Hearing Loss Association of America NYC Chapter

02/23/2026

How Much Does that Hearing Aid Cost?

If you’re in the market for new hearing aids, it's always best to start with an audiologist. But if you’re already a hearing-aid user, and your old hearing aids are still okay, you might want to do some research first. I have an Advanced Bionics cochlear implant and a Phonak hearing aid, made by the same parent company, Sonova. Phonak has a well-reviewed new AI-generated speech-in-noise program, and I was tempted to try it....

If you’re in the market for new hearing aids, it’s always best to start with an audiologist. But if you’re already a hearing-aid user, and your old hearing aids are still okay, you might want…

02/19/2026

Why is it so hard to find out how much new hearing aids will cost???

Need a New Hearing Aid? What’s It Going to Cost You?

I need a new hearing aid. But how much I need it depends in part on how much it’s going to cost. This is surprisingly difficult information to obtain. I have an Advanced Bionics cochlear implant and a Phonak hearing aid, made by the same parent company, Sonova. It makes sense to stick with Sonova, because the two devices are paired....

02/04/2026

I Should Be Deaf by Now. Here’s Why I’m Not.

Years ago, my ENT, Dr. Ronald Hoffman at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (now part of Mt. Sinai), assured me that I’d never be deaf. I wasn’t convinced. My hearing had been in steep decline over the previous two decades, and no one could determine why. What could possibly halt the downward plunge? I had already hit rock bottom in my left ear....

Years ago, my ENT, Dr. Ronald Hoffman at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (now part of Mt. Sinai), assured me that I’d never be deaf. I wasn’t convinced. My hearing had been in steep decline over the…

01/15/2026

Revolutionary Fortell Hearing Aid Tackles the Cocktail Party Problem. Is it for you?

Hearing aid costs and performance are a major source of complaint for many people who use, or should use, hearing aids. Probably the most intractable challenge facing manufacturers is how to make speech audible and clear in a noisy environment. If you’re a reader of my blog, you’ve probably experienced the frustration yourself. It’s such a stubborn problem that it has its own widely used shorthand: cocktail party problem…...

Hearing aid costs and performance are a major source of complaint for many people who use, or should use, hearing aids. Probably the most intractable challenge facing manufacturers is how to make s…

01/15/2026

Revolutionary Fortell Hearing Aid Tackles Cocktail Party Syndrome. Is it for you?

Hearing aid costs and performance are a major source of complaint for many people who use, or should use, hearing aids. Probably the most intractable challenge facing manufacturers is how to make speech audible and clear in a noisy environment. If you’re a reader of my blog, you’ve probably experienced the frustration yourself. It’s such a stubborn problem that it has its own widely used shorthand: cocktail party syndrome....

Hearing aid costs and performance are a major source of complaint for many people who use, or should use, hearing aids. Probably the most intractable challenge facing manufacturers is how to make s…

01/09/2026

Just Say Yes

When you have hearing loss, it’s sometimes hard to make yourself get out of the house. It can be hard to accept invitations or make commitments. If you do accept, you may tell yourself you always have the option not to go. And often you don’t. It can drive even your dearest friends and family crazy. We all know this isn’t good for our cognitive health....

When you have hearing loss, it’s sometimes hard to make yourself get out of the house. It can be hard to accept invitations or make commitments. If you do accept, you may tell yourself you always h…

11/26/2025

Holiday Tips for Those with Hearing Loss: Try a Little TLC.

It’s Thanksgiving, the beginning of the holiday season. In rapid succession come Christmas and Hannukah, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, not to mention parties. Like many with hearing loss, I approach the holidays with some trepidation. Here’s my advice. Practice a little TLC. Happy Thanksgiving T is for Technology Assistive Listening Devices. Use them! These can be something as simple as a…...

It’s Thanksgiving, the beginning of the holiday season. In rapid succession come Christmas and Hannukah, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, not to mention parties. Like many with hearing loss, I ap…

11/24/2025

A Field Guide to Captions

Captions are on almost every screen these days, and they can be a huge help for people with hearing loss. Unfortunately, precisely because they can help, a lot of older people don’t use them, worried about calling attention to their faltering hearing. But good news! Young people use captions at a significantly higher rate than older people. Use captions and maybe you can pass as a millennial....

Discover why captions matter for everyone, especially older adults with hearing loss. Learn how to enhance your viewing and listening experience.

11/23/2025

Want to Look Younger? Use Captions.

Captions are on almost every screen these days, and they can be a huge help for people with hearing loss. Unfortunately, precisely because they can help, a lot of older people don’t use them, worried about calling attention to their faltering hearing. But good news! Young people use captions at a significantly higher rate than older people. Use captions and maybe you can pass as a millennial....

http://katherinebouton.me/2025/11/23/want-to-look-younger-use-captions/

11/03/2025

What if cochlear implants were completely internal? No more behind the ear processor, no more magnetized headpiece/transmitter, no more cable connecting the two, no more rechargeable batteries. We’re partway there with Cochlear and Med-El’s single-external-unit implants, which have just the headpiece. Advanced Bionics is said to have a single-unit implant on the horizon. But in early October, a completely internal C.I....

What if cochlear implants were completely internal? No more behind the ear processor, no more magnetized headpiece/transmitter, no more cable connecting the two, no more rechargeable batteries. We’…

09/17/2025

In the new British drama Code of Silence, streaming on BritBox, deafness plays a central motivating role - and an invaluable asset. Rose Ayling-Ellis plays Alison Brooks, a 29-year-old deaf woman who works in the canteen of the local police station. When professional lipreaders, trained as Forensic Lipreaders, are not available at a crucial moment in the investigation of a brutal gang planning a major robbery, the detectives ask if Alison can help....

In the new British drama Code of Silence, streaming on BritBox, deafness plays a central motivating role – and an invaluable asset. Rose Ayling-Ellis plays Alison Brooks, a 29-year-old deaf w…