If you have a family member or friend with hearing loss, there are many great gifts you can give for the holidays that could make a world of difference for him or her. Here are some of the best gifts – both material and not – that you can give to a family member or friend with hearing loss:
Assistive listening devices
There are a few different types of assistive listening devices that can improve hearing both for those with hearing aids and those without:
- Personal amplifiers: These devices are great for use in the car, during one-on-one conversations and at small group meetings. They come with a powerful built-in microphone and a discreet receiver that can be clipped to the clothing or rest on a surface. For people with hearing aids, some personal amplifiers come with neckloops, but if your family member or friend does not wear hearing aids, you can purchase a personal amplifier that comes with comfortable headphones or ear buds.
- Personal FM systems: These are ideal for group situations with one speaker, such as in a classroom, at a conference or in a church. FM systems have both a transmitter, which has a microphone to pick up noise at the source, and a receiver that are discreet and operate by using FM radio waves to transmit sound wirelessly. Many personal FM systems come with accessories for improved television viewing and listening to music.
CapTel captioned telephone
If you’ve noticed that your family member or friend avoids answering the phone and making phone calls, or often asks others to make a call for him or her, that person could likely benefit from the use of a captioned telephone. A CapTel captioned telephone works like any regular phone, except that it has a large screen that displays the conversation as it occurs. Your friend or family member with hearing loss will benefit by using both his or her hearing and reading the captions on the screen to ensure that he or she doesn’t miss a thing!
People with hearing loss may be eligible to get a captioned telephone at a reduced rate or for free through their state equipment program. The captioning service is free to people with hearing loss. You can give your family member or friend the gift of connectivity by helping him or her secure a CapTel captioned telephone.
TV amplifiers
While televisions today are required to have closed captioning options, not everyone enjoys reading captions because it takes a little work and can take away from the film or TV show one is watching. Consider purchasing your friend a TV listening system. The good thing about these is that they amplify the TV sounds through a special set and headphones, meaning that the person with hearing loss doesn’t have to turn the TV to max volume, which can be uncomfortable for people with regular hearing. There are many options for TV amplifiers that also make the sound more clear and involve the use of infrared, wireless or an FM receiver set on or near the TV and comfortable, wireless headphones for the person with hearing loss.
