As we baby boomers age and our hearing diminishes, due to genetics or the wear and tear of listening to high volume rock ‘n roll, don’t worry, cause every little thing’s gonna be alright. Clever design folks at Oticon have produced a very hip hearing aid, called Delta. It is made with us in mind. It’s stylish, discreet (were we ever discreet?…), and, technologically, cool. Just as Bang & Olufsen has won design awards for the sleek look and intelligent function it gives its music playing creations, this hearing aid has award winner written all over it.
Rock ‘n roller Huey Lewis, of Huey Lewis and the News, uses the Delta and is spokesperson for the product. His picture is prominent on the Delta brochures, making it impossible for us to ignore that we are the aging establishment.
The slogan Oticon is using to capture our attention is "Some people love hearing aids. Those that don’t, love Delta." They tout its "fashionable colours" and that it’s "practically invisible" behind the ear. Its features include directional microphones, so that you can focus your listening to the person of your choice. The Delta will amplify the voice, while quieting the ambient noise. This is the typical need of older people with hearing loss.
In my opinion, the advances in hearing aid technology are rivaled only by those in tooth hygiene. Both have come a long way in a short amount of time. I have clear memory (including taste memory) of powdered toothpaste, which my great uncle used. It came in a tin, like talcum powder. You shook a little into your palm, mixed it with water, and, presto — tooth……paste! It had a chalky mint flavor. Now we have gel paste, whiteners, brighteners, and we have advanced from metal tubes (no more leaky cracks) to plastic, or to pump dispensers. Add to that an astounding array of tooth brushes, both manual and electric.
I’ve been a close observer of hearing aid development for the past twenty years. Our son has progressive hearing loss. Since he was a toddler, he’s worn hearing aids. His first set was fashioned with analog technology. And, in early elementary school he wore the archaic FM receiver, strapped around his chest. He hated it, and who could blame him, when he knew the X-Men had better technology than he was given for real life sensory function. But, through the years, the switch went from analog to digital, the FM receiver was built into the hearing aid, and the power of hearing aids kept abreast of our son’s diminishing hearing.
But this technology doesn’t come cheap. The last set of hearing aids we purchased cost over $6000. That was two years ago. The first set of hearing aids we bought cost $600. And, hearing aids are typically not covered by health insurance programs. When covered, you usually can buy only one aid per year. So, timing is key - buy one in December and one in January. (Incidentally, eyeglasses typically are covered - both lenses at once! Go figure.)
In any event, start saving now if you don’t have coverage, because the Delta costs between $1500 - 2000 per aid. But, I suspect it’s worth it. Personally, I’m going to wait for the diamond studded version and go all out!
Everytime I see a picture of the Delta, I wonder if the design team could now go over to the wheel chair department and get to work on some cool wheels! This boomer intends to decline in high fashion!
(1 votes, average: 3 out of 5)
Loading ...
To be notified by email when there are new blog entries, 
One Trackback
[...] less. But like Jeff “Skunk” Baxter before him, Huey is an ambassador of the ears. Check it out. These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web [...]