Here, My Dear.
Great Gift Ideas for the Hearing Impaired


"My wife says I never listen to her, at least I think that's what she said."
                                                                                       - Anonymous

Selective hearing is either an attribute or a bane in marriage, but hearing loss can be a life changer.

The following bullet-points and two informational paragraphs have come from the website,  www.earinfo.com:

·        1 out of 10 Americans have a hearing loss
·        An estimated 500 million experience hearing loss worldwide
·        One out of 12 30-year-old Americans is already hearing-impaired
·        One out of 8 50-year-old Americans suffer from hearing loss
·        3 out of 1000 children are born with hearing loss
·        1.4 million children in the U.S. have hearing loss
·        The majority (65%) of people with hearing loss are below retirement age
·        15% of "baby-boomers" have hearing loss
·        29% of people over age 65 have hearing loss
·        The majority (60%) of people with hearing loss are males
·        More than a third of all hearing loss is attributed to noise: loud music, loud workplaces, loud recreational equipment
·        Of the 10 million Americans aged 45 to 64 who have a hearing loss, 6 out of 7 do not yet benefit from wearing hearing aids

'The two main types of hearing loss are the Sensorineural and the Conductive. The most common type of hearing loss, the sensorineural, is an inner ear problem which can be caused by noise exposure, poor inner ear blood circulation, age related changes, inner ear fluid disturbances and problems with the hearing nerve.

Conductive hearing loss occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through the ear canal, eardrum or the tiny bones of the middle ear, resulting in a reduction of the loudness of sound. Conductive loss may result from earwax blocking the ear canal, fluid in the middle ear, middle ear infection, obstructions in the ear canal, perforations (holes) in the eardrum or disease of any of the three middle ear bones.'

No matter how one experiences the loss of hearing, difficulties may arise when sound becomes silent. The ringing of a phone or a knock on the door becomes a mystery. If a telephone rang and nobody heard it...did it really ring?  

Think of this; you wear hearing aids to assist you with hearing but take them out at night to sleep. You have to get up early tomorrow morning for an important meeting. Is your alarm clock going to wake you up? 

It can if you had something like the Sonic Boom Sweetheart Alarm Clock. This can be a great post-Valentine gift to give to someone you may have forgotten to get a gift.    
 
                                          From library.rehabmart.com
 
Not only does this heart-shaped clock come with a sonic boom-like, extra loud 113 decibel pulsating audio alarm, but a powerful 12-volt bed shaker too!
 
Want something more 'manly'? Then you might be interested in the All-In-One Alarm Clock. This clock can do just about everything but take out the dog. 
                                         From library.rehabmart.com
 
The All-In-One Alarm Clock shouts out a 95 decibel buzzer alarm and also comes with a bed shaker, telephone signaler, doorbell signaler, both a nightlight and reading light, and a security timer for your protection when you're away.
Talking about signalers, for many people it is difficult to know if the telephone is ringing. If this is the case then the Krown Ringer Amplifier with Strobe Light might be just what is needed. 
                                                  From library.rehabmart.com

This phone call signaler monitors a telephone line for incoming calls and will flash a bright strobe light to alert the hearing impaired that the phone is ringing. This is combined with an extended loud 120 decibel ringer which has two controls; one controls the ringer loudness and the other controls the tone for a customized ringer.

Another signaler product is the LampLighter Signaler. This is a wireless alerting device that will flash a table lamp with unique flash patterns to alert you about phone calls, the doorbell, and smoke alarm. This signaler works with all silent call transmitters and has an operating range of 100 feet. 
                                         From library.rehabmart.com
 
It features LED indicators for each different alert type as well as unique flash patterns for each alert. You can also use the lamp for regular lighting use by turning the lamp on and off by using the handy button on top of the LampLighter Signaler.  It is also "smart" enough to let you know when the lamp is turned off or the bulb has burned out.
 
Some may wonder why have a phone call alert if the person can't hear the caller? One way to 'see' what the caller is saying is with the Ameriphone Q-90D Digital TTY/VCO.  This is a powerful, stylish, lightweight, portable and full-featured dual-purpose TTY, or teletypewriter.   
                          From library.rehabmart.com        

It works with TTY-compatible digital cellular phones, as well as many cordless phones. The Q-90 features a built-in text answering machine with remote message retrieval. A large, two-line display makes text easier to read, while a full-size keyboard with 68 keys makes typing more natural. It has a built-in microphone for hands-free voice calls, or VCO.
Other features included are a bright visual ring flasher which announces incoming calls including incoming cell phone calls, 32K conversation and incoming message memory, and a Hi-Speed code that sends text at twice the standard speed-type for quicker, more economical calls. The Ameriphone Q90 TTY/VCO can be used with a Q90® mini-printer and a LVD, large visual display. This device can be used at home, the office, or in your car - just about anywhere.

These are just a few of the many different types of products which Rehabmart has to offer that can assist the hearing impaired to feel more involved and independent with their life. Why be kept in the dark about products and technology that can help the hearing impaired and deaf? For more information on products for the hearing impaired, go to Hearing Impaired Products.

"Blindness separates us from things but deafness separates us from people."
                                                                                             - Helen Keller


Bill Stock
Library Editor for Rehabmart
and
Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Team Leader & CEO