works for others. But, Sunday, I am rushing to get ready for church. Going to gym after, then shopping. Remembered many things to put in the car. Did not remember hearing aids. As it was, I picked up 100% of the service. Not so much, the conversations afterwards because of too many people talking at once. Again, this hearing aid thing is new to me.

 

[Murf2]

I understand what you mean. I had a devil of a time getting used to them.
I finally decided to treat them the same as I do my glasses. First thing on, last thing off. It really helps make them invisible in your daily lives.
A plus is, I listen to music, books or just turn them off when it suits me.
My SIL wonders why I smile & nod when she’s talking, which is a lot.
I haven’t had the heart to tell her. I she her lips move but I hear Jimmy Buffett.

 

[misshathaway]

I have the usual old person's mild to moderate hearing loss in the speech range frequencies. I started off with Resound sold by Costco 10 years ago. Traditional aids with the loop behind the ear. I didn't wear them in the house when alone so had to remember them. They never, since purchase, sounded good. They made many sounds ugly to me, like they were coming out of a transistor radio. And I still had trouble with speech if I could not see the person's mouth. This could be because I did not wear them all day and never adapted.

I bought a house and started doing yard work, in the front yard. I needed the hearing aids if I wanted to talk to passing neighbors. However, the aids would fall out if I bent far enough down that the loop part, which contains the innards, flipped over my ear and pulled the aid out. This is SO annoying when you have dirt-caked gloves on, not to mention that the aid falls on dirt.

I would have lived with it, still being irrationally frugal. But there were articles coming out about straight to consumer hearing aids at that time. I ended up with Sony E10 Self-Fitting OTC Hearing Aids, just under $1000, and Apple Airpod Pro 2 for $169 then. I already had an iPhone that would work with them.

Hearing aid technology is so much better now, and prices for OverTheCounter are comparatively lower. Both the Sony and the Apple had OK return policies so it was worth the gamble.

Maybe an OTC would work for your backup. The Sony are my daily drivers and I have no problem putting them on as soon as I get dressed. They sound nice. The Apple is my backup. They sound even better than Sony but only 6 hours on a charge.

 

[Murf2]

I had trouble with them staying in also. I use custom ear molds now.
Cost around $100 IIRC. No more falling out, more comfortable and better sound. They were a game changer for me.

 

[skipro33]

My hearing aids came with a 3 year loss/damage replacement clause. I lost mine on a flight when I was forced to check my carry-on bag at the gate. Later, the bag showed up and I got them back but already had the replacement hearing aids.
I'm not advocating for deception, but they didn't ask me for proof that the hearing aids were lost, just took my word for it.

 

[bbqcoder]

I have the usual old person's mild to moderate hearing loss in the speech range frequencies. I started off with Resound sold by Costco 10 years ago. Traditional aids with the loop behind the ear. I didn't wear them in the house when alone so had to remember them. They never, since purchase, sounded good. They made many sounds ugly to me, like they were coming out of a transistor radio. And I still had trouble with speech if I could not see the person's mouth. This could be because I did not wear them all day and never adapted.

You really need to wear the aids all the time in order for your brain to get used to them and to adapt. Otherwise, you're setting yourself up for failure. Supposedly your brain will lose the ability to process sounds over time.

I was reading a blog post of someone whose hearing was severe enough to require cochlear implants. He described that in the beginning, all he heard was clicking noise. But over a period of time (1-2 months), his brain adapted and he was hearing sounds. I found that to be amazing.

I remember working in an office where they had a paging system. It drove me nuts to hear the pager intercom go off constantly throughout the day. After awhile, I no longer "heard" the intercom going off unless it was me being paged. Fascinating how my brain was able to filter out the irrelevant noise.

 

[Venturer]

I have 4 sets of aids, but I only use one set as a backup if needed. The pair I use now are the Phillips 9050 from Costco. They are the rechargeable ones, but when its time to get a new set I'll go back to the replaceable battery type, because when we travel I have to carry the charger with me so it is just one more thing to worry about. With all the previous sets when the battery went down I could just pull out my billfold, pop 2 batteries into the aids and carry on. The batteries would last 4 to 5 days. The rechargables only last all day and in some instances not a long day. We are going on a cruise in May and I intend taking my back up set to wear on anytime we get off the ship just in case I were to lose one or have something else happen I would still be covered.

 

[REWahoo]

You really need to wear the aids all the time in order for your brain to get used to them and to adapt.

^ This.

Plus, I want to be sure I get my money's worth. As much as "prescription" hearing aids costs, even from Costco, there is no way I'm not wearing them as much as I can.

 

[mystang52]

My hand - I cup my hand by my ear and ask the other person to SPEAK LOUDER, I'M HARD OF HEARING! As an aside, as much as I love my grandkids, I don't think I've understood 10 words in total, from conversations with my 7 and 10 year old granddaughters. They speak too darned fast and too high-pitched!

 

[ddoorn]

I have my previous set as a backup. Plan to get new aids in a few months so that my current ones will be the new backup. Currently have the Kirkland brand. Will go to Costco to see what they recommend since they currently don't have any Kirkland (rebranded Phonak) models available at this time.

That’s my strategy too

 

[bbqcoder]

I went to Costco last week to look at new aids. Mine will be three years old soon. Got the hearing test done. Good news that my hearing is still about the same as 3 years ago. It has been stable for years but I still have this fear that it will decline as I get older (currently 58).

My current aids are the Kirkland KS10 (rebranded Phonak) that was discontinued a couple of years ago. Apparently Phonak is back at Costco as "Sennheiser Sonite" and they dropped Rexton (sp?). The aid specialist says that the tech is similar to the KS10 but is about 1.5 generations newer.

After discussing the aids, it was agreed that I will go with this Sennheiser Sonite instead of trying Philips or Jabra.

The advantages are:
1. Has true bluetooth so I can pair with my computer or phone. The other aids will only pair to the phone.
2. Can use my existing powered custom-fit receivers with the new aids.

The disadvantages are:
1. Have to get new charging accessories. Seems that the old Phonak/Kirkland chargers are not compatible.

I plan to get these in June and then send my old ones back for battery refurbishment before the warranty expires. The reason for the June date is to enroll into my wife's FSA plan to pay for these aids. My company's FSA plan is used up and it doesn't start until October.

 

[bbqcoder]

Forgot to mention that the hearing test was a challenge for me. They play different tones and you have to press a button when you hear the sound. They change the volume and frequency to may your hearing profile for each ear. For me, both ears are similar. That is, low frequencies mild loss with increasing decline in higher frequencies until there's a drop-off.

Word discrimination was tough. This is where they say single words like ball, judge and see how well you discriminate them. My discrimination score is about 50%. It's amazing how much I rely on word context, lip reading, and other cues to improve my word discrimination.