Best phone headset for the hearing impaired?

June 30, 2018 3:25 PM

Need a phone headset (Bluetooth ideally) for an Android phone that is LOUD AF. Or maybe there's a captioning headset, or something?

My dad and stepmom sold their house, and are in temporary accommodations on the US east coast, while I am on the west coast. The only means of communication they have right now is my stepmom's Android cellphone -- no internet, no landline (and thus no caption-phone) -- and they are both hearing-impaired. My stepmom kinda, and my dad profoundly.

So I want to send them a Bluetooth (or wired) headset so I can talk to them. LOUD AF -- maybe with its own amplifier so it can be louder than the phone (which isn't loud enough)? Is there such a thing as a phone headset coupled with a voice recognition app that would act like a caption-phone?

Other solutions that won't work:

• Text -- no way no how. My dad WILL NOT text.
• Use the phone as a hotspot for the laptop, and the laptop for email or Skype -- they have very little data on their phone plan, and anyway my dad, despite being on the bleeding edge of technology most of his life, is now way too cranky to let me walk him through something like that.
• Go to a library or a coffee shop, and use the internet there -- not on the regular due to health issues, and that they don't like to drive; maybe they could do this sometimes

My stepmom can hear better than my dad, and is less cranky -- so if this new headset was more than just plug and play, she'd let me walk her through that. I have a Logitech H800 headset which is great for me, and my dad can hear me better when I use it -- but maybe there's something better?

Thanks for any tips you can give me!

posted by pH Indicating Socks to Technology (4 answers total)

You might want to check out webcaptel, captioned calling via smartphone.
posted by mcbeth at 3:58 PM on June 30, 2018

Do they wear hearing aids? Depending on the model, there may be compatible technology that they can get from their audiologist(s). I have an FM streamer which is worn on a loop around the neck and sends audio signals to my hearing aids. It's compatible with blue tooth devices but can also be plugged in with a standard audio jack. I can't wear conventional headphones over my hearing aids because I get crazy feedback.
posted by acidnova at 4:16 PM on June 30, 2018

I use my gaming headset (sennheiser game one) for phone calls and it makes a big difference; they're full ear covering ones, which work better for me than earbuds. It has a separate volume control on the right ear.
posted by poffin boffin at 11:07 AM on July 1, 2018

The same outfit that provides their caption-phone, will have a mobile app... soon. What they like about their landline caption phone is that there's live human operator, so the captions are accurate.

Hearing aids are not covered by Medicare.

I got them a Sennheiser Gaming Zero, because it is the same as the Gaming One, but a closed design to block out background noise, on stoneweaver and poffin boffin's suggestion. Hey my dad can now join me in a squad match!

Thanks everyone!
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 9:34 AM on July 2, 2018