Hubbies deafness is driving me to distraction

I was told by the NHS audiologist to not bother in going down the private route for aids; she said that there is nothing superior to the NHS models, which are adjusted by computer to suit your hearing loss, and the sevicing and batteries are free - as are the aids, still. Private repairs and batteries are expensive.

Rosina I have to disagree with you. I wore NHS aids for years before going private. If the aids are digital they will be adjusted by computer to the individual hearing loss, regardless of NHS or private. My private ones are far superior to the NHS ones. Not only can I hear better but there is also a program to help reduce my tinnitus. An absolute bonus!

My sister was recently told by an NHS audiologist that private ones would always be superior. Her private ones are rechargeable and so no need for batteries. Technology is improving all the time.

MissAdventure, can one learn makaton online

I just had a look online and found this, Alexa

www.makaton.org/training/OnlineWorkshops

I'd do what quizzqueen recommends
...have a non verbal signal to him to say: " you are not hearing me"

I, also, have 2 NHS hearing aids which I refuse to wear, for the same reason! They really are absolutely dreadful. They seem to amplify the background noise but not the conversation you are trying to listen to.

Unfortunately, I can't afford to get the smaller ones.

Just a question, can you get a hearing test from nhs without being referred from your gp??

I have the same problem with my husband, every thing I say I have to repeat, and make sure I pronounce my words properly. It drives me mad, like someone else said, in the end I don’t tell him some things, as it’s too hard to get him to understand.

As I’ve said before on gn, he does have dementia as well. And being hard of hearing is a factor in dementia.

"More expensive hearing aids make no difference whatever."

I think they do if smaller as less likely to hurt the ears. I agree they don't make any difference to actual ability to hear

I fully sympathize as I spent months shouting at my husband to get his ears checked as he was constantly saying what, eh, can’t hear. Eventually he went and he has 40% hearing loss in one ear and 30% loss in his other. He was then given one to try out and he said he couldn’t believe the difference. Oh, we are in Spain so we had to pay, he had the choice of three, €500, €1000 or €1300. Being the mean bugger he is he asked for the cheapest, so I told him to get the middle one as was afraid the cheap one would be no good. He is only getting the one for now.

So, problem solved you might think. But no, he says he keeps forgetting to put it in. I went berserk and told him we are not wasting our money if he isn’t going to use it, so time will tell.

You would think they would love to have their hearing restored! I would refuse point blank to go out anywhere with him unless he has his hearing aid in and refuse to have anyone in the house while he is there. Sometimes you need a bit of tough love to make them sit up and notice. Good luck!

Jennyluck. I think specsavers have branches which work in partnership with the nhs.
I'm not sure if you can self refer for a test with them.

God! I had the same problem with my late father. I used to make him put his hearing aids in as soon as I got to his house or I wouldn’t speak. He didn’t realise just how exhausting it was to have to shout everything several times in an effort for him to hear what was being said. He hated wearing them in restaurants which I sympathised with as he said the background noise was magnified and unpleasant. The only problem with that was that we either ate in silence it the entire restaurant heard every word I said to him.

I was on the verge of being measured for hearing aids before lockdown. I'd had all the tests. NHS

Did an online video call with audiology at the hospital yesterday. She showed me the type of aid I'd be getting and went through a few more questions about when I most need them.

I am now on the waiting list to be measured up. They are not starting routine appointments (which mine is) for quite a while, She anticipates it will be 6-8 months for an appointment at the county hospital or 9 - 12 months if I want to go to the local hospital.

DH said he promises to always face me when talking to me! Wonder how long that will last.

My late H used to suffer from periods of deafness and I would tease him by mouthing my words without using my voice and he used to get agitated and shout " I didn't hear a word you said " while I'd be in fits of giggles.
I bought some headphones so that he could sit in another room to watch the TV rather than have the sound blasting out.

His deafness used to come and go, but he wasn't deaf in the sense of the word or I'd have marched him along for a hearing aid. I couldn't have done with any shouting.

It was bouts of catarrh that he had, but he didn't half panic One day when the heel came off his shoe he thought he'd suddenly gone lame I just used to laugh. I miss all that though.

