I buy mime at Sam's Club, Walmart, and Walgreens. Battery life depends on the efficiency of the hearing aids and the tele-coil. Turning on the tele-coil uses additional energy and shortens battery life. My first pair of hearing aids was Hi-Health gotten through my insurance (Its the only brand they support and they cover only half of the cost, plus there are no local repair stations. If a battery door needs replacing, one must ship the devices back to Minneapolis for repair or a change in programing.) In my opinion, there are better devices than this brand. Battery life was 70 hours maximum or 4 to 5 days per my use schedule. My hearing changed dramatically at the end of last year. This time, I bought a pair of hearing aids at Sam's Club - no insurance coverage and much greater cost to me. The new aids are have 32 channels with the speaker in the ear and are superior to the older pair. Both use the same cell: #312, and the life of cell in the new devices is 6 days plus. The new aids can hold 4 programs. We began with 2 program: the first for normal/average environment and the second for noisy environment. After one week, I returned to add a 3rd program that turns on the tele-coil in case I changed my phone to one having tele-coil capability. Also, some theaters broadcasts "on the loop" which will link with the tele-coil in the hearing aid to give you better reception. The sound content goes directly to the hearing aid and it adjusts the frequency volume for your ears. The quality is better. Turning on the tele-coil uses a bit more energy.

I recommend you investigate the models offered by Sam's Club. An advantage of Sam's Club is availability of service after purchase. Hearing aids that are used every day may need service after 2 years. Most of these do not have an on-off switch. These are turned on by closing the battery door and the battery door is partially opened to turn off. The battery door is held closed by some sort of plastic detent and this wears out or the plastic 'spring' weakens. Repair is simple by replacing the battery door, and at this point, the user discovers the difference between brands - availability and cost of service! When I needed hearing aids, my doctor referred me to his group audiologist. A hearing test was made and an audiogram produced. A pair of hearing aids from the Doctor cost from $3000 and up. I opted to try a pair offered by my insurance (United Health). These cost in the neighborhood if $1200 to $1400, but were not available locally. I had to send a copy of my audiogram to Minneapolis, MN where the hearing aids were programmed and mailed to me. These H. aids had the receiver (speaker) in the hearing aid case and the sound was sent to the ear via an air tube and ear bud. At first, I was satisfied with these. After one year, the flimsy batter door was loose. That's when I found there were no repair stations in or near my metropolitan area. There were sales offices, but no repair. To get repair, one had to ship the units back to Minneapolis and arrange payment via phone or internet. Meanwhile, the user is without aids, I do not know the turn-around time in Minneapolis; I estimate the entire process would take a minimum of 2 weeks. If your hearing changed, a new sonogram would be needed and again, a 2 week process to get the change. It was at this point where I began to look for alternatives. The hearing aids i purchased from Sam's Club were higher quality ( and higher priced). A hearing test to make the sonograms was available in the store at no additional charge. I chose a pair of digital hearing aids with telecoils. These aids had storage for 4 different programs. 2 microphones within each unit, and the receiver in the ear canal. The programs currently in my aids are normal, noisy environment, and telecoil. There's room for one more program if needed. These aids cost $2000 for the pair. I added replacement insurance in case of loss, failure, or damage. There are telephones that can couple to telecoils. (Most phones do not have this option.) Telecoil coupling to a phone greatly helps with phone calls. Also, it can be useful in auditoriums and theaters when present. In a 2 year period, I have had only one occasion where I was able to use the telecoil and that was at a lecture in a library auditorium. It was great. We have movie theaters that supposedly have telecoil capability, but apparently, they do not activate it by default. I do plan to get a telecoil phone when we replace our present one. My left ear is very bad so I hold the phone to my right ear. However, Its very awkward to write notes since I am right handed. I've had this pair from Sam's Club for more than 2 years. When I took these in for new battery doors, they also re-tested my hearing and re-programmed the hearing aids at no charge. Prompt service is an important item.

Usually the key to having the hospital replace is some documentation that they were in her possession on arrival. Often the nurse's admission assessment will not just note specific items in the belongings list, but note that the person uses specific assist devices like hearing aids. Hospitals do replace dentures, glasses and hearing aids, it is not uncommon, but each one will have its own policies about it -- there is no universal requirement or standard. Unfortunately it is often a case of the items set on the food tray after a meal and not noticed when the tray is picked up -- and no way to trace it, since TJC considers the meal ticket as having protected information & it is supposed to be discarded before it leaves the room. I would keep going back to the hospital and ambulance company. Sometimes things turn up long after with no way to identify the owner. They could have been dropped anywhere from the room to the truck. They could still be in a drawer at the nurse's station, or in the pharmacy bin or any of the locked drawers for that room, or now in the hospital's lost and found. Or in another department if she went for a test - especially MRI. At the hospital, it is possible also that they are in a table that was moved to another room - ask them to check all the rooms on the unit, I learned to not just carefully record what my new patients had with them, and I would bluntly tell them that they risked having anything valuable stolen if they kept it, but I would also specifically state "No jewelry, No money, No credit cards" and so forth. And tell their family to NOT bring anything else.

I have a pair of aids from Costco that I now need adjusted after three years. Mine take batteries (quite cheap). They also sell rechargeable aids. DH's hearing is still pretty good...when he agrees to go have the wax removed at the CVS Minute Clinic! (Medicare pays for most of that.) Before I go back to Costco, I have an appointment with an ENT to be sure I don't have some structural problem. Only my right ear is affected. These aids were about $1400 w/lifetime adjustments included. These aids are 'behind the ear' variety. I didn't think I'd like the moulded type that shut out all ambient sound, but Costco sells those, too.