Cordless phone for someone hard of hearing?

chris1

Hi folks

Does anyone have a recommendation for a cordless home phone with a good volume control suitable for an elderly person who is hard of hearing but won't get a hearing aid?

Preferably easy to operate, it doesn't need an answering machine or any fancy features.

Many thanks.

JPSC

Have a look at the Amplicom PT500 or 502, available from matobmobile. The system will not allow me to include a link, I'm afraid.

Shelle

Have a look at the RNID website, they sell lots of telephones for hard of hearing as well as deaf, at all prices.

Hear-Hear

Would also recommend Geemarc phones. Google to find them, but don't order direct through the website. They have authorised retailers in most towns. Call them to find out your nearest, so that you can easlily take the phone back and try another if the one you originally select isn't quite what you need.

sunnyone

Has the elderly person hearing aids?, it matters when choosing a new phone.

sunnyone

chris1

sunnyone wrote: »

Has the elderly person hearing aids?, it matters when choosing a new phone.

sunnyone

No, refuses to get one!

Savvy_Sue

Social Services may also do an assessment of equipment which would be useful, don't know if that would include a cordless phone.

This thread may have other useful tips and wrinkles ...

Francesanne

chris1 wrote: »

No, refuses to get one!

My Mum's got one and still has trouble hearing on the phone. We bought her a new phone that was hearing aid compatible and she still couldn't hear very well.

Savvy_Sue

I never got on with the telephone setting on my hearing aid, gave up trying in the end. Fortunately I can do that because it's only one ear which has 'gone', so I use the phone to my good ear.

Hear-Hear

Francesanne

It would be really worthwhile to take your Mother and the hearing aids to your Audiologist and explain that she can't use her telephone effectively.

There are a great number of instances where - due to lack of training or expeience - the hearing aid itself has not been set up properly, particularly digital aids.

If your Mother has recent BTE's, it may well be possible fot the Audiologist to make the programmes switch automatically to 'Telephone' mode when the telephone is brought near to the aid. On older BTE's, she will have ot switch manually. Whichever type she has, the 'Telephone' programme will only work if the Aujdiologist actauly configures the software properly. It takes about 2 minutes to do so. Whether 'old' or 'new' aids, the 'Telephone' programme is a real must-have, and works brilliantly if activated correctly by the Audiologist.

If your Mother has ITE's, then check your paperwork to ensure that a 'Telephone' programme was ordered with the aids. Again, it will be a really useful function to have.

Savvy_Sue

Is there not an element of learning where to position the phone for best effect, Hear-Hear? I think - although I don't know - that was my problem, that I couldn't get the hang of holding the phone 'just so' in order for my hearing aid to 'work'. Plus I had to manually change the setting.

It didn't help that I really only use the phone at work, and you can't experiment very easily when you are trying to sound professional!

Only I'm going to have to go back to the clinic - my hearing aid has gone on the blink tonight, as soon as I switch it on it flips to the 'close-up' setting (which is fine because that's what I use 99% of the time!) but I can't change it, and then after a while it starts changing itself randomly from 1 to 2 to 3, making the beeps each time, and it's no use like that! :rotfl:

And while I'm there, I will pursue the telephone option if it's likely to work better than it did before!