Fill Out A Certification Form
In order to receive a free caption phone, you must certify that you have a hearing impairment that is significant enough to require this type of phone and captioning service. Some companies that provide these phones and services allow for self-certification, while others require a professional certification form to be filled out.
Below are links to third-party/professional and self-certification forms for each of the three caption phone companies discussed in this guide :
Typically, its best to go through the third-party certification process. That way, your doctor can certify that you need a caption phone, and the company is much more likely to trust the recommendation.
Clearsounds Amplified Landline Telephone
ClearSounds Telephone guarantees higher call quality and increased, sharp sound for seniors who struggle with impaired hearing or poor eyesight. It offers up to 40 dB amplification and features a strong duplex speakerphone that allows your loved one to freely move around during calls. The interface is simple and convenient: it has large buttons that are visible for elders with sight issues. You can rest assured that your family member will never miss your phone call again. The ring bell is very powerful, reaching up to 85dB. This volume can be modified to higher or lower, as well as turned off completely during night time. There is also a bright flashing light that comes on with every call.
In addition to being hearing aid compatible, ClearSounds Amplified Telephone has fully adjustable tone control and a few customization options. Speed dial is also available. It involves 8 buttons on the base unit for 8 different contacts that you can dial with one push. The number frames include photo memory and allow for personalization: you can cut out pictures of your loved ones and place them for each speed dial button.
What is important to note about this product is that it uses a single-line. This has its downsides and benefits, and you should take them into account before making your purchase. For instance, a landline offers a more reliable and stable connection, but can also come with a greater risk of being hijacked or experiencing service disruption.
Pros
Cons
What Is The Best Telephone For The Hard Of Hearing
The best telephone for a hard of hearing person is an amplified telephone with hearing aid compatibility.
For example, our popular Uniden SSE45 amplified phones have a natural tone setting adjustment for hearing aid users, plus a T-Coil mode for those with a T-Coil hearing aid.
These modes reduce interference so you can make and receive phone calls with complete clarity, and no unpleasant buzzing or background noise.
If you are hard of hearing but dont use a hearing aid, you can still make use of the phones extra features like text-to-speech and slow talk or playback modes to make sure you never miss important information.
These cordless phones have a flashing light for incoming calls on both the base and the handset, so you can see when someones calling even if youve forgotten to return the handset to the base after a previous call.
The SSE45 Dual Phone set is also available, with an additional phone in its own dock that can sync to the main dock, allowing you to make and receive calls in another room without having to go to the primary phone.
Options like these make daily life much easier for people of all ages with hearing impairments.
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Look For Relevant Telephone Features
Extra features can make for a better telephone experience for older adults. A built-in answering machine is at the top of the list of phone features to consider. If you can, look for answering machines with voice messaging features and calling IDs so they dont miss out on any calls, and theyll know whos on the other line. Obviously, the voice messages should also support captioning.
Another feature that makes sense for seniors is a built-in phonebook for saving important numbers from family, friends, and healthcare professionals. The caption phone should have a simple interface for storing important contacts and their respective numbers. Fortunately, most caption phones should have a built-in phonebook to store up to 90+ names.
Lastly, look for a caption phone with a volume amplifier and tone adjuster. Volume amplifiers are designed specifically for people with hearing loss, allowing them to turn the volume up or down to hear speech more clearly. Meanwhile, the tone adjuster lets the user configure the handset sound to a frequency range thats better to hear.
Provide Instant Contact To Help With An Emergency Feature
Old-fashioned landlines provided emergency responders a quick way to locate anyone in need of help. Luckily, manufacturers and designers have figured out how to include that same connectivity in smartphones. The SOS Messages on Samsung phones, for example, allow you to send an emergency alert to four contacts simply by pressing the power button three times in a row.
Take a look at: The Samsung Galaxy Note10+ includes an S pen, helpful for a senior who wants to take handwritten notes and then digitally converted them.
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Do I Need An Amplified Phone
People with hearing loss have many resources available to make it easier to understand others and communicate properly. If you are unsure if getting an amplified phone is the best option for you, here are some considerations:
- How often do you ask family members and friends to repeat themselves while on the phone?
- Are you constantly turning up the volume on the radio or television?
- Is it difficult to understand conversations in loud restaurants or crowded rooms?
- Do you avoid talking on the phone because it is hard to hear the person on the other end of the phone?
- Do you find yourself avoiding social situations because you are hard of hearing?
- Is hearing more difficult in open spaces than in a closed room?
- Is your hearing loss progressive? You may want to purchase a phone with more amplification power than you need now, to plan ahead.
