Hearing Aids, hearing gadgets, hearing.
Posted by: Penquin in Aging, College, Education, LifeWhen u look at all the technology out there from the beginning of their creation to its current status, u’ll note that most technology started out large and clutsy looking and eventually the product was reduced in size BUT improved in its functioning purposes . For example, Look at computers, headphones, cellphones, xerox machines, fax machines, TTY’s, even televisions and radios. They all went from large to small and improved.
Now, lets look at the hearing aid. Hearing aids started out as horns, something looking like the Shofa used on the Jewish holidays. The first real hearing aid by Sonotone with a transistor was put on the market in 1952 for $229. In fact, AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph……remember them?) gave out free transistor licenses in honor of Alexander Graham Bell.
Without losing a beat, companies began producing their own aids and competing. Acousticon put an aid out soon after for $74.50. The hearing aids were powered by batteries worn around the waist. Could u imagine if the competition continued with prices like these to this day? Anyway, my point is that hearing aids have always been small, but they never quite improved and never got cheaper the way other technology has. In fact, the hearing aid price is so varied and so steep and so difficult to shop around for, that most buyers will not price them the way we do when buying a car.
Sure, we have the directional microphones and the programming of the aids for different environments and background noise reductions. We have the options of digital, digital programming and analog. All promising maximum speech understanding. Did u ever wonder whether it was all a gimmick? I mean, after all, hearing aids don’t provide 20/20 hearing, so why make promises u can’t keep?
All I know is that when I cut the background noise out on my hearing aid, with that advantage comes the downside of the voice i’m listening to being lower as well. Or when there are two speakers, one behind me and one in front of me, my directional mics seem to get a little ditsy and neurotic.
Point being that for some reason, the hearing aid industry has changed asthetically but not really technically. They have their new state of the art micro style differences, the ergonomic designs made especially for the boomer generation who has become so vain and forgotten their roots. And I just love when a company states, u won’t even know you’re wearing them……duh! never in a million years. I am constantly reminded that I’m wearing my aid. Whether from someone’s dumb question of “are u wearing your aid today” to “is your aid working.”
Naturally, I’ve accepted that hearing aids are not the perfect solution but they give me the best situation for my hearing loss. I would have preferred the aids have been more miraculously improved without convincing us they are so dynamically tuned for our specific hearing loss and that our ability to hear will be a miracle. And whats with the tiny battery? How do they expect the largest population of hearing impaired people to put that little battery into that little thingie compartment? And don’t forget about what happens when dropping that little battery on the floor. It’s amazing to watch a group of seniors on hands and knees looking for that stinker. It’s also amazing to see how far that little battery can travel when its not even on.
I never lead anyone to believe that hearing aids are the all or nothing solution. Its just a temporary solution to a problem that can’t seem to be fixed by medical science thru other means, yet. In the meantime, all I want is a hearing aid that works and works to my benefit. I couldn’t care less about all these ergodynamic state of the art designs. After all, I don’t expect anyone to say, ay Pearl, cool hearing aid you got there in your ear!
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June 14th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Great ponts all, Pearl!
I’m paying $5,800 (2 x 2,900), and TODAY they’re OUT! Obviously, they’re the top of the line digitals (Siemens), new to me by about 3 weeks now (first I ever had). It’s very nice that I have 3 programs and can control the volume on any with a remote. The fact is, though, that for all their technical prowess, they can only do so much for me. Hearing aids are a “Bandaid” for the issue of hearing loss. I’ve already learned to ALWAYS let my “audience” know that just because I have aids in, it doesn’t mean I can hear you perfectly.
Here comes my cynical side.
Capitolism is dependent on DESPERATION. The bigger the NEED is, the bigger the PROFIT can be. That’s why my HAs are $5,800. There’s no way it could have cost (proportionally) that much to design them and manufacture them. Profit motive means we peasants lose. Charge what the market will bear, and you make out like a bandit. It’s the American way - and it’s going to Hell real fast now.
Paul S - AKA: LifeWrecked
June 14th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
OH MY GOD, $2,900 an aid? At that price, I hope those things can repeat what others are saying when u can’t hear? This is so illegal it should be front page news.
June 14th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
It’s (according to the Audi - and I cannot but agree) because I’m so variable. Today I can hear you, tomorrow I can’t. I need the most flexibility that’s available, so it’s leading edge technology. I knew that when I went in, but like you, I was shocked at the price tag. Criminal is a good word for it. Someday, the Man will pay.
