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My 86 year old mother has some significant hearing loss and can't hear the TV unless the volume is really loud. I have been wanting to get her a personal speaker so it's only really loud near her. I doubt she would wear headphones because she still wants to be aware of what's happening around her. Does anyone know if something like this exists and where to find it? What to search for etc. My internet searches so far have only turned up wireless headphones and expensive sound systems to make my house sound like a theater.

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We had a set-up for my Dad. We attached a used stereo receiver to the TV. Then we ran a speaker wire to a small speaker that we put on the side table next to his chair. That way we could control the volume of the speaker separately from the TV volume. Not pretty, but it worked well. We pointed the speaker toward him and it was loud enough for him without blasting us out. in addition, I think that it improved the quality of the sound.
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Try TV ears. There is a headpiece involved but its very light. She can put up the volume but it doesn't effect the TV volume.
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I worked from home and absolutely could not tolerate the television on high volume. I didn't want to block my own hearing because I needed to be aware of what was going on in the house. I got my husband a high-quality wireless headset. He wasn't too keen on wearing it to start with, but when he discovered he could walk into the bathroom and still hear the sports announcer he thought it was pretty neat.

I had this advantage. He knew I needed to work. He needed to cooperate so that I could be at home with him. The earphones were not negotiable. I didn't make many demands, but that was one.
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If Audibel hearing centers still exist, they had them. Also try an audiologist in your area.
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Closed caption if her vision is still good.
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Does the tv have Bluetooth capabilities? Does it have a headphone jack? Does it only have AV cable option?with bluetooth option you can set up the speaker anywhere but if it’s an older model this might not be available to you and you will have to get a wired speaker like Jjaris suggested.some speakers have auxiliary input jack that you only have to buy male to male 3.5mm auxiliary cable to bring the sound out of the tv to the speaker but without the aux in or tv aux out jack this is not possible so you would have to check if you have AV cable jack.If your tv is older than that then you have to buy an adapter which is 3.5 female to rca male adapter and an aux in cable which can come up to as long as 50 ft .Headphones would be ideal but I understand her not wanting to use them/you not getting her to change her mind about it or the lack of headphone capability option.Let is know about the port options you have so we can better help you.
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I think this is a case of "tough love". You tell her in no uncertain terms - she either wears a hearing aid so she can hear the t.v., and it is not turned up so everyone is blasted into space - OR THERE WILL BE NO TELEVION. Stand your ground. She must cooperate and if she doesn't cooperate, well, then ignore her. I am sorry but this is the only thing that works with these people. Good luck.
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Phone Talker from WalMart. It has earbuds but you don't need to put them in her ears, they can dangle over her ear or clip to her shirt. She only needs 1 to hear.
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My 66 y/o deaf hubby refuses to even have his hearing checked--it's NOT HIM, it's the rest of the world who mumbles. (sigh)

After losing the battle of getting the TV OUT of the bedroom, I moved out. He then discovered Bluetooth headphones, which he puts on the moment he walks in the door from work. He HAS to hear the TV all the time--I DO feel shut out of his life, but at least I'm not shouting at him to get him to hear me.
I do not know if a woman would be happy with the big type headphones hubby has--it would mess up your hair, and it does block out every other sound.

