Hearing problems are common, and the older people are much affected from hearing loss. And when the ears lose their ability to listen to everything properly, people read the lips to fill the listening gaps to understand things correctly. But listening to the people on calls is quite a challenging task even for those with a mild hearing disability. Therefore, for the hearing impaired individuals, special phones are available in the markets that allow them to have telephonic conversations like the normal people.
The best solution for the hearing impaired seniors is the usage of amplified telephones that are specifically designed for people with hearing problems. They allow the users to amplify the incoming sounds. Also, some are featured with tone equalizers, and some have adjustable ringer levels to adjust the volume of the ringing sound accordingly.
The second solution is the usage of captioned telephones that translate the calls and display the speech in the form of text on the screen so that the users can easily read them.
Both the Panasonic and Clarity are the leading brands in phones designed for the hearing impaired individuals. But Hamilton also offers some good quality phones. So, we have chosen the best five amplified and captioned phones from all the three brands to make selection easier for you.
Also, there is a buyer’s guide on what factors to consider before buying the best phone.
Top 5 phones for hearing impaired seniors
1. Panasonic KX-TGM450S Cordless Phone
The best amplified cordless phone that is ideal for the hearing impaired seniors is the KX-TGM450S from Panasonic. The best thing about this phone is that it is quite easy to use that suit most of the adults who don’t want to play with the technology. Also, it is made for those with the eyesight issues along with the hearing problems.
It is the loudest phone available in the market that has the capacity of amplifying the caller’s speech up to 50dB. Also, it is equipped with a loud base unit ringer, and the users can easily make the phone compatible with their type of hearing loss as it is also featured with six levels of voice tone settings.
Moreover, it is quite impossible to miss any word from the speaker as the phone is also featured with slow talk that lowers the speech rate of the speaker in real-time. Furthermore, a noise reduction feature makes listening easier in the noisiest environments.
Also, the phone is featured with a big LCD, talking keypad and phonebook, and the speakerphone option.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Speakerphone
- Enlarged memory buttons
- Ringer tone volume up to 102 dB
- DECT 6.0 Plus Technology
- Noise reduction
- Power backup
Cons:
- Some battery issues
2. Panasonic KX-TG6592T Cordless Phone
The KX-TG6592T from Panasonic is another good quality amplified cordless phone that is not only suitable for the hearing impaired individuals but also perfect for those with some eyesight problems. It comes with two handsets along with an integrated answering machine that records messages or phone calls.
The phone is perfect for those with hearing problems as it is featured with a Tone Equalizer function that enhances the clarity of the caller’s voice. You can easily control the bass, mid-range or treble tones so that you can listen to every word of the caller with much clarity even when the surroundings are not supportive.
The phone also includes a powerful speakerphone that reproduces much clear voice. Also, the handset and the base unit are equipped with clear displays and big buttons.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use handset
- DECT 6.0 Plus Technology
- Tone Equalizer for voice enhancement
- Eight polyphonic handset ringtones
- Speakerphone
- Energy efficient
- All-digital answering machine
Cons:
- Only for those with mild hearing loss
3. Hamilton CapTel 2400i Captioned Telephone
If you are looking for a captioned phone, then the CapTel 2400i from Hamilton is the perfect choice for you. It is a user-friendly phone that is ideally made for the hearing impaired seniors. Its large touch screen makes it easy for the users to read the translated words. Also, you can adjust the font size and color of the captions according to your needs.
The number pad of the phone is the same as the traditional keypad, and it has a simple menu system that is quite easy to follow. You can easily control the volume level during the calls, and the volume can be easily adjusted up to 40dB.
No matter whether you are making or attending the call, captions appear automatically and can be easily turned off during a call. The phone is also Wi-Fi-compatible and has a built-in answering machine.
Pros:
- Easy-to-read touchscreen display
- Adjustable volume control up to 40dB
- Wi-Fi compatible
- Built-in answering machine
- Translates calls into English and Spanish
- Caller ID capable
Cons:
- Captioning service is human
4. Clarity XLC3.4 + DECT 6.0 Cordless Phone
Another Amplified cordless phone for the hard listeners is the XLC3.4 from Clarity. It can amplify up to 50dBs similar to the Panasonic KX-TGM450S but is only equipped with four tone settings. Also, it amplifies the outgoing speech up to 15dB.
It is also one of the loudest phones available in the market suitable for those with hearing problems. It is featured with a 95dB extra-loud ringer along with adjustable tones. Also, the phone is compatible with the telecoil enabled hearing aids. Moreover, it has a bright Caller ID screen with easy to read font size.
But along with some good features, one of the downsides of this amplified cordless phone is that it is not equipped with an answering machine.
Pros:
- 95dB extra-loud ringer
- Hearing aid compatible
- Bright Caller ID screen
- DECT 6.0 technology
Cons:
- No answering machine
5. Hamilton CapTel 840i Captioned Telephone
The CapTel 840i is another Captioned telephone from Hamilton that the individuals with hearing problems should prefer. If it is not possible for you to listen to what the caller is saying, read the translated captions on the large easy-to-view screen to understand what the caller is saying in real-time.
The keypad is similar to what we see in the traditional phones, but the captioned phones make everything visible for you to read the speech of the speaker instead of listening to them. You will need an internet connection for this, but the captioning service is free to use.
Other features of the phone include a built-in answering machine, good amplification, big buttons, and an option of switching the captions on and off.
Pros:
- Easy-to-read screen display
- Good amplification
- Built-in answering machine
Cons:
- Captioning service is human
- Audio quality is not up to the mark
Hearing Impaired Phones – Buyer’s Guide
The most important factor that is required to consider when purchasing the best hearing impaired phone is the amplification level.
The amplification level depends on the needs of the users. Sometimes, normal people also purchase the hearing impaired phones to listen to the calls better during work in extremely noisy environments. So, it all depends on the person.
But you can go with those phones that can deliver incoming voice amplification between 30, 40, and 50dB if you are suffering from the mild or mid-range hearing problem. Also, it is best to go with those telephones where you can adjust the amplification level according to your needs.
Moreover, if you always make calls from noisy environments or mostly talk with those who are also hearing impaired seniors, then your outgoing voice amplification will also count, and you should consider that. So, you should go with the average outgoing amplification that is 15dB.
- If you wear a hearing aid, then it is ideal for you to replace your standard phone with the amplified phone. But make sure you are purchasing the phone that is compatible with your hearing aid as some of the amplification phones don’t work best with the hearing aids.
- Simple to use phones are also best for seniors. Therefore, it is necessary only to buy those phones that are easy to use. Also, you can select the cordless or corded phone according to your needs, but the cordless phones are easy to carry anywhere in the house, so it is better to go with the cordless phones.
- Answering machine feature is always essential whether you are a hearing-impaired person or not. But make sure that the built-in answering machine plays the incoming messages clearly.
- If you are going for the captioned phone, make sure that the screen is big so that you can easily read the translated text.
- Also, you can ask for a tone equalization feature.
