(no subject)

[stitchwhich]

I've been watching Masterpiece Theater's "Around the World in 80 Days" with David Tennant. I like the show but not greatly - I had expected to be very enthusiastic about it but instead I feel torn. Tennant's character is... complex. Likable and yet not. Cowardly, in most cases, and overwhelmingly rude. In truth, probably right in the standard mode of a man of means from that time period. So many times I don't like him and other times he shines. Tennant's portrayal is brilliant but I want to like the character! And as an aside, Mr. Tennant is freaking skinny. He looks unhealthy. A strange thing to notice perhaps but there you have it.

I've been watching more stuff on my computer lately. In the evening I watch TV with my spouse, mostly to spend time with him (spending time doing something else isn't really in the cards except for grocery shopping) but that usually means watching Jeopardy at 1930 and then watching a recorded show or two - which he will doze or outright sleep through until I either get bored and leave the room or wake him up and see if I can get him to go to bed. Normally, I cannot, and I'll end up in bed myself with the doors shut to muffle the sound of the TV and his snoring or in front of my computer with headphones on, again, to muffle the sound of the TV and his snoring. He's going deaf so the TV plays pretty loud.

Aging while married is not for the weak.

(As an aside, he's 70 years old. That he's still getting up at 5 or 6 each morning and heading to work every day is remarkable. That he falls asleep sometime after eight each evening should be unremarkable.)

Comments

[kareina]

Does he have hearing aids? If so, does he have a Bluetooth adapter for them? If so, can you get the tv to pipe the sound directly into the heating aids via the Bluetooth adapter?

I don't watch TV but I do pipe sound from phone or computer into my hearing aids, and love it. Amazing sound quality. It might even be possible to have a setup wherein the tv sound both plays in the room at what you find a comfortable level, and in his hearing aids at a level that suits his needs.

If you don't already have this technology, but do have a little cash and/or medical insurance to throw at the problem, this small piece might be solvable...

[stitchwhich]

He does not have hearing aids. He balks at the steps he would have to take to get them. He's listed as being hearing disabled by the military so must go to the VA for treatment as local ENTs will only treat him if he pays fully out of pocket, but getting into the VA involves acquiring paperwork we do not have (it's a three-step process and we aren't sure how much it will cost us), then a one-two day wait in an admin office to be seen in order to be issued an eligibility card specific to the VA hospital in our area, and after that he can start the process of calling and calling to get a screening, then calling and calling to schedule a test, and finally calling to make an appointment to be issued hearing aids. I've been told that the average wait time for each call to scheduling is around two-four hours.

I doubt he will go through the process until he is fully retired when he has a lot of time on his hands which will not take away from his workload.

I wish we could afford out-of-pocket costs for a set for him. I know his life would be happier.

[kareina]

Wow, I can see how that process would be unappealing at best, and totally sympathise with wanting to avoid it. How does he cope with work? Is he able to do work communication 100% in writing? If so, then it sounds worth the wait. If he needs to hear for work then he should request from his employer permission do do all that VA hoop jumping during business hours, with no penalties for reduced output during those days, since they would benefit from him being able to hear properly. I say this as a person who didn't want hearing aids because they didn't want to become as dependant on them as on glasses. I did. It is worth it. Being able to actually hear what others say, even when they mumble, is golden.