Assistive Listening Devices

Assistive Listening Devices serve a variety of functions to help you hear better in multiple lifestyle situations. These devices are meant to be used either with or without hearing aids depending on your hearing needs. When used with hearing aids, assistive listening technology can increase the positive benefits associated with hearing aids and create a powerful combination. The products below are a sampling of the technologies available for purchase. Please ask us for further information on products not listed.

Alarm Clocks

Amplified alarm clocks sound off at a higher volume than typical alarm clocks, and they sometimes offer a tactile sensation that helps wake individuals with hearing loss. A typical alarm clock tends to be somewhat loud at about 80 decibels. But those with a moderate or severe hearing loss may not be able to hear sounds that loud without the help of hearing aids, which are usually not worn while sleeping. Amplified alarm clocks can feature up to 110 decibels of sound or more, as well as a physical vibration, to make sure you wake up when you want to.

Sonic Boom Alarm Clock

The Sonic Boom, with adjustable volume and tone control, is guaranteed to wake up even the heaviest sleepers. When the alarm goes off, the user can select to wake up to any combination of a loud audio alarm, flashing lights (by plugging a lamp into it), or shaking bed (sold separately).

Five year warranty

Fire Alarms

Fire alarms are a critical safety component in any household, particularly for those who may have difficulty hearing. Many amplified fire alarms emit tones up to 90 decibels or more and may flash when activated. Some fire alarms come with a flashing wireless component that an individual can keep near their bedside that, in conjunction with the tone, will alert a sleeping person. Some alarms also offer physical notifications that shake or vibrate the bed when necessary, as an additional safety measure.

The Lifetone HL™ Bedside Fire Alarm and Clock

The first of its kind, the Lifetone HL™ Bedside Fire Alarm and Clock uses a 520 Hz square-wave sound pattern, proven by the Fire Protection Research Foundation, to be more effective at alerting and awakening people with hearing loss and heavy sleepers than standard fire alarms.

The Lifetone HL™ is both a state-of-art fire alarm and an attractive and easy-to-use alarm clock.

Two year limited warranty

Amplified Telephones

Amplified phones make life easier for those who sometimes miss their phone calls due to the low volume of the ringer. Those with hearing aids can also sometimes find it difficult to talk on a phone while wearing their hearing devices. Phones that are amplified can make life easier on the speaker by increasing volume through the receiver. On most amplified phones, this volume adjustment can be controlled and can raise the volume 35 decibels or more.

Amplified Personal Emergency Response Telephone TALK500-ER

  • Talking Caller ID speaks name/number of caller
  • Hearing Aid Compatible
  • Big button talking keypad -Number verification for pre-dialing (speaks back through speakerphone)
  • Speakerphone in base
  • 40 dB adjustable handset amplification
  • 2 Programmable memory keys
  • Free Tech Support For Life of the Product
  • Eco Friendly

Many amplified phones also come with “emergency memory” — settings that allow you to call people remotely if you’re in an emergency situation. Most phones will come with an adjustable ringer and tone that can be set to your listening and volume preference.

CaptionCall Phones

Similar to captioned television, CaptionCall uses advanced technology and a communications assistant to quickly provide written captions of what callers say on a large, easy-to-read screen. It works like a regular telephone – simply dial and answer calls as usual – speak and listen using a phone handset like always.

The captioning service is free. Captioning is provided by CaptionCall and paid through a fund administered by the Federal Communications Commission.

View nearly instant captions of what your callers are saying on the large, easy-to-read display screen of your CaptionCall Phone. With the CaptionCall service, you get captioning that’s:

  • Automatic—No need to dial through the captioning service
  • Secure—Safe, encrypted, FCC-regulated transcription.

How it works:

  1. The CaptionCall user presses the “Captions On” button to connect to captioning service.
  2. The CaptionCall user hears the caller’s voice over a standard phone line.
  3. The CaptionCall phone sends the caller’s voice to the CaptionCall service via an internet connection.
  4. A Communications Assistant quickly converts the caller’s words to text using voice-recognition technology.
  5. Captions are sent back to the CaptionCall phone display screen.

CaptionCall is only made available to individuals who have a medically recognized hearing disability necessitating their use of the service. The CaptionCall service is supported through the federal government’s Interstate Telecommunications Relay Service fund. This fund is established to fulfill the mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide functionally-equivalent communications to people with hearing loss. The CaptionCall service uses communication assistants who convert the calling party’s spoken words into captioned text. All calls made through CaptionCall must include a hearing-impaired person.

Learn more at CaptionCall.com

Telephone Amplifiers

These devices boost the volume of a landline telephone to help individuals with hearing loss communicate better. Many devices offer tone control, which helps with clarity while reducing background noise, and are compatible for most corded home and office phones. The volume boost is typically up to 40 decibels or more in some cases.

Portable telephone amplifiers are also available for those who travel often but still need a boost in volume and clarity during conversation.

Personal Sound Amplifiers

Personal sound amplifiers are sometimes similar to hearing aids in style but are not customized to fit the unique contours of your ears or your unique hearing loss. Personal sound amplifiers also sometimes look like older pocket tape players that attach to a belt loop and use mini earphones.

Because these amplifiers are not FDA approved and are not fit to your specific type of hearing loss (high frequency, low frequency, etc.), most personal amplifiers work by amplifying all sounds. While this may help individuals hear the sounds that they can’t hear without amplification, these devices will also amplify sounds that an individual can normally hear, which could make those sounds uncomfortably loud and may lead to hearing damage. Wearers are urged to use caution.

TV Listening Systems

For the hearing impaired, there are several products that make TV listening situations easy. These systems allow a user to listen to TV without disturbing others and are ideal for late-night watching.

Many hearing aids come equipped with a device called a telecoil (or T-coil), which can pick up sounds from systems that use induction loops. These magnetic loops connect wirelessly with the T-coil in your hearing aids to create a personalized, in-ear sound that is already set to your hearing aids’ programming. These systems are available for installation in your own home, and they are great for households with multiple hearing aid users.

If headphones are the preferred method for listening to television, wireless sets are available. Some cover the entire ear, allowing the user to wear their hearing aids and hear sounds that are specific to their unique hearing loss. Other styles are worn more like a doctor’s stethoscope, with smaller speakers that sit directly in the ear. In most cases, this would require the wearer to remove their hearing aids.

There are also closed-caption boxes that decode dialog and display it on your television, allowing for both listening and viewing, to ensure total understanding.

If you don’t see the hearing aid accessory you’re looking for, contact us today and we’ll help you find just what you need.