Hearing Aid - is it worth persevering?

sussexsue

Registered User
Jun 10, 2009
1,527
0
West Sussex
Hi all

Firstly I had better formally introduce myself, as have only really been a lurker for the past few months. I live with my husband, a daughter of 25 still yet to leave home, 4 horses a puppy and a cat. We are in our late 50s and are lucky enough to have retired early and moved to the country with all our animals. This decision was partly prompted by the needs of my 84year old mum who was diagnosed with AD about 6 years ago and last year we decided she could no longer live on her own. We bought this house, built an extension for her and she moved in with us just over a year ago.

I guess we are one of the lucky AD stories, because my mum is pretty easy going. Memory is totally shot, but she can still make herself a cup of tea and snacks, dresses herself and keeps fairly clean, with a few reminders and suggestions. Image was always everything to her so she is happy to have her hair done once a week, the occasional manicure and still insists on full makeup when going out. As with many AD suffers we have many surreal moments, but all things considered so far it is working out pretty well. Medically she has a few other issues, including arthritic knee, epilespy and we suspect maybe a small stroke or two, but this is still under investigation. Getting her to walk anywhere is a problem (her knee hurts and her gait is that of a staggering drunk), despite her claiming to everyone she loves a long walk, so we are following that up as well.

So now to the point of this post. When she moved in she was insistent that she wanted a hearing aid. We were still sharing a lounge with her at that time and the volume she had the TV at confirmed she REALLY needed one. It took me a while to organise things, but about 6 weeks ago she was fitted with a set of digital hearing aids. Problem is that she hates them, hides them, and is convinced I am being really mean making her wear them.

If she had no other problems I would insist she carries on getting used to them. I have to put them in for her as she cannot even begin to work out how to do it, but she can take them out herself. When we go anywhere now when she has them in she is really miserable, doesnt want to join in anything or listen to anything. My gut feeling is that her poor AD'd brain just cant cope with the bombardment of noise. She is happy and content in her quiet world and I am worried that what is supposed to enhance her life is actually upsetting her unnecessarily. Yes, if she has them in she can hear conversations better, but she is so miserable that she chooses not to join in.

Your thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Sue
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,445
0
Kent
Hello Sue

As one without dementia who has recently been fitted with a digital hearing aid I can understand your mother`s confusion as they really do take some getting used to.

She will probably hear sounds she has not heard for a long time and they will be constant and uncontrollable intrusions. How the mind of someone with dementia interprets these sounds is anyone`s guess.

Even though I hear these new sounds, I cannot quantify any improvement in my day to day hearing, as I still miss a lot in group converstaion and still need subtitles for television.

Obviously everyone is different and I do know lives have been changed because of digital aids. Accepting something new is always difficult for someone with dementia, so if the aid is going to be accepted it will probably take longer than usual.

Perhaps you could offer her the aids at times when she appreciates she is having difficulty hearing.

Good luck.
 

JPG1

Account Closed
Jul 16, 2008
3,391
0
Have the 6-week old hearing aids been checked again? Just to see if there's a fault with them?

.
 

simonmonty

Registered User
Nov 22, 2008
374
0
Yorkshire
My mum who has A,D hates loud noises or too many sounds i think it is part of the problem with A,D the brain just can not process to much information any longer. I would only try to get her to wear them when she is really struggling to hear things. I think it is going to be a lot of trial and errors on your part no point in pushing her to wear them if it is going to just upset her or make the good times less pleasing for her. With A.D its all one big learning curve all trial and errors :confused: no rights or wrongs you just have to go with the flow and this is a new one for you to figure out :eek: :confused:
 

suzanne

Registered User
Jul 25, 2006
189
0
wiltshire
Hearing aids

I found my mother's £1800 HA under the bed, in the wash basket, in the gash bucket under the sink and any of a hundred different places, it was the feedback whine that she couldn't tolerate so we gave up and she now denies the possibility of her even being deaf!! so if you know of any one who wants a fancy digital HA just shout my way!
 

imp

Registered User
Jun 26, 2009
64
0
Warwickshire
My husband refuses to wear his and we have now given up trying. When he was in hospital a nurse tried to persuade him but that resulted in him getting very agitated. Sorry not a very useful answer but just to let you know you are not alone with this problem. Best wishes Iris
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
74,001
0
72
Dundee
My husband refuses to wear his and we have now given up trying.

My mum was fitted with a hearing aid and has never worn it. We have never insisted as I think it would cause as much distress as anything else. As to losing a hearing aid!! I have one as well. I was determined to wear it and that lasted about a week. Since then it has been missing presumed lost on numerous occasions and I don't have AD!!
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,445
0
Kent
The trouble with hearing aids is they will never give normal hearing and wearers have to be prepared to tolerate the strange sounds they hear.
For example I have never heard bird song in my life. Since I`ve had my hearing aid I hear frequent piercing sounds which an educated guess tells me is bird song. I tolerate this because I know it means I hear other high frequency sounds which I used to miss ,and must be beneficial to hear.
But how someone with later stages of dementia would be expected to rationalize this is beyond me.
 

imac.girll1

Registered User
Feb 20, 2009
2,976
0
Glasgow
Hiya,

just a thought here, i assume she has a pair of hearing aids, maybe how about trying just one, which yes isnt ideal BUT she could hear a little but not getting bombarded with noise.

