There comes a time in everyone's life when new hearing aids are necessary. When the battery door on one of my old Siemens ITE broke for n'th time, and they could not find a replacement, I gave it up. Audiologist told me they were all corroded on the inside (I wasn't using anything to dry them out overnight), and couldn't even be reprogrammed, I accepted it.
Yesterday I took that some heavy earrings, which irritate my earlobes, and attached them to the tubes of my BTE's. I am happy.
PfH, I had a great laugh last night over your duct tape comment.