Does anyone have any advice or experience with assistance hearing the phone ring?

My dads hearing aids can connect to his iPhone via a device I think called Starlink. He has an iPhone 6s, which is why he would need that device. I’m looking into getting him a newer device at least an iPhone X which would directly connect to his hearing aids. When the phone would ring, it will ring directly into his hearing aid. My father also has a CaptionCall phone from a company called Sorenson. It is on his landline, which is connected to Vonage over the Internet. He has to sit in front of it, but it will show a read out of his phone conversation as he is speaking with someone.

A quick google search turned up the HomeAware system that can pair his phone to an alerting system, no doubt there are others.

DanielP: Check devices for the hearing impaired.

My mother has Alzheimer's and no longer remembers how to make phone calls using a cordless phone. That, and she kept turning off the digital answering machine on the main base handset mistaking pressing the off button to hear messages. Solution? Went on ebay and found traditional analog phones. Not only were they nostalgic for her, but very simple and easy to use. Plus, the ringtone on these phones are very, very loud. They also come in bright colors. Some of the older phones have a red light that blinks along with the the loud shrill ring when receiving a call. You mention not wanting to have a landline, but they do come in handy during power outages, too.

Caring for someone with dementia/Alzheimer's comes with learning to adapt as the disease progresses. Don't be alarmed if he also won't be able to tell time, read a clock and confuse the small/big hands on the clock. Mom's been like that on/off too.

I've learned to keep mom's day to day very simply, easier her for and less stress on me for managing her needs. Since I'm here caregiver, anything pertaining to her health care needs are done directly to me vs on the landline, that way communication isn't delayed (or forgotten because mom couldn't remember who called, reason, etc). You might also want to consider phones needing to be removed entirely at some point because of scammers easily tricking an elder.

Good luck!

It seems dad is losing his ability to hear the phone he currently has as well as ability to handle newer technology like texting or looking for missed calls. You're the only person being stressed with the changes in his ability.

Go with old school - landline phone. I bet he'll remember how to answer that. You can call phone company and ask if they have a phone with very loud ringer or you can probably buy one on your own. Simple - a phone that rings loud and gets answered. Forget about bluetooth at this point in his life. Too difficult to learn for people at certain phases in their life.

Don't send him texts anymore - too frustrating to you when he doesn't respond. He can't respond because he's not even aware a text arrived. Make it easy on yourself. And on him - if you ask him about not responding to a text or seeing that you tried to call, you're frustrating him, too.

My MIL can't hear the phone and hasn't answered it in years (honestly). Her message inbox is filled all the time. You'd think people would get the hint she doesn't answer it!

When the phone rings, I about jump out of my skin, it's so loud.

Why she even has one anymore is beyond me. Probably a security thing?

For deaf people, the lights flashing when the phone rings might be helpful to a Sr who can't/won't hear. They do have to be able to add one and one and remember that the flashing lights means the phone is ringing. IDK, it's too late for my MIL.

MIL can't hear the doorbell--DH rigged it to a very loud ringer, but she never hears it.

She has an Ipad of some kind that she does use to text her DD and then DD gives the 'boys' the info du jour.

Now she is losing her ability to form a real sentence, so this is going to be discontinued soon enough.

I guess the secret is finding what works for your person--what worked with my mom was her regular phone, which YB disconnected, for some reason and refused to have turned back on. I do feel bad that the last 5 years of her life she spent unable to figure out a cell phone and feeling quite disconnected to the world.

I purchased a Grandpad through consumer cellular. Best money I ever spent. No spam calls, no wifi needed because it works on data. Only people that are set up on the phone can call him. He could call anyone. The internet is an option. There are games, news, reading options. Photos, music anything your smart phone can do the grandpad can do! Oh and it the size of 5x7 picture frame so you leave it up on the table like a landline or you carry it like a note book or you can put it in a carry bag.

Does your dad have a smart phone or a basic flip phone? To be honest , a smart watch might complicate things more for him. Missed calls/texts should show up on the phone. Check under the accessibility settings. Most phones have options for screen flash notifications.

Put phone on vibrate.

To be honest, if Dad is living alone, he should not be.

Grandma1954 8/5/23 12:20pm
Check sites that sell products for hearing impaired people.
Phones that have a light that flashes
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that flash
doorbells that have a light that flashes or can be connected to a remote fixture that will alert a person.
For a cell phone many people have hearing aids that are connected to the cell phone.
Smart watch will vibrate

My Apple smartwatch buzzes and vibrates on my wrist when my iPhone rings. It's a good alert system.