If you're straining or not hearing telephone conversations clearly, a hearing impaired telephone can help. With a built-in volume amplifier and hearing aid compatibility, a hearing loss telephone can make telephone conversations normal again.
It many cases these phones are purchased by sons and daughters for their elderly parents who are having difficult phone conversations due to hearing loss. Or maybe you’ve noticed a decline in your hearing and you need a little boost.
STEP 1 | Determine Hearing Loss Severity - Severe, Moderate or Mild?
If your Mom is 95 years young and you are shouting with her on the phone, she likely has severe hearing loss. However, if she just misses a word here and there and needs the phone just a bit louder, she has mild to moderate loss.
If you think you (or a loved one) has moderate loss, but could be close the severe category, it’s best to err on the side of louder. That’s because you can adjust a very loud (severe) phone’s volume down, but you can’t adjust a moderate phone louder than its maximum volume. And let's face it, our hearing isn't going to be getting any better going forward.
STEP 2 | Corded Phone or Cordless?
This one simple step will narrow down your choices by about 50%. Advantages of a cordless phone is mobility and convenience. Advantages of a corded phone is larger, easier to see buttons and in some cases easier controls. Need both? You can always get one of each.
STEP 3 | Feature Requirements
It’s probably a good idea to write down features that are required, if any. If your mom is 95 you’ll probably want the most basic phone available without any confusing features. However, if Caller ID or an Answering Machine is a requirement, this will further narrow down your choices.
STEP 4 | Browse by Category of Hearing Loss, Looking for Required Features
Categories: Severe | Moderate | Mild
Sure there’s a lot of phones available, but that’s a good thing. That means there is likely the perfect phone for you. If you find the perfect phone except for it does not have an answering machine, consider the ClearSounds ANS3000 stand alone answering machine as a separate add-on. It’s designed for hearing loss, and it’s simple to use.
While browsing through the phones available, use your instinct. If one phone appears easier to use than another, and you think that would be best for your Mom, you’re probably right. If you are purchasing a phone for an elderly loved one, it can be a great idea involve them, if possible. Email them a picture. If you can’t do that, print one out and show/US mail it to them. Describe them the features, and ask for feedback. You don’t want resistance after the purchase.
STEP 5 | Devil is in the Details
Nit-picky about features and want to preview how the phones operate? You can download the phone’s user manual to preview the details and specific functions of how to program and operate. A download link to a Abobe PDF format user guide is listed on most of the phone’s item pages, after the features listed. Product videos are also featured on select items.
What about Brands?
Is one better than the other? No. The brands are all comparable. I would only shop by brand if you have had some positive experience with one already, or if one was suggested to you by an Audiologist.
Keep in mind what works for Bob doesn’t work for Betty. Everyone’s hearing loss if different, and not every phone works perfectly with every user. But, if you make decision based on need, type and features, you should better your chances of a successful purchase.
Should the phone you decide on not meet your needs, SmithGear offers a 30-Day return policy (with no-restocking fees) with a full-refund or exchange, if needed.