Today’s post is an update on my dad, since I know all of you love to hear about him and want to see what he and my mom are up to.  I haven’t really shared that much since Christmas as nothing really exciting has been happening lately, but this is a timely post that I knew you all would enjoy hearing about.
And by the way, I asked Dad if he would be OK with letting me share this story on my blog and he gave me the go ahead. Â I told him that he has so many people who love him and that all of you would like to hear how he’s doing, this part included.
We (the girls in my family) have been after dad for a few years now to look into getting hearing aids.  He agreed one time, then decided no he didn’t want to, so it’s been back and forth on talking him into getting some help with his hearing.  If you have elderly folks around, you know what I mean, they can be very stubborn and set in their ways. He has insisted that he hears all he wants to hear or needs to hear and that he doesn’t feel like he’s missing out on that much. But we have observed over the last few years that he is not as interactive around groups of people like he used to be.  We knew that his hearing was a big part of that, but he wouldn’t admit it, nor look into getting help.
We’ve all known for years that he had hearing problems and it’s just gotten worse the older he gets.  Dad saying “huh” has become the norm of how we converse with him the last few years and that syllable has been said hundreds of times as he tries to follow conversations and we have to repeat things over and over.  I know it’s been hard on my mom because she is the one who talks and interacts with him daily.  It took all of us to talk him into it and finally, finally we got him to agree to go and get his hearing checked out.  Lauren took the reins and called Costco, after we heard what a good hearing aid program they have there.  This isn’t sponsored at all, but Costco is where we decided to take him since they have such a good money back guarantee program, as well as 5 year warranty and there is nothing to lose by trying them out. It took us awhile to convince him, but once the 3 of us girls (plus mom) go after him, he usually can’t say no for long.
We set up an appointment and my sister and I, along with mom, went with him to Costco to get his hearing test and see what the process would be for getting hearing aids. Â We had heard too that the cost has improved a lot, since that was always a factor for him and he wouldn’t have spent the money on a really costly hearing aid. Â Costco offers them for $1700 for the Premium set and all with a money back guarantee within 180 days, so there really was nothing to lose. Â In fact, the whole family chipped in on the hearing aids because we really wanted him to get them and try them out and felt it would be a good thing for all of us if he was back to hearing almost normally again.
I thought this might be of interest to all of you out there in case you have a stubborn one in your family who might need some convincing on the hearing aid proposition. Â We are so glad he finally went and I’ll be sure and share the progress of how he does with them. Â So far so good!
My sister has a membership to Costco, so got us in and they have an area in the store all set up for hearing tests and getting the hearing aids ordered. Â They have these little rooms to go in and take all the tests needed.
Mom filled out all the paperwork for him (that’s always her job) and then we went in the little room for the hearing test and hearing aids suggested for dad.
This very nice and personable man, Herndon, took care of the hearing test and walked Dad through the process so he could understand how it all works and he was put at ease all along the way. Â Herndon was perfect for this job and did it all in a witty and humorous manner, getting lots of smiles from dad along the way.
He went through the process of the hearing test and we got a report at the end. Â Out of a 100% that is normal hearing, dad scored a 12% and 26% in both ears, which was hardly a good score. We knew that it was bad, but it may have been worse than we even thought. Â The man could hardly hear a thing, so it’s no wonder that he didn’t do well with a lot of people around.
After the hearing test, Herndon put on temporary hearing aids so that dad could finally see what this hearing aid thing is all about. Â I think he was pleasantly surprised how well he could hear after trying them on. Â He walked around the store that day for about 30 minutes just to get a feel for how they work and he could tell an immediate difference in his ability to hear us talking to him. Â We placed the order and then 4 days later went back with dad to pick them up and he got his own hearing aids.
Herndon went through the process of getting his hearing aids set at the right level. These can be adjusted, but evidently the newest thing is to not have them adjustable at home, but to set them at a good level in the beginning and leave them. Â He can always go back and adjust if needed, but these are supposed to be set for optimal hearing now. Â He can look at his computer screen to make sure Dad’s set is set up just right for his hearing impairment. Â Everything went well that first day and dad came home with his brand new set of hearing aids.
Here’s a shot of what they look like and they have many colors to choose from, so dad’s are a neutral skin tone that blend in with his ears. Â You can barely see them in the above pic of the back of his ear. They hang over the ear and the earbuds go down inside the ear and the wire is barely detectable.
I talked to him from the front seat to see if he could hear me when I wasn’t looking at him and he could hear me just fine. Â As soon as he got home, he went in and turned on the TV and came in and told us that it was an immediate big difference in watching TV with his hearing aids in. Â We are so optimistic that he will get used to the hearing aids and really enjoy wearing them now. Â It took a lot of convincing, but he just might be happy about it now.
We all went home that day and ate cake that mom had just baked. Â I’ll share that soon too, it was a real winner!
