Earwax removal for 95 yr old - anyone?

[Giraffesdotty]

My elderly mother was told last year at her hearing aid appointment that they couldn't see her until the earwax issue was resolved. I haven't followed it up since but have noticed that her hearing is recently much worse.

I'm aware that there are lots of companies out there which will do this, but my worry is that she will be asked to put in olive oil drops for a few weeks beforehand. She lives alone and there is no way she will remember to do this twice a day. Has anyone taken an elderly relative for this treatment who can give me some advice? Many thanks

Not an elderly relative but my DH just wandered into our local town centre and had it done on the spot. No prep,
no olive oil.

I take my 92 year old parent for microsuction. They have some drops they can put in to soften the wax at the appointment. If it is very hard, they use manual equipment to peel away the wax. The main issue is that if she wears full ear moulds for her aids, it will be dead skin as well as wax and the ear canal can get very sore as they peel it all away. It gets quite damp and mushy in there, which i find bizarre as the wax/skin seems to set like concrete. It may take more than one session and then go every six months.

On the upside, my parent always says how much louder everything is. They have also just had new moulds and aids. The audiologist was very happy with the condition of their ears too. If you have the option of Bluetooth aids, you can do battery checks and volume control on the app, which is useful when they've been having a fiddle. 🙄

If you want to try with the olive oil, use Earol. You only need to do it for around five days, she could put them in at night time before bed. Would you be able to ring to remind her or is her hearing really bad?

If you need foot advice, I can do that too. 😁

Yes that's right you don't need to apply olive oil if you book microsuction.

Thank you @unsync - that's really helpful and has reassured me that it's doable!

Try and find someone who is properly trained as it seems to be unregulated. We go to a long established private hearing centre and they use registered nurses or audiologists, depending on which clinic we book.

I think it costs about £70, but it is worth doing. The hearing consultant told us years ago to not have water irrigation as it is too damaging.

@unsync Would it be possible to share the name of the private hearing centre?

@ExitPersuedByAPomBear I am happy to, but it is not a national chain, so unless you are NE Essex, it is probably not much use.

I have had a look at their website and this is an extract: "Our professional team of qualified hearing aid audiologists have over 70 years’ shared experience, both in the NHS and privately. We are registered hearing aid dispensers with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), Fellows of the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (BSHAA) and members of other key bodies, such as Association of Independent Hearing Healthcare Professionals (AIHHP). We place great emphasis on continuous training and development."

I would suggest looking for somewhere that has the same professional affiliations as they mention.

@unsync That’s still very helpful so thanks for that .

Yes - thank you! I have a much better idea of what to look for now.

When my dad had it done, they said ideally use Earol twice a day for 5 days beforehand, but they knew lots of people find that difficult so to just do it as much as possible - even a few squirts through the week will help.

I'd suggest keeping the bottle next to her toothbrush so she gets an automatic vsiual prompt, and possibly with a reminder post-it on the bathroom mirror as well.

IIRC Specsavers do it by micro suction. Dh had to have his done before any holiday that’s going to involve swimming, or he’s guaranteed to have trouble.
Or have a Google for an independent audiologist, who’ll almost certainly do it, too.

If you google 'ear wax removal at home' + your location you may find an audiologist who will visit your home, which could be easier for your mother. We have a couple of local clinics which offer this service and my mother had a home visit last year.