5 Ways Assistive Listening Devices Can Enhance Life for the Hearing Impaired
Assistive listening devices enhance the quality of life for people with mild to moderate hearing impairment. A portable personal amplifier that boosts sound in public and private spaces is one example of an assistive listening device.
But losing the ability to clearly hear speech and conversation in public is only one of many problems faced by the hearing impaired.
Watching TV, answering doors and telephones, and waking with alarms are all taken for granted by those with normal hearing.
For people with hearing loss, these daily pastimes may become a frustrating experience. Loud TV sets can fray tempers of spouses, phone conversations become riddled with miscommunications, and mornings are lost to oversleeping.
Fortunately, assistive listening devices provide easy and affordable solutions to these common problems!
Using amplification, visual alerts, and vibrations, assistive listening devices can make household systems user-friendly and functional once again.
Here are 5 ways assistive listening devices can improve life in your home!
1. Hear what you’re missing on TV with assistive listening devices
With hearing loss, simple home activities like watching TV can become a problem. To cope with hearing loss, many people simply crank up the volume on their TV set. This, in turn, strains the patience of family members and friends, and disturbs the peace and harmony of your home.
TV listening systems restore pleasure to your nightly viewing by boosting volume in a personal headset while everyone else hears the TV at comfortable levels.
Here are a few examples of economical TV listening systems:
Personal amplifiers and headphones often can plug directly into the output jack of a television, allowing them to function as economical TV listening systems.
Wireless FM TV listening systems give you freedom of movement without the worry of tripping over wires. Since radio signals travel through walls, they also keep the sound going when you run for the fridge.
Wireless IR TV listening systems are ideal for households where FM signals could interfere with other wireless systems.
Buying a TV listening system that fits your home and budget is one obvious way to improve your daily life. But many other assistive listening devices can enhance the household alerting systems we often take for granted.
2. Stop missing telephone calls with alerting devices and amplifiers
Hearing incoming telephone calls can become difficult with hearing loss. Here are some assistive listening devices designed to amplify ringers or enhance the audio quality of phone conversations for the mildly hearing impaired:
Telephone ringers and incoming call alert systems come with a wide array of features. Some can be configured to have different ringtones for different phone lines. Others feature flashing ringers. Still others signal incoming calls (and caller ID information) on your TV screen.
Telephone amplifiers boost the volume of the phone call so you can hear the caller once you pick up the phone. In-line amplifiers are assistive listening devices inserted between the phone base and handset that feature enhancements such as noise filters and equalization to clarify speech.
Dedicated amplified telephones are the best all-around solution for the hearing impaired. These include features such as extra amplification, programmable volume levels, and cordless operation.
Letting you know when the phone is ringing is one thing. But a knock at the door or a push of the doorbell is as easy to miss as a ringing telephone!
3. See when someone is knocking at your door
Assistive listening device manufacturers offer a variety of visual alert systems to let you know when someone’s at the door, no matter where you are in the house.
An LED flasher is a highly visible and basic assistive listening device. Operation is as simple as hanging the flasher on the door. The vibration of the knock triggers a bright flash to grab your attention.
Other systems alert use a push button transmitter attached to the door that triggers a flashing receiver that can be moved anywhere in the home, garage, or garden.
4. Wake up with alarm clocks made for the hearing impaired
Sleeping through the alarm clock is another common household problem, whether you’re hearing impaired or simply a sound sleeper.
An unheard ringing alarm can not only cause you to miss appointments, but also annoy neighbors and fellow sleepers. Amplified alarms are a simple solution to this problem for anyone who has difficulty getting out of bed in the morning.
If a loud alarm simply isn’t enough to rouse you, or if you want to avoid disturbing fellow sleepers, bedshakers are a better option. These devices slip under a pillow or mattress and produce a vibration to gently (or not so gently) awaken you – and only you!
5. Schedule silent alarms that free you from relying on sound
Like alarm clocks and clock radios, many wristwatches feature alarms as well. Vibrating wristwatches provide timely alarms even in places where you can’t hear a beep!
These stylish timepieces are not only perfect for people who are hearing impaired, but also for anyone who doesn’t want to disturb business colleagues or friends with the beeping of a standard digital watch.
They are also ideal for factory workers, musicians, sound engineers, and anyone else who works in a noisy environment.
Vibrating wristwatches boast a wide range of features including stopwatches, countdown alarms, and multiple pre-set timers- a great feature for setting reminders for repetitive tasks or taking medications.
Find an assistive listening device that’s right for you
These are only some of the household assistive listening devices that can improve daily life for the hearing impaired and their families. With assistive listening devices, household systems become easy to use once again, and domestic tranquility is restored.
If you still need help finding an assistive listening device, email AudioLinks or call our experts at 407-757-3326! They’ll help you find the ideal assistive listening solution that fits your needs and budget.
