Lost Hearing Aids

[Wifenotcarer]

OH, who is now in middle stage dementia with no short term memory to speak of, wears hearing aids in both ears. Sometimes they annoy him and he takes them out, leaving them in odd places e.g. outside on the garden wall, in whatever cupboard or drawer is nearest, under his pillow, etc. etc., basically anywhere rather than the pouch they are supposed to live in. This time they had been missing since Wednesday night when they were not in his ears as we started his bedtime routine. Having searched the entire house with no success, I, accidently, found them this morning. They were stuffed into an empty glasses wipe packet which I notice was kind of heavy when I picked it up to put it in the dustbin. If I had not noticed, £2,000+ worth of hearing aids would have been put out with the rubbish.

I do supervise the putting in and removing the aids morning and bedtime, making sure that the aids are put safely in their pouch. The problem arises when PWD takes them out during the day and stuffs them somewhere, most commonly in his trouser pockets. Has anyone encountered this problem and found a good solution? My only idea was to attach one of those tracker devices that you can buzz when something is lost but the hearing aids are too small for this. Any ideas folks?

 

[Sad Staffs]

I used to work with deaf children who were always taking out, throwing, dropping their aids down the toilet. I worked with them over 12 years ago. But there were ways to keep them in place using simple home made methods. It might be worth asking your NHS audiology team what they can recommend, even if you have bought them privately.
Good luck x

 

[Sarasa]

As a hearing aid user I can identify with taking them out. They aren't always the most comfortable things to wear. Do you know if they annoy him because of the the sounds or just because they are in his ears? If it's the sounds maybe only put them in at times when he needs to hear, if its because they aren't comfortable maybe try and get different moulds sorted.

 

[Agzy]

As a hearing aid user I can identify with taking them out. They aren't always the most comfortable things to wear. Do you know if they annoy him because of the the sounds or just because they are in his ears? If it's the sounds maybe only put them in at times when he needs to hear, if its because they aren't comfortable maybe try and get different moulds sorted.

I too have dual hearing aids and they can cause soreness and constant itch and often feel like chucking them away so maybe he has similar issues.

 

[Angela57]

My dad used to pull both his hearing aids apart and loose bits of them all the time. I was at the hospital most weeks for a couple of years getting them working again. He also had a thing about taking the batteries out of remote controls all of the time. I know how difficult and frustrating it can be when you can't turn your back for a second. My mum's short term memory was that she'd take her hearing aids out, put them somewhere, and just couldn't find them, she used to do the same with her false teeth too.

 

[Angela57]

Thinking about it, dad destroyed many electric shavers also, pulling them apart and loosing bits of them too. He always kept any batteries safe though.

 

[Malalie]

I've had a look on the internet - can only find a tracker about the size of a penny - obviously not good. Maybe try some of the societies for the deaf - I'm sure deaf people who don't have dementia lose their hearing aids too.

Does your OH wear glasses? I'm sure somebody on our board has mentioned some sort of hearing aid that is attached to spectacles if that would be of any help?

 

[Wifenotcarer]

I've had a look on the internet - can only find a tracker about the size of a penny - obviously not good. Maybe try some of the societies for the deaf - I'm sure deaf people who don't have dementia lose their hearing aids too.

Does your OH wear glasses? I'm sure somebody on our board has mentioned some sort of hearing aid that is attached to spectacles if that would be of any help?

I have also been all over the internet and have discovered that there are now Hearing Aids available (at enormous expense) that you can track with an app on a smart phone. Also BLING ie large sparkly earrings that you attach to the hearing aid so that they are easy to spot if left lying about. I can just see OH sporting a pair of these Otherwise, I can see a gap in the market so if there are any inventors out there, here is an opportunity. Just the sort of thing you see attracting support on Dragon's Den.

 

[rhubarbtree]

HI wifenotcarer,

In much the same position as you supervising hearing aids. My OH also pokes them away at times and I have given up searching (just check tissues before disposal etc) they usually turn up. When I was searching the net I did see a cord that was stuck onto the hearing aids and then went round back of neck. If you have purchased the aids privately perhaps your supplier could help. You do have the fallback, as we did, that when he eventually loses the private ones he can get some NHS ones. They are just as good, except the little button ones which are so easily lost.

At the beginning of this journey I did think it was vitally important that OH could hear properly but now I am not so sure if it matters quite so much. At times he hears a word, repeats it, but really does not understand what it means, so now I am a little more relaxed about the aids and tend to use improvised sign language (mostly pointing).

 

[DeMartin]

Mum (in CH) had a private hearing aid, long lost. I went on a search and not found.
However, whilst I was searching, I was informed that “ I can hear what I want” !
I’ve noticed she manages to hear definitely what she needs, bingo numbers, music, church responses.