What Is The Best Amplified Phone
The best amplified phone could be different according to each persons circumstances, but no matter which option you choose, it should have these features as a minimum:
- Loud ringer and voice volume
- Clear display with big buttons
- Visual ring indicator
- Answerphone for taking messages
Every hearing impaired phone in our collection has these functions and more, to make using your brand new device as simple as possible for every single customer.
The best amplified phones will not only be compatible with hearing aids, but with a range of other accessibility boosting tools, too.
At Hear for Less, were proud to stock hearing impaired phones from leading brands including Oricom, Uniden, and VTech. Some of our most affordable hearing impaired phones are produced by VTech, such as the 15450 and 17450 DECT models.
These cordless phones have an extra-loud base ringer and bright ring indicator light, and theyre compatible with a selection of accessories that provide further aid for people with hearing difficulties.
Additional items like ringer light extensions and personal SOS buttons can increase your peace of mind, making sure you wont miss a call while out of sight of the phone and allowing you to call for help in an emergency even if the phone is out of reach.
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Hamilton Captel 2400i With 40 Db Amplification
The Hamilton CapTel 2400i with 40db amplification is similar to the previous model with one key difference the volume can be boosted up to 40 dB which can be a boon for people suffering from moderate to severe hearing loss. To give you context, a phone with 18-28 dB amplification is good for mild hearing loss. This, combined with the on-screen captions, can lessen the burden of unclear communication faced by many elderly people.
This phone also needs telephone service, high-speed internet access , and standard electrical power supply. The keypad looks like a traditional telephone keypad along with a few additional buttons. Dedicated volume buttons let you adjust the volume to a comfortable level, up to a 40 dB gain. The volume returns to a mid-range setting every time you hang up unless you decide to save your volume setting. There is a Caption button which you can use to turn Captions on and off. The maximum volume is 18 dB gain when captions are turned off. A Home button is also included which can be used to go back to the main screen any time you are lost in the system menu.
Pros
Cons
- High-speed internet access is required for captioning service to function as intended.
- The phone is 17 inches long which can take up quite a bit of table space.
- The handset does not hang up very securely.
Consider A Larger Display Screen
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians , approximately one in three elderly persons has some vision-reducing disease by the age of 65. Unfortunately, many older Americans are suffering from both vision and hearing impairments. That being the case, its best to choose a caption phone with a larger display screen to make the captions easier to read for people with low vision.
CapTel caption phones have reasonably large displays, but the CapTel 880i is undoubtedly the best model for seniors with low vision, thanks to its sizable 7 x 10 display. On the other hand, the ClearCaptions Blue phone has the smallest display out of the featured models and can be challenging to read for low vision users.
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Packard Bell Big Button Corded Phone For Hearing And Visually Impaired Telephone For Seniors Includes Speed Dial Big Buttons Works In Power Outages Extra Loud Ringer And Speaker White
Features
- BIG Button Phone Packard Bell creates goods for everyone, including senior citizens. We work hard to ensure our product is 100% all the time, keeping the family safe we manufactured a big button phone for your parents and grandparents so they can make calls and receive calls at ease.
- Speed Dial With just one touch of a button you can call your loved ones, set up to 10 people on speed dial and always have the most important people just one click away
- Enhanced Speaker Phone For those who are hard of hearing you can now hear everything loud and clear. The big button phone has a speaker enhancing the call volume for those who are hard of hearing.
- Works in Power Outage The Big button phone will always be there for you, no matter the weather or any electricity problems the phone will remain on and ready to call allowing you to tell your family youre safe.
- Excellent Care Packard Bell takes responsibility of all quality-related issues. Please feel free to contact our customer support team when you have any question, and you can be sure of our prompt response.
The Best Cordless Phones
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Cordless phones may not be as popular as they once were as more and more people move to mobile phones for home use. However, a landline remains a convenient and cheap way to stay connected for residential and business sectors. You will most likely need a landline phone if you regularly call businesses or companies to inquire and ask questions. Mobile carriers have plans that allow you to call landline numbers, but they usually come at a hefty rate. Cordless phones arent as expensive as mobile devices because they have simpler designs and dont need any fancy features.
Nonetheless, the technology found in these phones has evolved over the years, and many of them guarantee a seamless experience. In this guide, well share with you the best cordless phones on the market in 2022. From ultra-affordable and simple to advanced options with smart blacklist and SOS buttons, weve got you covered. Read on to find the perfect device to suit your needs and budget.
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How To Find Smartphone Classes For Seniors
- Learn how to use your cell phone with smartphone classes for seniors. Find out where you can find those classes so you can get the most out of your technology.
