My mom's place just called to tell me one of her hearing aids is missing. She has never messed with her hearing aids, so I doubt she's done anything with it intentionally.
The MC lost her original aids just about six weeks ago when one of the caregivers admitted to putting them in a napkin in her pocket and accidentally throwing them away. That little mistake cost the place $4900, but I ended up paying $500 of it when they balked at the cost.
Now they're claiming Mom lost one of the new hearing aids this morning, and while they're still looking for it, I'm not optimistic they'll find it. Of course I can't prove it didn't just fall out, but I seriously doubt my mom took it out because she literally never does. She isn't even aware they're in there and can't put them in herself. She told the aides she gave it to her invisible husband.
Her memory care has gotten sloppy with their protocols since Covid, and when I'm not able to be there a few times a week I can't stay on top of every little thing like I did before they locked everything down. They're supposed to check that she has her hearing aids with every shift change, and when the first pair disappeared I determined that 48 shift changes had happened before they figured out they were missing.
Now I'm wondering what's to keep a replacement hearing aid from disappearing, and the next one and the next one? Should I even replace this lost one and just have her stick with the remaining one for now? She's stone deaf and also nearly blind, so I don't want to isolate her more than her limitations already do, but spending $2200 on yet another hearing aid on top of the nearly $9,000/month we're already paying is painful.
How do you all handle hearing aids and dementia patients?
Write letter to staff about missing hearing aid. Let them look for 1-2 weeks, then demand that they pay for a new one. You are paying for them to be diligent with their client's devices. Nerves in the ear that don't get stimulated to hear stop working altogether. So the hearing aid is very important to keep your mom's hearing intact. Check with your mom's medical insurance to see how much they will cover for the loss.
Her old ones were from Costco, but as the nursing home was responsible for losing those (an aide threw them away), they would only let a guy from one particular company come to the facility (lockdown and all) to fit her for new ones. It was no skin off my nose, as they paid for them. They'd have been out a lot less money had they gone the Costco route.
I see that they found your mom's missing one. That's great, but only if they're going to keep track of BOTH from this point on. Sounds like the aide admitted to tossing the other pair, so that should have been covered by them. Most places, it seems, will NOT cover a simple loss.
Mom's first one (she only wore one) lasted a while there, but they weren't monitoring it, often I would have to find it and even more often the battery would be dead, so it was useless many times between visits! They didn't check bedding, so hers went through the laundry. THAT should be their fault, but they never offered anything and I didn't ask. I DID ask them to monitor when the new pair was purchased. They're rechargeable so I gave the charger to the nurse, so it wouldn't go missing. Take the thing out when prepping for bed, charge it overnight, give it back at breakfast (or as she's dressing.) Didn't last 2 months, AWOL. Most likely wrapped in a napkin at meal time and tossed. In her case, they came with a great warranty, which included loss. I asked them to cover the $400 for it and they refused.
We gave her the second one, but every time they saw her take it out, they'd take it away. What good is it collecting dust on the shelf? It was sad that during one of my last visits I met a new resident and that woman thought mom was stuck up or rude or something because she wouldn't respond when talked to! I explained her hearing loss, but this is MC, so who knows how long that woman will remember?
For you - best you can do is stay on top of them, even though you can't be there. It's a hard decision, regarding outlaying that much for something that might disappear in a week, a month or even a year! I decided against paying the $400 for another and I'm now glad I didn't, since they won't let her have the one she owns already!
I don't know how bad your mother's eyesight is - often it's central vision that is lost, and there's still some left. If she has any eyesight left, can you (or they) try a whiteboard? The Boogie Board still works for mom, but I can't use it during an outdoor visit since she's 6' away, so I bought a small white board to write on, hoping she could see it. Just write simple statements, but make it big, maybe?
The whole visit was kind of a joke (it was her b'day, not allowed to share the cupcakes and ice cream I brought and between the heat, masks, distance, no hearing, etc, I'm not even sure she knew I was there! She always knew who I was before lock down, and this was before her stroke, but it wasn't clear that she knew I was there.
Good luck with the hearing aids!
The other potential option is a headset. Would she object to wearing it, at least while someone is trying to talk to her? One doc tried that with mom, but she wasn't having it (she's very opinionated about things and no way would she wear it!)
If you ever have to make that decision to buy again, see if you can find some like we got that have that GREAT warranty! I wasn't shopping for that, just for SOMEONE local, so I was surprised to hear about it.
"That little mistake cost the place $4900, but I ended up paying $500 of it when they balked at the cost."
Mom's replacement hearing aids (they put hers through the laundry!) came with warranty which included loss, so it would have been a measly $400 to replace it when the first one went AWOL (she only wears one) after less than 2 months and they refused. I didn't even complain about the one they ran through the wash!!!
Last I knew, they kept taking it away when she'd take it out, so it's likely on a shelf collecting dust, not doing her any good.
Insist on seeing the Director of Nursing. If she won't see you, go above her head.
D
Bought a pair, set up both for the same ear, and delivered one. It didn't take but a few months for that to go AWOL. Most likely she took it out, wrapped it in tissue or napkin and it got tossed after a meal. In her case, they came with loss warranty - $400 would buy a new one. THEY refused to even consider one wooden nickel.
So, we deliver #2. Last I knew, they kept taking it away from her, because she would keep taking it out. Well, a lot of good that hearing aid is doing her!! Sadly, before lock down I met a new resident. That resident thought my mother was stuck up or something, because she wouldn't respond. So, it's pretty clear our expensive little investment is just collecting dust.
This has to be a problem for other patients, too. Perhaps suggesting this would help everyone. On that issue where the employee admitted to losing them, they should not have balked at one penny of the price of new hearing aids. The employee admitted tossing it in the trash.
Does mom wear glasses all the time? Maybe see if there is a way to connect the aid to the glasses with some sort of leash or lanyard.
They called this afternoon to say they've found the hearing aid, so crisis averted for the moment. I just have to stay on top of them, I guess.
Mom should have gotten a storage case with the aids. Put her name and room number on it. Any time they are removed they should go in the case. Every time! It's much harder to misplace, or throw away, the case than the hearing aids. Wrapping them in a tissue and sticking them in a pocket is absolutely irresponsible, and actually quite stupid.
Best if luck.