My mother has Alzheimer's and has been through four pairs of hearing aids. The first pair was very good, also expensive ($5,000), and required batteries to be inserted once a week (we did not mind inserting the batteries), but she lost those when she went to memory care. The next pair was less expensive ($500), worked so-so, needed recharging every night, but she lost one of those. The third pair stopped working shortly after we bought them.
The current pair cost $300 and are okay, but the memory care staff often forgets to take them out of her ears at night and recharge them. If they do remember to put them in her ears the next morning, the staff often forgets to turn them on, even though I have two notes posted next to her hearing aid charging case reminding them to turn them on before inserting them.
I know staff is extremely busy, but staff changes so much at the facility that it almost seems hopeless to train them to remember to turn the hearing aids on before putting them in Mom's ears.
Are there any hearing aids that:
I would appreciate any recommendations!
Try putting in senior friendly hearing aids in your search. They can be very inexpensive as well.
On the other hand, my Mom had such a test and such hearing aids in her early 70's. They were great for about 10 years. After that, the bother of dealing with them sort of got to her and she wore them less and less, preferring silence. Naturally, her children disagreed. In spite of the enormous expense of the original investment (nearly $10K as we wanted the best for Mom), Mom rarely wore the aids after some point in her 80's. I agree with Geaton777 that if your Mom doesn't really want to wear the aids, it is a lost cause. Just get an amplifier so you don't need to shout when you visit. Obviously the nurses and staff in the nursing home don't care if she can hear or not and they will not be more cooperative in the future than they have been in the past.
The key is your mother's attitude, not what the responsibilities of the staff may be or should be. Sometimes the easiest way is the right way, especially with a person in her 90's. My Mom lived to 96 and we treasured those last years, but they were often difficult when we sisters would try to accomplish what we felt was right for Mom, rather than what Mom wanted. It was much better when we accepted the fact that Mom was still very much her own master and let her have her way as much as we could--when her wishes were anything short of really dangerous. A 90-something person in nursing care has a very limited range of what they can control, what they can enjoy. It is best not to fuss too much and let them have their way as much as possible. Try to do what you can to simply enjoy her company for whatever remaining time you have together. It doesn't really matter if she hears what is going on around her if she doesn't care.
MEDca Rechargeable Ear Hearing Amplifier - Sound Amplifier with Rapid Charger - Skin
https://a.co/d/1rtg4cF
very inexpensive, rechargeable. Gets the job done since most the time she seems to hear but has a problem processing. At $30, if they get misplaced it’s not as devastating to replace. And no battery issue, since they recharge. I never turn them off.
If they never get turned off, the batteries will need to be replaced every few days. And someone will need to keep them clean for her.
Maybe consider a hearing amplifier that you bring with you on your visits to her. At least she'll hear you then, hopefully. Also please understand that sometimes people with dementia have a comprehension problem and not just (or in addition to) a hearing problem. I would not put much more time or money towards trying to solve this.
A geriatric doctor told me several years ago that Mom's eyeglasses and hearing aids should always be in good working order because these sensory items will help her brain stay more alert and active.