VA hearing aids.

[dennishoddy]

My guess is, the VA isn't providing top of the line equipment either

Actually the VA issues top of the line HA’s.
Depending on the audiologist who may think they are helping the government bottom line through personal convictions or have been directed by supervisors to issue bottom of the line HA’s with the same mindset, the VA will issue what you ask for if your persistent.
I’ve been using VA hearing aids for many years to service related hearing loss.
I insist on the best top of the line Starkey aids when it’s time for renewal with little pushback.
The OKC VA recommended one brand that is good because they are a repair center with trained techs to service them onsite.
I needed more and have continued research about the features offered by different brands until settling on the brand/model I want when it’s time to renew.
They are very hi-tech allowing the user many functions to choose from but you have to be tech minded to take advantage of the options.
Settings for crowds that shut down ambient noise to focus on voices, Outdoor settings to help mitigate wind noise, indoor crowd settings for when your in a bar or dining where it’s loud, you can shut off the rear microphone leaving the forward microphone facing the person sitting across the table from you while not picking up the conversation behind you which is a major issue of hearing aids.
Anyone eligible for VA hearing aids needs to take advantage of them.

 

[dennishoddy]

My 91yr old grandfather got a set of hearing aids through the VA last fall. It took a long time due to delays because of Covid, but it was worth the many months of waiting for him to get them. Now if we can get him to use them.

Most new users have issues using them because everything sounds “different” from what they are used to used to hear and want to discard them.
The human brain is an amazing thing.
If a new user will put them in as soon as they are up in the morning, leaving them in until going to bed and leave them in for a couple weeks, the brain will adjust to this new “normal”, and he won’t know life without them.
If not a traumatic loss like mine where it changes in an instant one typically looses hearing by continuing exposure to loud noises as we all know.
The brain continues to adjust to those minor losses over the years because there is a finite number of nerve endings to take that stimulation to the brain. As they get “killed” by loud noises, the brain adjusts.
Hearing aids will just assist, never replace normal hearing.

 

[Jon3830]

My guess is, the VA isn't providing top of the line equipment either

i have had hearing aids for 18 years i was still active duty with them, the set the army gave me were not very good at all. i am waiting on my 3rd set from the VA that i should be getting them any day now and so far every set i have received from the VA have been great its really the only thing they haven't bought the cheapest ones they can get.

 

[Mos Eisley]

My sleep apnea ResMed machine and supplies they give me is pretty good stuff. Although I've recently got prescription eyeglasses from them and the choices are few and what I got kinda sucks quality wise...very basic stuff.

 

[Hangfire]

I received my new hearing aids from the VA this morning......big improvement.

My new Phonak hearing aids take a #13 battery and my old set use a #312.....I have 82 #312 batteries that I'll never use that will just sit here and eventually expire / weaken that I'd be more than happy to give to someone that needs them for their hearing aids.

Of the eighty two 18 have a expiration date of Aug. 2022 and the other 64 expire in Nov. 2024.......available FTF in Norman.

Update: The batteries have been spoken for.

 

[John6185]

My sleep apnea ResMed machine and supplies they give me is pretty good stuff. Although I've recently got prescription eyeglasses from them and the choices are few and what I got kinda sucks quality wise...very basic stuff.

. Yeah and the contractor wants to sell you a special tint and a vet has only one rack to choose from and the other racks have an upcharge if the vet is foolish enough to go for the deal.