Motoman, I'm in the same boat you are, getting older is a learning experience. Besides the answers you will get on your questions here on your thread also do a search of this forum for "hearing aids". This has been a popular question of which there are over 800 threads. Good reading and good luck on your journey.
Any Audiophiles Here Have Experience with Hearing Aids?
About 10 years ago, I was diagnosed with Meniere's Disease, a pretty unpleasant inner ear problem that is characterized by horrible, but luckily sporadic extreme vertigo, tinnitus, and low frequency hearing loss. Dormant for about 6 years, it has come back in the last couple of years with a vengeance, with a lot of low frequency loss and overall difficulty hearing in the affected ear. It generally affects only one ear, in this case my left ear. It does not always lead to deafness, but definite hearing impairment. I used to be able to really discern the difference between various cables and components, even if subtle. Now, with my low frequency hearing loss and age-related high frequency hearing loss, I'm not sure that I can discern crap. Music still sounds good, but one of my friends was over listening to various music and could instantly say that "this sounded flat" or the "soundstage had no depth," etc. I could hear no difference at all. My doctor is recommending a hearing aid. Which brings me to the question: does anyone here have experience with using a hearing aid, and how does a hearing aid affect your listening to music? Does it restore some of your ability to recognize subtleties in the music? Does it distort the music? What is a good hearing aid that will not distort the music?