Need advice on new aids

[Ward R Drennan]

In article <aahzDKxyGn.36v at netcom.com>,
Mean Green Dancing Machine <aahz at netcom.com> wrote:
>Howdy, folks.  I've been wearing BTE aids for more than 20 years.  It's
>been 10 years since the last time I replaced them, and more than 5 since
>the last time I went to an audiologist.  Now the aids are starting to
>break down, and none of the places I've called will recondition them
>(surprise, surprise).
>
>I've been very happy with the aids I have, and I'm rather loathe to go
>through an adaptation period unless I'll have a substantial gain in
>performance.  I have a Bernafon T95 in my left (primary) ear, and a
>Widex A12 in the right.  (Yes, I'm aware that this is counter to the
>usual advice to use the same brand in both ears, particularly when both
>ears have a similar profile.)
>
>Here are several questions:
>
>1) Have there been any known changes to the T95 or A12 in the last 10
>years?
>
I don't know for sure, but hearing aids have been advancing by 
leaps and bounds lately - both technogically and *gasp* fiscally.

>2) Assuming my profile hasn't changed, am I likely to get substantially
>better performance with a newer model?
Substantially?  Depends on what you mean by substantial. The compression aids
 sound much better (and cost much more) than the old traditional peak clipping 
aids. 

>
>3) Is my hearing loss too severe for an ITE aid?  (The T95 has a PC-C of
>125 and AGC of 85, with volume normally set to 3.)
>
Depends on the loss, but your audiologist should set you as well as possible.

>4) One of my few complaints about the T95 is the poor performance of the
>telecoil.  Are there any aids of that power level with a good telecoil?
I'm sure you can find something that will please you. 

>
>5) I'm in the SF Bay Area, and I've traditionally gone to Stanford for
>an audiologist.  Looking around, I see some audiologists in independent
>practices, and some attached to dispensers.  What are some common
>advantages and disadvantages?  
>

An independent audiologist is a much better choice. He/She will NOT
be limited to a particular brand and can give you a fair take on the 
whole hearing aid market. A dispensor even if they do have a certified 
audiologist is going to sell you their aids which may or may not be 
what you need or want. 

>6) If you're in the Bay Area, please send me e-mail if you've had any
>particularly good or bad experiences with audiologists or dispensers,
>especially on the south end of the peninsula.  I'll summarize to
>ba.consumers later.
>
>Oh, and in case anyone is interested, I do phone-based tech support for
>a living.  That should explain why I'm a bit paranoid about the
>possibility of getting the wrong aids, and am tempted to just stick with
>what works now.
>



-- 
Ward Drennan
Indiana University
Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences