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October 2013
Greetings from Pasadena Hearing Care!! October marks our 1 year anniversary and we want to celebrate with you! We will be hosting an ice cream social October 15th and 16th from 2:00 until 4:00 p.m. Stop in either afternoon and enjoy some yummy ice cream from Sweets and Treats and register for our drawing. One lucky person will win a year’s supply of batteries!
On September 11 we celebrated Bonnie’s 60th birthday. Check out the pictures on our Facebook page. Just type in Pasadena Hearing Care. We had a fun week-long celebration!!!
The focus of our newsletter this month is assistive devices and wireless technology that can enhance your listening experience.
Assistive Listening Devices
Hearing aids are designed to help individuals hear better. While they make it easier in day-to-day situations, there may be certain communication needs that cannot be solved by just using hearing
aids. Special devices – assistive listening devices – have been developed to solve these problems.
There are many assistive devicesavailable. The most common devices include:
· Amplified telephones
· Captioned telephones
· Television amplifiers
· Alerting devices
Amplified phones are specifically designed for people with hearing loss, allowing users to turn up the volume as necessary to hear speech clearly. Equipped with special features, many amplified telephones can make it easier to hear high-pitched voices. The phones typically have additional features than basic phones, like large number keys and speakerphone.
If you are a Florida resident, amplified telephones are available at no charge. All you need is an application that is certified by a hearing care professional and we have applications available in our office that we can fill out for you. If you need to utilize amplified technology at work, or would rather use your existing phone at home, a telephone amplifier should be considered. This device works to increase the volume of the phone that you already own.
CaptionCall is another choice for those struggling to hear over the telephone. Similar to captioned television, CaptionCall uses voice recognition technology and a transcription service 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. Applications for CaptionCall are also available in our office.
In addition to talking on the telephone, many individuals with hearing loss have trouble clearly understanding the television. There are television amplifiers that work without hearing aids. A television amplifier doesn’t affect the overall volume of the television, so it remains an enjoyable experience for everyone watching. This device works by attaching a small microphone or box to the television set. The sound is then transmitted to a headset through infrared technology.
There are also alerting devices that signal you when important sounds occur such as your doorbell ringing, a knock on the door, a smoke alarm, or an alarm clock. Many of these solutions use strobe light or conventional light to alert you. Others use vibrating systems to alert you. The most popular of these devices are alarm clocks that are placed under your pillow or mattress and vibrate to wake you up.
The assistive devices just described can be used with or without use of hearing aids. But did you know that many of the newer hearing aids have assistive devices of their own?
Hearing Aids and Bluetooth Technology
Hearing aids of the past often limited the wearer’s access to many personal audio devices such as mobile phones and music players. For example, in order to use a music player while jogging, the hearing aid wearer had to remove the hearing aids to accommodate a pair of earbuds. However, today’s wireless hearing aids make it possible for the individual with hearing loss to connect with personal electronic devices and stream signals directly to the hearing aids through the use of Bluetooth.
What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a wireless communication platform that allows for the transfer of data between two or more electronic devices. The technology uses radio waves to transmit data without interference. A wide variety of products incorporating Bluetooth connectivity have been developed, including mobile phones, music players, computers, tablets and televisions.
Are there Bluetooth hearing aids?
Bluetooth technology requires a greater power supply than can be generated within the small hearing aid battery, so “bluetooth hearing aids” are not currently on the market. However, manufacturers of wireless hearing aids have created a clever solution for accessing Bluetooth. Wireless hearing aids can use compatible assistive listening devices, often called streamers, to provide a communication link between the wireless technology in the hearing aids and any Bluetooth-enabled device. Thus, you can listen to your television, talk to someone on your cell phone, or listen to music or a movie on your tablet device directly through your hearing aids!
One of the newer additions to wireless technology is the remote microphone. The wireless microphone is an easy solution for conversation in noisy places. Let your partner wear the microphone or place it on the table to hear conversation around the table directly through your hearing aids. The wireless microphone also functions as a personal, portable audio streamer to help you listen to your iPod or laptop. Or as a travel companion when you’re away from home - just place it front of the speakers of the TV to stream directly to your ears. Most major hearing aid manufacturers have developed these devices that most often can be used in conjunction with your existing hearing aids.
Stop by the office to see our new display of assistive and wireless devices or call if you have questions. Remember we always have a supply of batteries and Dry Kits available – they make great stocking stuffers for the holiday! At Pasadena Hearing Care, we value you as a patient and will do whatever we can to make your experience with hearing aids positive and beneficial. We are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and close for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30. Feel free to stop by anytime for a complimentary cleaning or just to say “hi.” We are happy to help in any way we can!