Linda Parasiz is 34 years old, married and the mother of two children (4 and 6). She lives in Tilburg and works as a communication officer in education. She contracted sudden deafness in January 2019 and has been deaf in her right ear ever since. She is wearing a Starkey Livio 1600 cros.
Last year I first came to the hearing care professional for a hearing aid. I had no experience with it and had not studied hearing aids beforehand. I trusted blindly on what was advised to me. My hearing care professional did not tell me that I had the option to try multiple devices before making a final choice. He also did not say that there are 2 types of hearing aids: the “simple” hearing aids that are reimbursed by health insurance and the advanced private devices. Since it was my first hearing aid, I settled for the first best fitting. I was glad I heard something with my right ear again
Experiencing the difference
So at first I was happy with the device I received, and that it was also largely reimbursed was a bonus. But when I later heard that there are also more advanced devices, I became curious. Since I wear my hearing aid all the time, I thought it was well worth the effort to experience the difference.
More natural sound and extra functions
I tested the Livio 2400 AI via Online-HearingAids.com. This is an advanced hearing aid that is not reimbursed by health insurance. I immediately noticed the difference in quality. The sound of this device is much more natural and I hear better in noise. And what really appeals to me personally are the many extra options that come with this device: hands-free calling, streaming music, translation function, pedometer, etc. This made it more of a gadget than a hearing aid for me. And luxury gadgets simply come with a price … One advantage: if you opt for a private hearing aid, you can get a refund from the tax authorities, because these are healthcare costs and you can deduct them. (Tip: click here for the calculation tool . Via this site you can calculate how much you are entitled to)
I choose a better hearing aid
In short, I would rather have tried several devices right away, and had the choice between a simple (and reimbursed) or advanced (and not reimbursed) hearing aid. Now that I’ve experienced the difference, I don’t want to go back to my simple care device. I choose the best speech understanding and the many extra functions… despite the price tag!
Want to use an advanced hearing aid yourself, but don’t know which one? Please contact us , we will help you further!