Dad has not been able to hear the preacher at church in a long time so I knew that would be a big test. I talked to Dad on Tuesday and he was able to hear and understand the preacher for the first time in a long time!  That makes us so happy!  He also said he can now hear the blinker in his car which he didn’t even know made a sound.  It’s been so long since he could hear well and I think he’s pretty tickled with the outcome.  He sounded very enthusiastic when I talked to him this week. We are very hopeful that he won’t give up on them and send them back. He has 180 days to try them out, but it looks like he is already adjusting to them and actually might be enjoying them.  He always said he wasn’t missing out on anything important (ha, his words!), but we think he was and now he’ll be able to keep up with the conversations around the table so much better.
I know how much you all care about my daddy, so wanted to share this update with you. Â Life changes constantly with elderly parents and this year he will be 90 in July and mom will be 89 in May. Â We know that the next few years can change drastically with both of their health and well being and we hope to have them with us for many more years to come. Â Now here’s to better conversations with my dad! Â We are so happy he finally gave in and went to have his ears checked out. I wanted to share this with all of you in case you have loved ones who may need to go to Costco too. We have nothing but good things to say so far about dad’s experience, but I’ll keep you updated as he wears them for a few months.
Aww, bless his sweet heart! My Papa is the same way about hearing aids so I’m glad your dad was able to find some that have improved his quality of life. We always get our glasses and contacts at Costco – we’ve had such great experiences with their eye center that I’m not surprised the hearing side is just as good.
I’m so very glad you posted this. I have moderate hearing loss which makes it difficult to find jobs that will work for me (phone work is extremely difficult). I went to a regular hearing aid clinic in my area, somewhat upset because I was starting a new job and worried about getting fired for not being able to perform well, as is the anxiety for the hearing-impaired. I explained to the audi how important this was, I was even crying, I had no current income, etc. and she promptly recommended $6500 hearing aids. Nope. I went home without those aids, utterly deflated.
I checked out Costco. The Herndon you pictured was the exact person who fitted me with a fabulous pair of $1800 hearing aids! Same or better service, equivalent or the same aids, name brands, store brand, fabulous prices on batteries, free adjustments, and on and on. I know there are so many people who struggle with hearing loss and THINK they can’t afford hearing aids, but Costco may be a great solution for them. Please, please check them out if you are in the need.
By the way, Herndon is so much fun. He’s a great guy to have on your hearing loss team. Please understand it is also an adjustment for the family. He will take a few months to fully adapt and there will be moments of frustration for him. Keep encouraging him and keep track of the situations that are difficult or frustrating for him and have Herndon make adjustments. Best wishes to your dad on his new hearing journey!
HI, Dana, oh I’m so glad you got to experience Herndon too! He was such a lovely man and made the process so easy for my dad and all of us. Costco Kennesaw is the place. Thanks for sharing, I’m so happy you got yours too.
Such a good post! I am on my second pair of hearing aids. I was told they only last 5 years ? I will definitely check out the Costco hearing center. I have worn hearing aids for seven years now and unfortunately there are still some days I hate putting them in, but I need them so that’s that! They are a good investment. Happy you urged your Dad to go!
I just love that you share your family with all of us! Your parents are just precious and please tell your daddy we all think he’ll probably inspire others to try out hearing aids. “Hears” to ya! 🙂
This post couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m going to visit my 84 year old Mom for a week at the end of the month. She is hard of hearing but won’t get hearing aids or anything that makes her look old. She has fallen several times but won’t use a cane. If we are watching TV I will ask her if she understands what is going on and she never does because she can’t hear it. I also get the “what?” all the time. I thought hearing aids cost much more than $1700 so I think I will try to convince her to go in so see just how bad it is. Thanks for the post.
My mom too! Honestly, she made life so hard for herself. She had the world’s strongest bones, she had some terrible falls and never broke anything. I hope I remember all this when I get to her age. I’m 63 and a nurse in a busy noisy ER. My tinnitus has gotten worse and I’m having trouble understanding young women if I’m not looking right at them. So I got a hearing test, apparently low frequencies are worse? I didn’t get any percentages, I would like to know. It was not a very satisfactory visit. Maybe I’ll go to Costco myself. Incidentally, my husband works for Costco, their benefits are very good and they are quite family oriented.
What a great post! So glad your dad is adjusting (and seemingly enjoying) his new hearing aids. Your parents are adorable and I love reading about them.
So happy for your sweet Dad. I’m sure this is so exciting to actually be able to hear again. We don’t realize what we have until that diminishes. I hope he will continue to be pleased with the outcome. This will be so nice for your mom as well. God Bless Your Family!
I am on my second pair of hearing aids. I had a lot of adjustment problems. I did not wear the first pair as much as I should. Background noise made it so difficult. I have to say my second pair is so much better! I don’t know if it is improved technology or my own improved attitude. My second pair was $4800 and includes free checkups and supplies. I guess they only last about 5 years. I wish you all lots of luck!