My mother got a hearing aid in May, and i thought oh no she isnt going to like this, but we were advised to turn the sound down quite low and gradually build up the volume as she got slightly more used to the noises.

She now has her aid in daily and happily, some days she does need help putting it in, but most days she gets up and puts it in right away.

Now of course if your mother decides NO WAY is she wearing them, either both or just one, then you might be easier for her sake not doing it, and return them to the HA dept you got them from. Or maybe is there someone that your mum may listen to more than yourselves, you know how it is, they always listen to outsiders never the ones who know best, family and carers, lol.

Good luck and keep us posted, although dont shout toooooo loud ;o)

:D
 

Norman

Registered User
Oct 9, 2003
4,348
0
Birmingham Hades
I too have hearing problems.
My son bought me a £1000 + private hearing ,which I found of no use at all.

I attended the audiology department at my local hospital and I was fitted with two aids.
I have no problems with hearing,they are preset to my impairment.
They have 3 settings,1 is for everyday use,2 is for use in a situation such as a restuarant and this setting cuts out the background noise,3 is for the loop.

I have no experience regarding dementia sufferers wearing hearings.
My wife did have a small denture made before having a bridge fitted,that was a nightmare.
I found it in the most strange places ,dustbins being one.
I would think similar problems could arise with hearing aids.
Norman
 

zoet

Registered User
Feb 28, 2008
705
0
55
Macclesfield, Cheshire
After moaning for about six months about the state of his old hearing aid, I bought my dad a very expensive digital hearing aid. When he did wear it he turned it off, and eventually he dropped it in a cup of tea and that was that. He has never asked about it and seems to hear perfectly well without it.:confused::rolleyes: I wouldnt bother if I were you.....just my opinion. x
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
74,001
0
72
Dundee
My wife did have a small denture made before having a bridge fitted,that was a nightmare.
I found it in the most strange places ,dustbins being one.
I would think similar problems could arise with hearing aids.
Norman

Snap! Bill's denture has also been found in bins etc etc! Currently one missing presumed lost in house, the spare one broken and temporary repair done by dentist. We're awaiting a new one and a permanent repair to this one but I can see that we will become very good friends with the dentist!:eek:

My hearing aid is from audiology dept too - consultant said that digital would not be suitable for my hearing loss. My problem is that while I can't say it hurts or that it's uncomfortable I can't seem to wear it for a long time. I know it sounds daft but my ear feels 'tired' and I have to take it out. I know I need to persevere. I don't believe that Bill would persevere with one if he needed it.
 

sussexsue

Registered User
Jun 10, 2009
1,527
0
West Sussex
Thanks all for your replies. Think it pretty much confirms what I had been thinking, and interesting points from those of you with aids, but without AD - really puts it into perspective.

She has been fitted with 2 digital aids, with the volume preset at the lowest (no adjustments on aids). Judging by the TV volume I would think they are on just about perfect setting.:)

I seem to remember the audiologist saying that (for everyone) one ear focuses on voices and the other on background noise. Will certainly try just using one of them, nothing to lose after all.

The fitting of them was a hoot, as the audiologist spent nearly half an hour explaining about them to my mum (she may as well have been speaking japanese), giving her hints and then trying to get her to put them in. Tried to explain that mum had AD with poor spacial awareness, so could I have a go at inserting them, but she insisted that all patients would work it out eventually - no chance. When she went out of the room, mum asked why we were here and was she having her feet done.

My mum is very content and happy (and yes I know how lucky we are) and I really dont see the point in upsetting her uncessarily.

Thanks everyone.

Sue
 

Willowgill

Registered User
Mar 29, 2008
91
0
South Yorkshire
My mum was fitted with 2 hearing aids about 5 or 6 years ago before her dementia started but would (and still does) only wear the left one insisting the right one hurts her ear. She is now in hospital and when I visit the first thing I do is put them in for her - after some fiddling around she finally conceeds she can hear but eventually takes the right one out again. I too have found them in a variety of places even though the boxes are always to hand. They were in an empty tissue box a couple of days ago so could have ended up in the bin.

As an aside my dad lost his dentures a few months ago for 2 days - we searched the house even emptying the bin to see if they'd got thrown out but couldn't find them and I spent the weekend planning how to explain to the dentist he needed new teeth. Two days later he came to the door with them in - he couldn't explain where he'd found them and I've no idea to this day whether he cleaned them first before he put them in :D
 

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