What are the best hearing aids for seniors and elderly patients?
- Koorosh Nejad
- Aug 23, 2023
- 7 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Sooner or later, you may find yourself in a situation to help your mother, father or an elder in the family or friends looking for a pair of hearing aids. Read this article to learn about the things that you need to consider when helping an elderly person choose the right hearing aid.
This article will address your questions about:
Should I buy ITE or RIC hearing aids for my mom or dad? What should I consider when choosing the style of my next hearing aid for my elderly relatives?
Should my mom stay with the same brand of hearing aids?
What are the latest hearing aids for elderly patients in the UK?
Are cheap hearing aids worth buying for elderly patients?
Is there a downside to wearing hearing aids?
What is a cheap alternative to a hearing aid for elderly people?
Is it best for elderly people to get hearing aids from an audiologist?
Can I buy hearing aids on a monthly payment plan?
What are the easiest hearing aids for elderly people to put in?
What is the most intelligent hearing aid for elderly people?
Are hearing aids with Bluetooth good for elderly patients?
Are warranty and aftercare of hearing aids important for elderly patients?
Please do not hesitate to contact us in case you have further questions about choosing hearing aids for the elderly.
Should I buy ITE or RIC hearing aids for my mom or dad? What should I consider when choosing the style of my next hearing aid for my elderly relatives?
Most older patients detest change, therefore, the best approach is to stay with the type and model that the patient has been using for years. If this is the first hearing aid you are purchasing, then the ITE and ITC (in-the-ear and in-the-canal) hearing aids are easier to put in and remove from the ear, so they are a better choice for senior patients with dexterity or arthritis. Another aspect of the hearing aid is that, for the same reasons as well as poor sight, I strongly suggest considering rechargeable ITE and ITC. This simply removes the headache of dealing with replacing the small battery for seniors. Keep in mind that they wish to do things themselves. This is an important psychological factor in their mental health.
Should my mom stay with the same brand of hearing aids?
It is highly recommended to stay with the same brand of hearing aids when purchasing a new pair of hearing aids. This is even more valid for elderly patients. Each manufacturer of hearing aids has its own sound processing, which is why it is no surprise for the wearer to notice a change in the timbre of the sound when switching from one brand to another brand of hearing aids.
Which are the latest hearing aids for elderly patients with severe to profound hearing loss in the UK?
The most popular behind-the-ear (BTE) high-power hearing aids in the market are Oticon Xceed UP and Phonak Naida. Nevertheless, there is not much difference in choosing a pair of hearing aids for older patients versus middle-aged ones. Perhaps the biggest difference is that older patients could have more severe hearing loss and, hence, would require more powerful hearing aids for severe-to-profound hearing loss that usually are fitted with earmould.
Are cheap hearing aids worth buying for elderly patients?
The cheap hearing aids in the range of £150 to £300 are not hearing aids, they are usually amplifiers. They do not have the precision required to be used for medical purposes; hence should be avoided at all costs.
If you are on a tight budget to buy a pair of premium hearing aids but are keen to upgrade your free NHS hearing aids, then take a look at our NHS+ collection of hearing aids here.
Is there a downside to wearing hearing aids?
Some elderly patients have the perception that if they use hearing aids, their ears will be lazy and the decline in their hearing will accelerate. This is a wrong perception and has no scientific basis. If you repeatedly miss conversations with people, then you need to consider hearing aids seriously, or you'll be draining your cognitive power to understand the message by guessing the missing words and phrases. You may start self-isolating unconsciously and eventually put yourself at risk of depression, early memory loss and dementia.
What is a cheap alternative to a hearing aid for elderly people?
Here is my best advice to elderly patients in the market for new hearing aids: If the patient is not socially very active, my best suggestion is to stay with the lower technology level of the premium hearing aids. Don't bring out your purse quickly. Ask your audiologist about the lower technology level of the brand that you wish to purchase and seek advice on the features that you may be missing in lower technology levels. On a tight budget to buy your next hearing aids, see our NHS+ hearing aids here.
