My best advice is to stay away from gimmicky ads in the paper and coupon deals…seek out a recommendation from an audiologist after a thorough hearing exam. Not all hearing aid dispensers are audiologists so make sure you are seeing a hearing health care professional (ie. an audiologist) not a salesperson. You can ask your primary care physician who they recommend, or ask your insurance company who is on your plan.

If cost is a concern, seek out the best hearing aid you can afford as they will last about 5 years on average. Sound quality is proportionate to cost, and matching you up with a hearing aid successfully means getting features that will work well for how you plan to use it. Ask about payment plans, use your health care spending account if you have one, and see if you qualify for any discounts through your health insurance (although they are rarely covered.)

Miracle Ear is a company that manufactures hearing aids and has a chain of franchise dispensaries that deal with their product exclusively.

As far as the technology of their devices goes, they are fairly compatible with other brands. However, they tend to charge more, as they need to recoup the money for their advertising.

I've had several patients that have had bad experiences with Miracle Ear products and Dispensers. But then again, if they were happy, they wouldn't be coming to see us. Still, it is an important investment she is making, and she needs to not only consider the cost and convenience, but also the service and professional support she will receive.

I strongly recommend that she consult a few Audiologists rather than Hearing Aid Dispensers in the area, to shop around for the product and service. Especially if she has never worn hearing aids before, it is important that she fully understand the options available to her; and to have someone that will explain to her what to expect, how to adapt to hearing all the sounds she's been missing, and how to get the most from her investment. For example, if both of her ears hear about equally, she would do much better if she had amplification for both ears.

No matter where she purchases, she should get a trial period that is AT LEAST 30 days long, during which she has the option to return the aid(s) with no questions asked (most places do have some portion of the cost that is not refunded). Make sure she goes in for at least one follow-up visit during that trial period and that she gets all her questions answered promptly and professionally.

If at all possible, have someone accompany her to these visits — it's a lot of information, and the some of my patients can seem intimidated by the process. Unfortunately, some seniors can be easily influenced or will simply just want to keep it simple and just stay with the first person they talk to. She's spending a lot of money and these devices need to help her for the next five years or so — it's better not to make a hasty decision.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to click on my name/avatar and the on Contact hearkat and send me a note.

Good Luck!
Es

Mild (25-40 dB) – (mildly) hard of hearing
Moderate (40-70 dB) – hard of hearing or deaf (it's common for one to say they're "deaf in one ear," though)
Severe (70-90 dB) – deafened or deaf
Profound (91 dB or more) – deaf

A detailed summary for each category can be found here:

(It's important to note that a belief that deaf people (e.g. sign language users) couldn't hear at all is a common misconception. In fact, total deafness is a rarity.)