Hearing aids can hurt, mine do sometimes, especially if they have tubes that are not pliable, also I find in hot weather the ear moulds seem to expand, giving myself really sore ears

I think in general men are vainer about hearing aids than women. My husband (nearly 62) has had one for a while but refuses to wear it. He says that people will be able to see he has a disability. I have pointed out he wears glasses and, as he has lost some of his teeth, asked him what he would do if he lost any more. He immediately replied that he would replace them. I then asked him why hearing aids were any different. Virtually everything we say has to be repeated. It does have some surreal moments though. One time he was talking about the TV programme we had seen the previous evening about a famous (in the music teaching world) piano teacher called Fanny Waterman. "What was her name again, Annie Waterman?" "No, Fanny Waterman." "Emma Waterman?" "No, Fanny Waterman." "Emily Waterman?" "No, Fanny Waterman. F-A-N-N-Y. FANNY." "Musicgirl, there's no need to shout and what would the neighbours think if they heard you shouting out Fanny?"

NHS hearing aids are awful .i dont wear mine. i cant afford nice ones from a private optician. i would make an appointment for your husband anyway.......or if not make sure he is facing you when you speak and speak clearly .dont put hands in front of your face. i do a lot of lip reading ......i cant hear people when they turn away or if they leave a room..and NHS ones pick up a lot of background noise...

What is awful about NHS hearing aids? My brother got some private ones and they are exactly the same as my NHS ones - what a waste of money!

If your NHS aids are "awful" then you need to go back to the clinic so that they can be adapted for your needs.

You really need to wear the hearing aids all day , they help your brain to filter out some of the background noise and you need to get used to get used to homing in to what you want to hear.
I am lucky that I sometimes forget I have them in
It was explained to me that they are not perfect , I find them a huge improvement , but still prefer for face to face conversations even with them in

Luckygirl , I got my latest NHS aids from Specsavers. The sound is distorted despite I returned twice for the audiologist to adjust them. I cannot keep going back to the Specsavers shop as someone has to take me there. So I have been wearing my original aids I got from the hospital audiology department before the NHS gave the work out to a private firm.

Torbroud, I prefer ear moulds to ear canal tubes. Maybe you could consider asking to try ear moulds. They are not as invisible as tubes, and that is why some people prefer the tubes.

MissAdventure, thankyou. I looked your link about learning macaton and find you need a webcam which I don't have.

Hearing loss is so frustrating for people, both those who have the loss and those who are trying to communicate. My DM has a hearing aid and it is the best thing she has ever done, she also has sight loss and was in an isolated bubble until the hearing aid was fitted. She persevered with it and wouldn't be without it now. My DH has some hearing loss, doesn't want a hearing aid! He has tinnitus and drives me potty with his humming which he does to drown out the tinnitus!

My old uncle (sadly passed away recently) was terribly deaf, would not have a hearing aid. He said it wasn't him but everyone else who didn't speak properly and spoke too quickly! I used to communicate via text, at least he could do that.

Jennyluck

Just a question, can you get a hearing test from nhs without being referred from your gp??

I have the same problem with my husband, every thing I say I have to repeat, and make sure I pronounce my words properly. It drives me mad, like someone else said, in the end I don’t tell him some things, as it’s too hard to get him to understand.

As I’ve said before on gn, he does have dementia as well. And being hard of hearing is a factor in dementia.

Think you have to have something from your GP - that's what I had to do. But that's not an easy you're because if you have was in your ears you can't get a hearing test at Specsavers day, and where I live it's almost impossible to get your ears syringed on the nhs. With lockdown by the time I can have a hearing test the form from the GP will be out of date!

I have had noise related hearing loss, for many years.
My doctor referred me to local Audiology centre. Within 30 minutes, I was outside with new aids listening to the rain thundering on my umbrella. After three years they called me back and gave me digital instead of analogue. the batteries don't last as long, but work well.
DW still has not learned to speak with her head in a cupboard, or when downstairs (She used to teach children with hearing problems!)
Your DH HAS to wear his aids, otherwise he has wasted everyone's time. If he does not get on with them, he has to go back to Audiology for his aids, and himself to be checked. It is no shame to wear aids. he wears glasses? does he refuse to wear them?
What is it pride or stupidity, or something else
If something else; get bit rectified PDQ?