Is it best for elderly people to get hearing aids from an audiologist?
The elderly with limited mobility could benefit from a provider of hearing aids which has home visit services. Make sure to ask about the cost of the home visit and if it is included in the price of the hearing aids or not. A local audiologist might be more attentive to the local community, hence it is more recommended versus high street multi-branch hearing care providers.
Can I buy hearing aids on a monthly payment plan?
If you are a pensioner and in the market for hearing aids, you may be surprised to know that most of the hearing care and hearing aid suppliers offer instalment payment plans. HearingNow provides a 12-month payment plan for any of the premium hearing aids in our hearing aid store. Please learn more about the payment plan for hearing aids here.
What are the easiest hearing aids for elderly people to put in?
In-the-canal hearing aids come in different sizes and styles. CIC, IIC, ITE and ITC hearing aids are much easier to put in the ear and remove for elderly people. Ideally, the ones with rechargeable batteries would be even better as some elderly patients develop arthritis or dexterity issues at old age. Starkey's series of in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids are rechargeable, hence a very good choice for elderly patients with dexterity issues or who have difficulty replacing the small size 10 batteries.
What is the most intelligent hearing aid for elderly people?
Most of the premium hearing aids these days have health monitoring features that can show your heart rate, number of steps taken, calories burned, etc. However, Starkey Edge AI stands out in certain features for elderly people. Starkey Edge AI has a built-in accelerometer that can detect a fall of the wearer (fall detector) and immediately send SMS texts to 3 contacts of the patient, which could be emergency services. Such a service can be a lifesaver for the elderly who live alone or those with experience or who are vulnerable to heart attacks. Also, the hearing aid can be set up to send voice message reminders, for example, to take medicines at certain times of the day. This feature is also very nice for people with memory loss or dementia who forget to take their medications regularly.
Are hearing aids with Bluetooth good for elderly patients?
The answer is a big yes. Most of the elderly, especially those with limited mobility, treasure any chance to speak with their loved ones. It is hard to find a senior or elderly person without a smartphone these days. Hearing aids with Bluetooth are such a blessing for elderly people as they can hear your voice right from their hearing aids. This feature improves their communication with friends and loved ones substantially.
Also, watching TV programs is one of the most popular daily pleasures for elderly patients. A pair of hearing aids with Bluetooth would allow the soundtrack of the TV programs to be heard directly in the hearing aids (need a TV streamer). The quality of the sound and speech understanding is dramatically improved when you hear the soundtrack of the movies or TV series straight in your ears.
Are warranty and aftercare of hearing aids important for elderly patients?
Yes, most of the patients and elderly patients are on a limited budget; hence, the longer the warranty and aftercare of the hearing aids, the better for them. Please learn more about your options for a hearing aid insurance policy and more about hearing aid warranty here.
Where can I repair my hearing aids?
If you are a senior user of hearing aids, the best and most logical option is to repair your hearing aids if they sound good and you are happy with them. Please see our service, repair and reprogramming of hearing aids here.
Conclusion
There are several factors to consider when you want to purchase a pair of hearing aids for your elderly. In addition to the above list of hints and tips, you may want to consider a hearing aid that has a reminder and a fall detector that can send SOS messages for help. If so, Starkey Edge AI hearing aids stand out.
References:
Healthy ageing: applying all our health - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/healthy-ageing/healthy-ageing-applying-all-our-health
Improving care for older people - https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/clinical-policy/older-people/improving-care-for-older-people/
Updates
February 2024 - The list of the best hearing aids of 2024 is out. Please see this article to learn more.
January 2025 - Phonak released their hallmark Phonak Virto custom-made model with their latest technology platform, Infinio. Phonak Virto Infinio ITC, ITE, CIC and IIC are all battery-powered at the time of this update. Phonak to release the rechargeable model of Phonak Virto ITE and ITC at a later time. Please read our review of Phonak Virto Infinio in this article.
We published a dedicated article on the best hearing aids of 2025, which relates to the discussion in this article.
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