Hearing Aid Malfunction

[COOL BREEZE]

The left hearing aid broke yesterday. I was given 3 choices. 1. Wait for an appointment late April. 2. Wait for my doctors next available appointment in 2-3 months. 3. Bring it in it will still be 3-4 weeks to be repaired as it has to be shipped out for repair. Nice choices.

[captain soggy]

3 to 4 weeks seems like a long time especially when you can not hear without the auditory enhancement instrument. However when I was purchasing my aids from a civilian company they took 2 to 3 weeks to repair them. Had to be sent in also.

The left hearing aid broke yesterday. I was given 3 choices. 1. Wait for an appointment late April. 2. Wait for my doctors next available appointment in 2-3 months. 3. Bring it in it will still be 3-4 weeks to be repaired as it has to be shipped out for repair. Nice choices.

[COOL BREEZE]

3 to 4 weeks seems like a long time especially when you can not hear without the auditory enhancement instrument. However when I was purchasing my aids from a civilian company they took 2 to 3 weeks to repair them. Had to be sent in also.

I work in a call center. I am using a back up hearing aid that is 15 years old-makes a loud humming noise. The left one which went out 6 months ago is digital. If I want to keep a job, I'll have to use whatever I can find.

[stillhere]

The left hearing aid broke yesterday. I was given 3 choices. 1. Wait for an appointment late April. 2. Wait for my doctors next available appointment in 2-3 months. 3. Bring it in it will still be 3-4 weeks to be repaired as it has to be shipped out for repair. Nice choices.

That is pretty much the choices I have received in the past. If your aid is older than 2 years ask for a new one at your next appointment. I have done this before and have been able to get the latest/greatest up date one. then make sure you get the one repaired and use that as your backup when you get it back.

Working and having an aid go out is a real pain! i would also suggest at your next appt that you discuss with the audio person better ways to prepare for this happening and what can be done for the future.

Sorry I don't have more advise but the more prepared you are for the next time (and there will be one) the better off you will be.

[broncovet]

I recommend you go to your audio department at the VA and explain the problem to them..they might have a phone with a volume control for you (but you may have to wait on that one also). I did get a home phone from the VA Audio dept. that is awesome. It has a volume control, works with my hearing aids, and "lights up" when it rings.

Most importantly, it has incredibly clear crisp sound to it (great audio quality), which helps me tremendously understand the speaker. These are not cheap Wal mart variety phones with a volume switch added but a very high quality expensive phone designed for use by individuals who are hard of hearing. And they are free at your VA to hearing loss SC Vets if you ask for it and your audiologist thinks it will help you. The brand name of my high quality VA supplied phone is "Clarity", and it is awesome.

There are other devices they have that may also help you. Ask them. The "hearing" community has no idea what it is like to be hard of hearing, erroneously beleiving that hearing aids will

magically solve all our issues...yea right.. like what are you going to do for the next 4 weeks working in a call center waiting for your hearing aids to be repaired.

This is a severe problem...often another one hearing aid users have is batteries. What if your hearing aid batteries fail at an in opportune time, such as when you are on a job interview. I am sure your interviewer wants to wait while you replace those batteries..even if you were alert enough to make sure they are on your person.

With my hearing aids, I cant put them in right out of the shower. I have to carefully dry my ears, then still wait for moisture to go away for an hour or so as the humidity tends to "fog up" my aids rendering them unusable.

Even when I have my aids in, and the batteries are working...it is still not like being able to hear. My aids are supposed to be compatable with the telephones, but most of the time they start ringing and I have to take them out when the phone rings....then remember not lose the devices, which my VA wont replace until the aids are about 4 years old.

[COOL BREEZE]

I recommend you go to your audio department at the VA and explain the problem to them..they might have a phone with a volume control for you (but you may have to wait on that one also). I did get a home phone from the VA Audio dept. that is awesome. It has a volume control, works with my hearing aids, and "lights up" when it rings.

Most importantly, it has incredibly clear crisp sound to it (great audio quality), which helps me tremendously understand the speaker. These are not cheap Wal mart variety phones with a volume switch added but a very high quality expensive phone designed for use by individuals who are hard of hearing. And they are free at your VA to hearing loss SC Vets if you ask for it and your audiologist thinks it will help you. The brand name of my high quality VA supplied phone is "Clarity", and it is awesome.

There are other devices they have that may also help you. Ask them. The "hearing" community has no idea what it is like to be hard of hearing, erroneously beleiving that hearing aids will

magically solve all our issues...yea right.. like what are you going to do for the next 4 weeks working in a call center waiting for your hearing aids to be repaired.

This is a severe problem...often another one hearing aid users have is batteries. What if your hearing aid batteries fail at an in opportune time, such as when you are on a job interview. I am sure your interviewer wants to wait while you replace those batteries..even if you were alert enough to make sure they are on your person.

With my hearing aids, I cant put them in right out of the shower. I have to carefully dry my ears, then still wait for moisture to go away for an hour or so as the humidity tends to "fog up" my aids rendering them unusable.

Even when I have my aids in, and the batteries are working...it is still not like being able to hear. My aids are supposed to be compatable with the telephones, but most of the time they start ringing and I have to take them out when the phone rings....then remember not lose the devices, which my VA wont replace until the aids are about 4 years old.

I tried using a old hearing aid from 20 years ago, that doesn,t work. I work in a call center and they don't accept that as an excuse. I threatened with violating the ADA act as I had appointment in the Federal bldg, they were always saying you not listening. DUH! I am a disabled Vet as well-they backed off a little. I have to be able to the job-listening if though hearings don't work and are not compatble with there phones. They tried different headphones. I wear a huge set off headphones to block outside noise(everyone else wears the small ones)

[COOL BREEZE]

I recommend you go to your audio department at the VA and explain the problem to them..they might have a phone with a volume control for you (but you may have to wait on that one also). I did get a home phone from the VA Audio dept. that is awesome. It has a volume control, works with my hearing aids, and "lights up" when it rings.

Most importantly, it has incredibly clear crisp sound to it (great audio quality), which helps me tremendously understand the speaker. These are not cheap Wal mart variety phones with a volume switch added but a very high quality expensive phone designed for use by individuals who are hard of hearing. And they are free at your VA to hearing loss SC Vets if you ask for it and your audiologist thinks it will help you. The brand name of my high quality VA supplied phone is "Clarity", and it is awesome.

There are other devices they have that may also help you. Ask them. The "hearing" community has no idea what it is like to be hard of hearing, erroneously beleiving that hearing aids will

magically solve all our issues...yea right.. like what are you going to do for the next 4 weeks working in a call center waiting for your hearing aids to be repaired.

This is a severe problem...often another one hearing aid users have is batteries. What if your hearing aid batteries fail at an in opportune time, such as when you are on a job interview. I am sure your interviewer wants to wait while you replace those batteries..even if you were alert enough to make sure they are on your person.

With my hearing aids, I cant put them in right out of the shower. I have to carefully dry my ears, then still wait for moisture to go away for an hour or so as the humidity tends to "fog up" my aids rendering them unusable.

Even when I have my aids in, and the batteries are working...it is still not like being able to hear. My aids are supposed to be compatable with the telephones, but most of the time they start ringing and I have to take them out when the phone rings....then remember not lose the devices, which my VA wont replace until the aids are about 4 years old.

I asked about this phone yesterday when I dropped off my broken hearing aid. The clerk wanted to know where I heard about this free phone. She said that they have them, would ask my doctor if she will approve it. I wonder if they will mail it, they now mail the repaired hearing aids to your home now instead of picking them up. It will take 4-6 weeks to get it back.