THE HEARING AID GENIE
You are now prepared as you can be to make one of life's most difficult lifestyle purchases.
The Hearing Aid Genie
Hearing loss is common. It is not an illness or disease; it is however, second only to arthritis as a health problem for people over the age of sixty-five. About twenty-eight million people, one in ten, Americans experience impaired hearing.
Types of Hearing Devices
Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs). ALDs are designed to improve hearing in specific listening situations. They are designed to emphasize ONE signal. That signal might be a faraway voice (e.g., a lecturer in an auditorium), listening to TV, trying to converse in a restaurant, use a telephone or hear your alarm clock
Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids. My definition of an over the counter hearing device is any amplifier that has the physical characteristics of a hearing aid in size and shape but requires no hearing test, office visits, or custom fittings.
Dispensed Hearing Aids. My definition of a dispensed hearing aid is an amplifying instrument that is built to amplify sounds according to a hearing test and is custom molded to your ear canal, with both of these services conducted in person by a licensed hearing dispenser.
Most importantly shop! Try as many devices and types of devices as you need to know what has the best chance to work for you within your budget.
You are making a lifestyle change that will have impact on your daily life and finances. Make sure to consider the cost of batteries and repair/servicing.