 

[Sad Staffs]

Try small sticky back Velcro pads folded over that you can attach a piece of shearing elastic sandwiched between and then runs at the back of the head joining everything together. One drops out it stays attached, both drop out, easier to find. Used to do this with deaf babies and children xx

 

[MothersCarer]

Just resurrecting this in the hope that someone has found a way of tracking lost hearing aids. I am just about to buy mum her 5th pair and need to find something this time or basically, she will have to do without. She doesn't have the very smallest ones but they do fit in her ear. I am wondering if it would be better if we get some that go partly behind the ear - bigger so less easy to use?

Any help welcome.

 

[Starting on a journey]

I have worn inside the ear hearing aids for 30 years.
If you go for the ones that go over the ear they will feel quite different for her and she may have problems coping with the difference in sound direction. That said, knowing the price of these items, I would go for the cheapest and if they are behind the ear they are bigger and probably easier to attach some ribbon etc to.
However, the things do manage to get lost... sometimes in the night mine develop legs and run away from their safe place.
Are they being lost at any specific time? Could it be that they are uncomfortable and she is taking them out? Are you having a new mould made every time they are replaced?

 

[MothersCarer]

She had only had these for about six weeks and the ones before didn't require a new mould as it was a short period of time. Previously, at home, there was a lengthier gap so she did need a new mould. I do wonder if she doesn't actually like them but she does like being able to hear more clearly. Although this will be the fifth pair she is quite content that "this has never happened before". As well as dementia she is approaching 99 and hasn't very much mobility although I don't know if that makes any difference.

I have found some on-line called "Halo" hearing aids that can be tracked with a phone but they are nearly £3,000 for both ears, about twice as much as her current ones and I am worried she could lose those too.

https://www.starkey.com/blog/2017/04/Find-my-hearing-aids

 

[Starting on a journey]

She had only had these for about six weeks and the ones before didn't require a new mould as it was a short period of time. Previously, at home, there was a lengthier gap so she did need a new mould. I do wonder if she doesn't actually like them but she does like being able to hear more clearly. Although this will be the fifth pair she is quite content that "this has never happened before". As well as dementia she is approaching 99 and hasn't very much mobility although I don't know if that makes any difference.

I have found some on-line called "Halo" hearing aids that can be tracked with a phone but they are nearly £3,000 for both ears, about twice as much as her current ones and I am worried she could lose those too.

https://www.starkey.com/blog/2017/04/Find-my-hearing-aids

 

[Starting on a journey]

Gosh that looks good, I will be interested in that when I am due a new pair!!

Your mum might be happy without them, I would try that for a while as sometimes I find it really liberating to be in my own world cocooned away from noise

 

[MothersCarer]

Thanks for your help Starting on a journey. I might just leave it for a while and see how she gets on. I need to discuss it with my daughter anyway as she sees mum quite often and has insight into how she reacts to these things. I know a friend who quite often takes his aids off unless he is in a fairly quiet place.

 

[NocturnalRambler]

My elderly father has lost a hearing aid, again! No point asking him as he won't remember where he has been.

I am getting a bit cynical about the hearing aid industry, it is in their interests for units to be lost, more sales!

The idea of tying units together strikes me as a simple but effective solution, I will try this if the missing unit is found or we go to the expense of yet another replacement.

We have been able to locate missing units using an App and Bluetooth but this only works in proximity and is reliant on batteries still working.

I would like to see hearing aid units that can be charged by induction like some iPhones can be and for them also to be fitted with a more effective means of tracking - in this day and age with Apple Air Tags, Tile devices etc there is the technology, just need to have smaller units that can be incorporated into a hearing aid.

This problem is only likely to become more widespread as a function of our ageing population, has anyone contacted their MP about it?

 

[Sarasa]

Hi @NocturnalRambler and a welcome to Dementia Support Forum. It might be worth contact your local NHS audiology clinic via your GP and getting aids from them. At least if they go missing the cost to replace them isn’t prohibative. Some clinics are better than offer with the range they offer so worth a whirl.
The trouble is your dad is probably forgetting why he needs them hence taking them out. It takes a lot of brain power to use suds effectively ( I’m a long term user) and maybe it is getting too much for him.
It’s worth contacting your MP as hearing loss does tend to be one of those things that get overlooked.

 

[maggie6445]

Me too. My ears get very itchy and sore wearing my hearing aids. They are NHS and have tried various moulds over the years. I have an almost constant prescription for an ear spray which works brilliantly while using it but symptoms return within a couple of weeks. Usually find my hearing aid tucked down a chair or on the floor as I sit with them on my knee ready to pop back in when I want to hear . NHS are £70 to replace if you lose one and someone told me free for dementia people although how many they get free is unknown😂