My father can hear the phone ring but when he answers he can't hear the person speaking. I would rather not change the phone system as he has dementia and does not adapt to new technology.
Absolutely. If he still has a landline, his phone company will provide him with an ADA-complaint phone for free.
My mother has macular degeneration and she was given a phone with giant buttons, but it also has volume, and most important, tone controls. She also can't hear, so that phone's tone control was a godsend.
You need to get him a phone for the deaf. The volume can be adjusted for his hearing level. My husband is on his second one. One isca wall/table unit that uses the phone outlet and comes with a wireless one with a stand. He perfers the wireless because it has a boost button. You place the volume as loud as you can get it and then the boost button makes it louder.
Here is a site that may have what your looking for. Call your phone company and see if they have any recommendations.
Does your dad wear hearing aides? That may be an issue. A ringing phone is certainly a different frequency than a person voice. In any case, call the phone co. and see what they can offer.
I am responding to you don't think Dads hearing aides work for him.
They may not, hearing aides really don't help someone who is completely deaf. My DH just had to switch providers because of insurance. I went with him on his first visit and learned so much that we had never been told. My husband has worn hearing aides since about 5. He had a hard time adjusting to digital from Analog. The problem with digital is that the persons voice ur are hearing is more mechanical. This is hard at first for brain to except. You have to wear them regularly for a brain to adjust to the new sound. A small, piece of wax in the tubing will keep the person from hearing well. As will wax build up in the ear. Then there is the ear mold. If it doesn't fit well it can be uncomfortable. But it can be shaved down to fit well. If Dad complains the ear is sore, its probably a bad fit. Older molds get hard and shrink so don't fit well. Will also get feedback.
Then there's adjusting for changes. Digitals are adjusted by computer. They are only adjusted so high and so low. If Dads hearing has gotten worse, he may need an adjustment. Elderly tend to discard them quickly. Most everyone needs to go back to have the aides tweaked. You should have them cleaned periodically.
A simple solution that has helped mom and aunt was to push the speaker button after answering the phone. This helped greatly. For some reason they could hear a lot better. Remember the hearing aides need cleaning and batteries changed every two weeks. Use debrox drops routinely in the ears to keep wax buildup down.
If you will take him to an audiologist and have them diagnose him as hearing impaired, he can get a CaptionCall phone free of charge. That little FCC charge that everyone pays monthly on their phone bill covers the cost. FYI, there is no age limit. I am in my 50s and I have a CaptionCall. The owner can read a transcription of the other person's words on a large screen.
There are many sites offering products for the deaf and hard of hearing. I suggest that you take a look at them as there may be other assistive devices that you would find helpful. Here is an example www.Maxi aids.com. Also the Hearing Loss Association of America has a menu which gives information on the latest technology.
CapTel phone worked wonders for Mom. She could hear ring but not person talking - this phone prints out what the caller is saying - so if she couldn't hear she could read what was being said. (Tried free one from state of CA but it did not work very well - this phone was just under $100 and was a great buy.
My mother has macular degeneration and she was given a phone with giant buttons, but it also has volume, and most important, tone controls. She also can't hear, so that phone's tone control was a godsend.
Here is a site that may have what your looking for. Call your phone company and see if they have any recommendations.
https://www.hearmore.com/categories/27/Telephone-Accessories.html
They may not, hearing aides really don't help someone who is completely deaf. My DH just had to switch providers because of insurance. I went with him on his first visit and learned so much that we had never been told. My husband has worn hearing aides since about 5. He had a hard time adjusting to digital from Analog. The problem with digital is that the persons voice ur are hearing is more mechanical. This is hard at first for brain to except. You have to wear them regularly for a brain to adjust to the new sound. A small, piece of wax in the tubing will keep the person from hearing well. As will wax build up in the ear. Then there is the ear mold. If it doesn't fit well it can be uncomfortable. But it can be shaved down to fit well. If Dad complains the ear is sore, its probably a bad fit. Older molds get hard and shrink so don't fit well. Will also get feedback.
Then there's adjusting for changes. Digitals are adjusted by computer. They are only adjusted so high and so low. If Dads hearing has gotten worse, he may need an adjustment. Elderly tend to discard them quickly. Most everyone needs to go back to have the aides tweaked. You should have them cleaned periodically.
Remember the hearing aides need cleaning and batteries changed every two weeks. Use debrox drops routinely in the ears to keep wax buildup down.
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