Paul S (AKA: LifeWrecked)
June 14th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
It’s not the audi we should be blaming for the sticker shock, its the manufacturers who make the ridiculous profits of 200-250%. They leave the audiologist with a small profit by allowing them to fix their own prices on top of the initial profit that the companies are making. The audi knows the prices are high and they are usually making a small few hundred profit. The manufacturers sell it to the audi at a high price to start.
June 14th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Well actually, I have to take back on one point. There are audiologists who will make $1,000 per hearing aid. Where u shop makes a difference too. If I go to Park Avenue in Manhattan vs. Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, I will probably see a difference in price tags. I guess we need the audiologists to back the clients and go up against the manufacturers as well.
June 15th, 2008 at 1:34 am
I need new aids soon. I have been going to the same audi for more than two decades, but next time I plan to go to Costco. I completely agree with you about the price of hearing aids. They just keep going up while all other technological stuff comes down in price. They’re nothing but plastic and wire. I asked my audi about this in the past, becaues ya know– I can buy a fully loaded laptop that does so much more than a hearing aid for less than half the price of an aid. He tried to tell me it’s because the aid is “so small” and also that it’s because the aids amplify sound digitally and it’s new “special” technology. Then I pointed out that the Ipod also “amplifies” sound digitally, and also does so much more than hearing aids. Cost of an iPod? You can get a ’shuffle’ for 50.00 and the new 80 gig for 250.00. This technology isn’t “new.” It’s all BS– all of it!! It’s a crime it’s not covered by insurance either.
June 15th, 2008 at 1:56 am
LOL - your last comment Pearl had me in stitches. I will make sure I comment on your ‘cool’ hearing aids at the con
Paul - does the price of those hearing aids include someone to make you breakfast in bed every morning? If not - it should! I find thats criminal that people have to pay that sort of money to help one hear.
Cheers
Robyn
(who at least gets govt funding in nz to pay for these)
June 15th, 2008 at 2:22 am
I don’t have the ergodynamic cool looking hearing aid! I have a plain gray colored behind the ear aid that I love.
June 15th, 2008 at 5:16 am
I often wonder about the “lucrative” properties of being hard-of-hearing - it’s finer points being marketed, falsely, toward the Cochlear Implant-potential population.
It’s not all roses being hard-of-hearing. It, certainly, wouldn’t be “almost” hard-of-hearing.
That’s what it is. That’s what makes me speechless.
June 15th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Great blog, Pearl!!! It is disappointing that hearing aids have not followed the trend in getting better and cheaper, as technology advances. My first try at hearing aids was an ITE aid recommended by my then audiologist. I didn’t have success on that first attempt, as I had lost much of my hearing by the end of high school and I am thinking an ITE aid was not best suited for my need. I am sure the ITE was recommended more for someone my age, than for the maximum benefit, as a twenty-something female was assumed to be focusing on vanity over benefit, but that has never been the case with me. I always wanted the benefit of hearing, but just never got it with a hearing aid. I would wear a hearing aid as big as a hat if it worked.
All hearing aids that I have tried after that first ITE one have been BTE, as my next audiologist told me the truth, that BTE give better results. Still no benefit with BTE, but I got all the sales pitches when trying them over the years. Why would you even need marketing tactics and gimmicks with hearing aids? I think it is criminal that audiologists are even allowed to make a profit on hearing aids, and I was surprised by this information, and as I said previously, it made me feel a little stupid that I didn’t know this before.
And I will never figure out why a hearing aid is not considered a medical device??? Does anyone think people would wear hearing aids for any other reason than to enhance their hearing??? Why does my insurance pay for eye glasses and orthodontia??? Is not hearing more important than straight teeth??? Sigh… It is not a perfect world, for sure.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:54 am
I have to say I actually did comment a guy on his hearing aids once, not too long ago. He had absolutely the coolest looking earmolds I had ever seen. They were GOLD–I’m sure gold plastic– but still it was so cool looking. And so I told him, “WOW! I LOVE those!” This was at a party too, where not many people with hearing loss were. In fact, I think we were the only two people wearing hearing aids. And he was SO COOL looking in sunglasses and those earmolds. I was really envious. But the thing is, I wouldn’t bother getting something like that because my hair would cover it.