Oh, and hubby added a "sound bar" to his TV system so he can always hear the low tones....my gosh, he was watching some WWII movie the other night, I sleep (with earplugs) in the room below him. It still sounded like the entire German army was rumbling across his room.
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I bought my mother little speakers off of Amazon hooked them up to a wire to the TV and she is very happy. very lightweight. She holds them to her ears and is a happy camper. ebay.com/i/281549409452?chn=ps
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I bought my 86-year-old Mom TV Ears. She wears them without her hearing aids and claims to be able to hear the audio fine. She also wears them "upside down" so as not to muss her hair! We got the double set so one headset is always charging while she is wearing the other one. With TV Ears, she controls her own volume and the TV can be muted at the same time.
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I just bought a little radio and stuck it on a shelf next to dad's TV watching chair. For the longest time I attached a FM transmitter to the line out of the TV and he listened to it that way. The little radio can have the volume high enough for him to hear so the TV volume can be way lower. It was staticy though since it's fighting with the broadcast radio stations. So know I ran a cable all the way around the room. Much better audio quality.
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We used a sound bar an installed it on the wall by the head with wires abd that was years and years ago now they have wireless, but the sound bar was great. The volume on the tv can be all the way down, but turned up on the sound bar near the head or anywhere near your loved ones area where they watch tv. We also had to put a nice chair with a 55 inch tv in their room bcuz I hate tv and after 4 years of tv morning until night I went nuts myself. So my husband told his dad no more tv on common areas and we have had no tv in the living room for 6 years. I havent regained sanity, but I have been able to live in this situation longer. You have to think of the long haul and self preservation. Not just for you, but for them too. If you dont do what makes you happy as well you wont last. I went to very very very dark places when I put all his needs, wants and desires before my own. It was on this website I learned there must be balance. I hope this helps.
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If either of you is handy, you can rig up some ear buds. Ours runs through the receiver so it doesn't effect the sound on the tv. My husband ran the wire to the sofa where my mom sits, and I keep it on a hook behind the sofa. I can set up her and turn the tv sound down to nothing and she can still hear. It's great!
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At church you can get amplifiers for people who are hard of hearing. Does anyone use an amplifier. Thinking of looking in to this for Mother. Also thinking of using subscript TV. We tried hearing aids and she hated them. Took them back.
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healthyhearing.com/help/assistive-listening-devices/headphones-for-tv
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A company called "Independent Living Aids" (ILA) has some choices of devices.
(No...I don't work for them! LOL)
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A friend passed along that they had repurposed their now unused wireless baby monitor, positioning the baby end very near the tv, and the speaker near hard of hearing Dad. Worked great!!!!!
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A friend shared that she repurposed her old baby monitor, by positioning the microphone end close to the tv speakers, and the monitor end with hard of hearing Dad. Worked out great!
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I got the wireless TVEars for my dad and he loves them (and so do I!). The base/receiver is plugged into the TV and can charge two headsets when they're not in use. They have comfortable adjustable-angle earbuds, and the light-weight band hangs under the chin instead of over the head. My dad can adjust the volume to his liking, while at the same time I can turn down the volume on the TV completely for some blessed silence while he's watching. With his headset on, he still can hear me if I speak to him loudly. I've even used them at night after he's in bed or while the noisy dryer and/or dishwasher are going (we have two headsets), so I can vouch for how comfortable they are. The closed caption on the TV is too small for him to read, and it goes by faster than he can comprehend anyway. I highly recommend them. They're available at tvears.com and on Amazon. We have the basic, and they're great!
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If bluetooth features are on the hearing aides it can also include the special speaker just for the TV. They are perks that the hearing aide person can recieve and they are free to him when he buys the hearing aides he told me. My bluetooth features were given to me at no cost. My wife uses the mic so I can hear her because of her soft voice.
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Why is she not wearing hearing aides?
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Riley, I agree with you about getting tough. My mom passed away two years ago after my sisters and I had been taking care of her in her home for 8 years. She was very hard of hearing. Had hearing aids, but would not wear them. There was no talking to her unless you screamed. It would wear me out and I don't care if you are not angry, when you talk that loud, you sound like you are. She would get the remote and turn the tv very loud. She refused to use any type of headset. Plus she kept it on the weather channel practically all the time. Talk about annoying! Finally decided just not to tolerate it any longer. So when I was there I controlled the tv.
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I had a dear brother-in-law who attached an old vacuum cleaner hose to the TV speaker--probably with duct tape, then put the other end on his chair near his ear! What a sweet, resourceful guy!
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Will your mom wear hearing aids? I am guessing she does not. My husband has hearing aids that are a type that can be wirelessly connected to his phone and could also, be connected directly to the TV, so the sound would go directly into her hearing aid and she could control her own volume. A good audiologist who is good with elderly would be the person to consult with. I think your mom would do best with a hearing aid with a remote control she could wear around her neck to adjust different situations and volume. The remote control has worked really well for my 96 year old mom. Ask before making an appointment whether this is available at that office. If not, call around and find another audiologist to see. First consultation is usually free. But these hearing aids and devices are not cheap, depending on the degree of hearing loss. My mom paid about 5 to $6,000.00 But they make such a difference is quality of life for her. When my mom came to live with me, getting a new hearing aid and assist devices was our first priority, even before seeing a doctor. If you can not hear, you can not communicate well, and everything about your life can deteriorate. I would give headphones a try anyway., if you do not want hearing aids. She can move them off her ears quickly anytime she wants, or keep them just 1/2 way on would still keep the volume down for you. My brother-in-law used wireless headphones to watch TV, so everyone else did not have to have the volume up so loud. It worked for them.
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Look into pocket talker.
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