Help for Hearing Impairment

summerof0763

rosieben wrote: »

hugs summer, that ot's attitude is totally out of line. I would ask again and keep asking until I could talk to someone sensible, they can't dismiss your needs like that. To suggest that you must rely on other people for phone calls is hardly in line with current legislation regarding equalities for those of us with disabilites. Not quite sure who you could get advice from but there will be someone along with more practical advice soon.

thanks rosieben.tbh i was shocked at him,my younger daughter was in,as i was apprehesive as knew it would be better to have someone with me,in case i did not hear him properly.
i am determind to appeal against this,dont know how to do it,but hoping someone on here knows.

wolfehouse

was it from a person a specialist sensory impairment team?
if it wasn't, contact them immediately.

I would check with your local firestation who now provide free fire alarms to tell you if they feel your present alarm meets your needs.
I know our centre make you buy your own helpful bits (like alarm clock) and they can be expensive.

how about a 'hearing' dog (that would be a separate charity)?

summerof0763

hi thanks wolfehouse,yes was ot from council sensory dept,apparently you need to meet certain requirements,though i am profoundly deaf.
fire alarm is connected "thats all that matters" pah,wires all over the place.
alarm clock is only for them who "need" to get up in the mornings,ie if you work,unfortunately i cannot work due to other disabilities.

Think i will look into fire brigade one now,hope can email them,certainly cant phone.
you know what really gets me is,i try to be as independant as i can,i am 46yrs old,never ask for help until i really accept that "yes" i do need help.
will look into hearing dog,never heard of them,but got to be worth a look,thanks

Savvy_Sue

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People

One thought would be to consider just getting a dog if there's a long wait for a Hearing Dog. It's not something to do lightly, of course, even a small dog is not cheap to run and you have GOT to commit to regular walks and proper training, IMO.

However, almost any dog can be trained to bark when the phone or the doorbell rings - the trick is training them NOT to bark all the time / at visitors. Obviously a hearing dog is trained to a very high standard to do other things too.

But at my first evening class, a lady who'd lost all her hearing very suddenly said that she'd become very isolated, until they got a dog, and it had changed her life. Apart from anything else, she could talk to the dog, and the dog didn't care whether she could hear or not!

And another thought: presumably your family help out in ways that are 'over and above' normal family dynamics, so asking for a Carer's Assessment from Social Services might get a better result, eg if someone else has to make sure you get up, which means that they have to get up early for you rather than on their own behalf, that's an argument for getting an alarm clock.

Have you tried a vibrating mobile phone under your pillow, btw? Don't know if it would wake you or not, but something to consider. Also you can get 'normal' alarm clocks which switch on a light, again it might not help but it's worth trying if you haven't yet.

Hear-Hear

You need to find out the name of the Head of the Sensory Impairment Team at your local Social Services Dept. You (and your daughter) should arrange an appointment to go and see him/her. Present them with details of your hearing loss (from your Audiologist) and write down the bullet points of things you need assistance with. It is not acceptable to be fobbed off with "other people can do that for you". The purpose of the Sensory Impairment Team is to promote INDEPENDENT living.

So, for example, you may need a combination unit that triggers an alarm to identify when the doorbell rings, the smoke detector activates, and even a shake-awake alarm clock. They will even install it for you. They can also provide a Text Relay telephone for you, and will do so if you are unable to use a conventional telephone.

It sounds like the person you saw was a trainee, poorly qualified, or just plain ignorant. Most of the folks who work in Sensory Impairment Teams around the country are really really good people.

Make the effort - it will be SO worth it.

Indie_Kid

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Have you tried a vibrating mobile phone under your pillow, btw? Don't know if it would wake you or not, but something to consider. Also you can get 'normal' alarm clocks which switch on a light, again it might not help but it's worth trying if you haven't yet.

RNID do sell vibrating alarm clocks.

dont need a phone i can hear on "other people can do that for you"

What a ridiculous statement!

summerof0763

hi all,am brain frazzled tonight so if i miss anyone out i apologise.
i did show ot my hearing printout from dec "which i dont understand" and he agreed that i dont have much hearing left.
which is why it surprises me that am not getting help.
my daughter tried explaining that
1 i live alone
2 i have as much right as she does to get up in the morning at a time i want
3 that neither of my daughters should have to make app,etc for me.they dont mind doing it,but i do.

i have had a think about the hearing dog,but i dont think its going to be an option.,as i also suffer from other disablities,one being degenerative discs and arthritis in my lower back,which can confine me to my bed for a good few days a week.
which would be unfair to the dog,and also my daughters as they would then need to walk the dog,and i feel they do too much for me as is.

i looked at fire brigade re smoke alarm,but could not get form to come on,pass,will try again tomorrow.

as for ot i need to sit and think calmly about what i am going to do,as i am not prepared to let this lie.i am a person and i matter,refuse to let him walk all over me,had that most of my life,but no more.

anyone else got any suggestions as to what can make my life easier re gadgets etc,TIA
ps tried the mobile vibrating no joy for me!!

rosieben

summer, I have a wireless doorbell so I can carry the receiver into whatever room I'm in. Its very loud and flashes with a bright blue light, really works for me. I also have a flashing alarm clock which is very effective, strong strobe light. Social Sevices also fitted my fire alarm which has a vibrator to go under my pillow, and a few weeks ago they fitted a room loop which I'm still getting used to but that certainly helps with conversation when I have visitors. I'm profoundly deaf in one ear, and severely deaf in the other so not dissimilar to you I would think.

As someone has already said, they should be helping you toward independence, and its unacceptable for him to have told you to rely on other people for phone calls and likewise his comments re the alarm clock. Those are the main points, I suspect when you get those 2 sorted out they may be more forthcoming on the fire alarm too.

Not sure how it works in your area but I approached our county council and they referred me to the local SS who contacted me and have dealt with all my queries and been really supportive.

I think you're right not to let this lie, hopefully there is someone at the Council who has more experience and will be of more help to you. Is there any chance your doctor would help, or is there a CAB you can get to? Good luck and keep us posted.

Indie_Kid

Is there a clinic for hard of hearing people at your local hospital? They may also be able to help you with equipment.

Savvy_Sue

sh1305 wrote: »

RNID do sell vibrating alarm clocks.

Yes, but I think they're not cheap, which is why I suggested trying out the mobile. Shame it didn't work.

If you haven't been able to contact the local fire service by email, you could write to your local station and ask them to contact you by email. I'm fairly sure that's how mum got her fire alarm. The Sensory Impairment team have since supplied some other bits and pieces, which she's not entirely happy with, but what it boils down to is that she doesn't want anything changed. She can't hear to use the phone upstairs, but there's one downstairs she can just about hear to use, so she doesn't WANT to know it's ringing when she's upstairs because by the time she gets downstairs it's stopped ringing. But then she doesn't want a phone upstairs like the one she has downstairs, because that would be different.

And she doesn't want a different way of knowing that the doorbell is ringing, even though again she doesn't know there's anyone at the door if she's upstairs. So the vibrating wristband which differentiates phone from doorbell is different, therefore she doesn't like it, so she won't wear it.

She has however bought a textphone, because the device she had before that - was it a mini-com? - doesn't like interacting with 'modern' phone handsets, ie with squarish handsets. It was designed for good old-fashioned ROUND handsets! And she is using that a bit, although when the operator rings her she often presses the wrong keys and cuts them off.

But she can make calls out if she wants to, and as we all know better than to try phoning her, that's about as good as it's going to get.

At least she got to grips with email!