Thank you so much for sharing your family’s story. I’m sure this will be very helpful to others who are experiencing the same challenges.
Thank you so much for this post! So glad that your Dad had a great experience. I am 50 years old and have been told that I have hearing loss and need aids ( I have severe ringing in my ears). I can’t afford the cost of the aids. I do not understand why insurance does not help cover this cost! This post gives me hope. Maybe I can try to go to a Costco and try there. I love reading your stories about your beautiful family!
My Dad is hard of hearing and has been his entire life. (His mom had the german measles when she was pregnant with him.) He has worn hearing aids and now at 84, he is clinically deaf so his hearing aids of course are very important.
I’m so glad you helped your Dad through the process so he wasn’t afraid of the changes. Hearing sounds that a person hasn’t heard before can be fun but sometimes disruptive as my Dad has experienced at times.
I want to mention this – hearing aids are just like any other machine – they wear out, so be aware of this. You may even want to ask about the life of your Dad’s hearing aids so they can be replaced when they aren’t doing the job anymore.
Wonderful story and very encouraging to those with hearing problems. Thank you for sharing.
I love the news on your parents and your Dad…warms my heart. Thanks for sharing 🙂
How wonderful for him and your whole family. So happy for all of you!!!
This story was the same for me and my parents a year ago. We had begged and begged for them to get hearing tests. Finally after some funny misunderstandings they agreed. We found ourselves at Costco. They were fabulous with my parents. When we went to purchase my dad said he only brought enough to buy my moms. My husband was prepared for this and he let dad know he was prepared to buy my dads for him that day. Of course my dad paid him back soon after but it took my dad nearly a year to wear them…..he was mad that they cost so much. That was his way of dealing with the frustration. Around Thanksgiving this year they came for a visit so we grabbed their hearing aids and took them in for adjustments, Costco is great at servicing their customers too. After that appointment my proud daddy finally decided to wear them on a regular basis. We are all grateful the TV is now at a level we can all live with.
Thanks for sharing your story. It’s a joy to make our parents quality of life the best it can be at this season of life.
Such happy news about your dad!
Thank you for sharing!
So happy for your dad and so happy for his family. It is exhausting trying to talk (yell) to someone that is hearing impaired. When I had my mom’s hearing tested the technician told me when there is hearing loss there is also comprehension loss. I understood why my mom was having so much trouble understanding some of our conversations. Costco has really good prices and quality on hearing aids.
Thank you for sharing! My dad was here for the holidays and couldn’t hear the TV; it’s time for a trip to Costco!
Rhoda, please let all of your readers know that most all TV’S have a setting that can be put on closed caption and they can read what is being said. You go to the menu and choose setting and you will see the English caption there. This is a big help to me. And if they do not adjust well to their new hearing aids have them go back to the hearing aid center and have them adjusted. Sometimes they are just too loud at first and can be frustrating to get used to.
Hey, Lynne, thanks for the reminder. I think a lot of folks are using Closed Caption on their TV’s now, so it can be a big help. Dad will have regular checkups at Costco and also cleanings too, so I think it will go well. We will definitely send him back if there are any problems. They seem to have a great followup program. Mom didn’t get them, just dad.
This is a wonderful story and it means a lot for him to be included. I love the idea to spread or share the cost of something like this so there is less”intimidation” to attempt this move and what a great gift. What an inspiration he is!!!!!
Rhoda, What a wonderful ending to your story. I am 69 and have worn hearing aids for over 30 years. I’ve had several pair over the years due to technology changes. The pair I currently have were $6,000 and insurance won’t cover a cent of it. Now, if I lost my hearing due to an accident it would cover them. So weird and unfair but that’s life, I guess. My hearing loss is due to a nerve deafness and continues to decline almost yearly. It is extremely hard to hear in noisy restaurants or groups of people and I’ve learned to lip read a little over the years. The downside is that when you have a hearing loss you tend to avoid social situations because it is embarrassing when you wear aids but still have a hard time hearing and people will ask is your hearing aid working. Just remember the aids help but don’t give you the hearing of someone with no loss. Be patient and know you are still going to repeat some things and speak as clearly as you can without sounding condescending. I know you don’t do that with your dad, I’m just offering this piece of advice for other folks. Turn on the closed captioning on the TV, without that I can’t watch TV. Most hearing abled people find it annoying but it makes a huge difference for someone with problems. I can tell you from experience that some people will talk to you like you’re an imbecile when they hear/see you wear hearing aids. I have been talked down to so many times and it’s terribly frustrating. In work situations I have wanted to scream I understand the part of the conversation I’m hearing, I’m just not hearing every word. Thank goodness I don’t have to deal with that in retirement! I hope your dad adjusts well to the hearing aids, it takes time. But when you can “hear” the difference it makes it worth it.