Your story pales in comparison to my fathers trials and tribulations with the audiology department at the local hospital. For years he's been having issues with appointments etc ......and the reason why? He is not computer literate, doesnt have a computer or mobile phone and ,guess what...hes deaf!
So normal contact with my dad is via letter, however the department phones to remind him of an appointment usually the day before ??????
Have I mentioned hes deaf? That's right they phone him. Now he has things on his phone to enhance sound but invariably the caller will gabble /whisper the message and hang up. Dad has no idea what was said.
He turns up for his appointment and sees people speaking quietly or wearing masks or turning their head away when speaking. Generally he comes away with no idea of what has been said but manages ok if they follow up with a letter.
The fiascos happen when the hospital changes his appointment, he turns up for the original appointment to find it's been changed ( informed by phone so he has no idea) then lots of confusion about the new appointment date and off he goes. This is ok when they follow up with a letter if they dont my dad, who hasn't heard a word of what they told him at the clinic invariably misses the new appointment but doesn't realise so sits patiently waiting for his new appointment letter which of course never comes......confusion reigns.
Invariably each time my sister or myself visit (we both live abroad) we have a marathon session dealing with his hearing aids.
The outcome is doomed to failure as new hearing aids make very little difference, hes very deaf and people at the clinic seem to have no idea how to speak to hearing impaired people and it appears not to matter as my dad is so old they basically ignore him.
On the very rare occasion my dad can find someone to accompany him to the clinic he is completely ignored and all the conversation is with his hearer which he finds incredibly rude and the most laughable part of all is that the audiology/hearing aid department can't seem to grasp the concept of age related DEAFNESS!
Ok, rant over....sorry