Does your loved one have trouble hearing phone calls?

Posted: July 13, 2016, 12:55PM

Hearing impairment is a huge problem for many. Closely linked to depression and dementia, hearing loss isolates our loved ones who are unable to hear the surrounding conversation or are unable to distinguish words. Telephone conversations become especially difficult, and we may find that cell phones exacerbate the problem.

One option to help with the telephone is a closed caption phone. Close-captioned phones have a large screen and the words of the conversation are printed on the screen. Some states offer these devices free with verification of hearing loss by a hearing specialist or primary care physician. Other states offer the products at a reduced rate.

One company (and there are others) is Cap-Tel. A form is completed verifiying hearing loss, the form is mailed, and contact is made by the company to install the phone. You can get more information on Cap-Tel's costs and services at www.captel.com. You can find others by typing 'closed captioned telephones' in your search engine.