Help me help my grandmother hear on the phone!
June 17, 2010 10:02 PM Subscribe
My grandmother is hard of hearing, and lacks the cognitive ability to learn to deal with any new tech. How can I help her hear people on the phone?
I'll post what my father wrote to me in an email, it explains it nicely.
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Due to her diminished ability to perform some simple tasks the "Telephone" option switch on her hearing aid is of no help to her.
What I need is a phone with a really loud speaker.The loud speaker option on my mobile phone for example, is perfectly loud enough for her.
Is there a replacement speaker that could be fitted to the phone ear piece which would be louder,or is there a very loud phone that doesn't need any special switching?
Can I get hold of a small amplifier which could be fitted in the phone to amplify the sound through the earpiece?
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So, in short, if I can make the speaker on a standard phone about as loud as the 'loudspeaker' setting on a mobile (which she holds up to her ear and can then hear perfectly) , things will be good! We tried an expensive phone for the hearing impaired, but it was no louder than her standard phone. The company we bought it from agreed and refunded the money.
So, forget skype, forget captioned phones, mobile or cell phones, hands free units etc. What I need is a souped up ear piece on a standard phone!
I'll post what my father wrote to me in an email, it explains it nicely.
---
Due to her diminished ability to perform some simple tasks the "Telephone" option switch on her hearing aid is of no help to her.
What I need is a phone with a really loud speaker.The loud speaker option on my mobile phone for example, is perfectly loud enough for her.
Is there a replacement speaker that could be fitted to the phone ear piece which would be louder,or is there a very loud phone that doesn't need any special switching?
Can I get hold of a small amplifier which could be fitted in the phone to amplify the sound through the earpiece?
---
So, in short, if I can make the speaker on a standard phone about as loud as the 'loudspeaker' setting on a mobile (which she holds up to her ear and can then hear perfectly) , things will be good! We tried an expensive phone for the hearing impaired, but it was no louder than her standard phone. The company we bought it from agreed and refunded the money.
So, forget skype, forget captioned phones, mobile or cell phones, hands free units etc. What I need is a souped up ear piece on a standard phone!
Contact her phone company. My grandmother was hard of hearing and they had phones you could purchase from the phone company that were extra loud for just such people (huge buttons for dialing too). For example, here are the resources for AT&T.
posted by cecic at 11:41 PM on June 17, 2010
posted by cecic at 11:41 PM on June 17, 2010
There are some exceptionally loud telephones. Like, way loud. Alarm clocks too, fwiw, over 120db loud. We've got a lot of catalogs @ the office, I just don't happen to be @ the office. Feel free to memail me for some linkage. (Would be monday.)
There are also hearing aides that don't require being switched to operate in telephone mode, however they generally require a special handset be used.
posted by TomMelee at 5:45 AM on June 18, 2010
There are also hearing aides that don't require being switched to operate in telephone mode, however they generally require a special handset be used.
posted by TomMelee at 5:45 AM on June 18, 2010
My grandfather had a phone similar to what Cecic is talking about -- it was very startling to answer his phone for him -- I almost threw it across the room. It had volume control on it so that you could turn it down to an average decibel. He also had a wireless headphone set for his TV as his neighbors were threatening to strangle him if he didn't turn down the Goddamn-Price-is-Right. There's a lot of devices out there for vision and hearing impaired -- her doctor may have some resources.
posted by amanda at 8:31 AM on June 18, 2010
posted by amanda at 8:31 AM on June 18, 2010
My dad wears hearing aids in both ears. He uses an off-the-shelf cordless phone with its speakerphone option: holds it in front of him and speaks (and listens) that way. Before, he had to take out of his hearing aids so as to avoid feedback when he held it to his ear.
I think the phone is this one.
posted by apartment dweller at 11:07 AM on June 18, 2010
I think the phone is this one.
posted by apartment dweller at 11:07 AM on June 18, 2010
are her hearing aids as good as they could be?
my dad (80, artillery-based hearing damage) recently got better ones from the VA and we have gone from shouting monosyllables at each other to having complex conversations. he went from pretty much unable to talk on the phone to able to talk on the phone as long as I had a good signal and both of us were someplace quiet.
just a thought.
posted by toodleydoodley at 10:15 PM on June 18, 2010
my dad (80, artillery-based hearing damage) recently got better ones from the VA and we have gone from shouting monosyllables at each other to having complex conversations. he went from pretty much unable to talk on the phone to able to talk on the phone as long as I had a good signal and both of us were someplace quiet.
just a thought.
posted by toodleydoodley at 10:15 PM on June 18, 2010
Get her a phone with good adjustable volume. I googled phone adjustable volume and found this. You can surely find more options.
I have poor hearing. Hearing aid technology improves all the time. See if you can get her to try new hearing aids. It can make a huge difference. And go to a hearing specialist recommended by a doctor, not necessarily one that advertises a lot; there are shysters who prey on old people. Some newer hearing aids don't have phone conflicts. Skype and other VOIP options, by the way, can have poor audio that makes life miserable for people who don't hear well.
And, remind Gramma that you want to be able to call her cause you love her and want to talk to her. Get her to tell the family stories by asking questions like, What was school like, What was your Dad like? etc. She'll take the family lore with her unless you get her to share it, and sharing it will be pleasant for her.
posted by theora55 at 1:35 PM on June 19, 2010
I have poor hearing. Hearing aid technology improves all the time. See if you can get her to try new hearing aids. It can make a huge difference. And go to a hearing specialist recommended by a doctor, not necessarily one that advertises a lot; there are shysters who prey on old people. Some newer hearing aids don't have phone conflicts. Skype and other VOIP options, by the way, can have poor audio that makes life miserable for people who don't hear well.
And, remind Gramma that you want to be able to call her cause you love her and want to talk to her. Get her to tell the family stories by asking questions like, What was school like, What was your Dad like? etc. She'll take the family lore with her unless you get her to share it, and sharing it will be pleasant for her.
posted by theora55 at 1:35 PM on June 19, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Mind you, I don't have personal experience with this -- but I've seen these around for a few years now, and presumably someone's buying them, so perhaps they're worth a look.
posted by davejay at 10:31 PM on June 17, 2010