Advancements in modern tech such as cellphones are supposed to add ease to our lives and help us stay connected to those who matter most. But if you’re not used to the technology, navigating countless apps and screen displays on a new smartphone can be confusing and frustrating. Whether you useor want to useyour phone to engage on social media or simply need to optimize it to best accommodate your needs, smartphone classes for seniors can help.
Hamilton Captel Ht758000300 2400i Captioned Telephone
If youre looking for a device to assist you with hearing impaired communications and text input, the Hamilton CapTel 2400i is an excellent option. This model of captioned telephone includes large buttons, an easy-to-read backlit display, supports Caller ID, built-in personal directory, and much more! Thats not all the Hamilton CapTel 2400i is also able to play video clips from your smartphone or tablet via and Wi-Fi connectivity!
The Hamilton CapTel 2400i features large, easily navigable buttons that will allow you to quickly dial the phone numbers you need with ease. The CapTel also has an easy to read backlit display, which will make reading text messages and caller ID information much easier as well.
This device also comes with a built-in answering machine that allows you to record up to 30 minutes of message time! The Hamilton CapTel 2400i can be connected to any standard telephone jack and requires telephone service and high speed Internet, wired or Wi-Fi access.
This device is able to access the personal telephone directory on your computer that displays all the contacts in photo format. This makes dialing a contact number as simple as a quick glance at the contact photo.
Depending on how loud you want to be when youre speaking, the Hamilton CapTel 2400i is able to adjust its volume up to 40 decibels. This will allow you to still hear ambient sounds while still being able to hear your caller clearly.
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Panasonic Amplified Cordless Phone Kx
The PANASONIC KX-TGM450S is more expensive than the other phones on this list but the cost is justified by its feature-packed design. Most of its features are added for people with severe hearing loss.
The volume can be increased to up to 50 dB for all voice calls. The volume of the base unit ringer can also be increased to up to 112 dB. There is a noise reduction feature on the phone which suppresses background noise interference for clearer calls from noisy locations.
There are other ways in which you can customize the voice to make it even clearer. With the press of a button on the keypad, you can slow down the speed of speech for both voice calls and messages in real-time. This helps to understand quick-talking callers. The Slow Talk button is located on both the handset and base unit. You also have the option to choose between six-voice tones to clarify different voice types. The voice tone can be chosen with the help of easily visible backlit buttons. In fact, the entire numeric dial keypad is backlit and enlarged to make calling convenient in any lighting conditions.
The KX-TGM450S also has two built-in backup batteries in the base unit to keep you connected during a power cut. The battery backup will last for up to 3 hours of continuous use and up to 4 hours standby on a full charge.
Apart from the features discussed above, we also loved the fact that it is possible to connect up to 6 handsets to the base unit.
Pros
Cons
Key Features Of Amplified Phones
There are a number of other features to look out for when choosing your amplified phone:
- Extra tone control – allowing you to personalise your phone to your individual hearing needs.
- Telecoil compatibility – for those who wear hearing aids.
- Backlit keypad – which illuminates when pressed.
- Big buttons, flashing lights and photo caller ID.
- Answer machines – so you never miss a call.
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Can I Get An Amplified Phone For Free
Not exactly, but many states have programs that loan phones out to people with hearing loss, as long as the hearing loss has been verified by a health professional. Use this state telephone program guide from the Hearing Loss Association of America to check what the benefits are in your state. Some states, such as Texas, offer vouchers. In either case, it makes it very affordable to own an amplified phone.
What Should I Look For In A Cell Phone For Hearing Impaired Seniors
First and foremost, seniors with hearing loss will need a cell phone that offers hearing aid compatibility. This ensures that you wont run into any issues with feedback and static when talking on the phone with someone. If you only have mild hearing loss and are not wearing hearing aids yet, you should still consider checking for hearing aid compatibility in case hearing aids become necessary in the future. Below are a few other things to consider when shopping for a cell phone for those with hearing loss.
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Severe Hearing Loss Cordless Phone By Clarity
This phone can be amplified up to 50 decibels and has four tone settings that you may customize to meet your specific needs. It also features a loud and clear loudspeaker for hands-free talks, as well as the ability to add up to three more handsets.
The lighted talking dial pad guarantees that you never miss a call, and the high contrast Caller ID screen makes it simple to identify who is calling. For people with severe hearing loss, the extremely loud, flashing ringer with changeable tones is ideal, and the voicemail indicator lets you know when you have messages waiting. This phone is also TIA-1083 compliant, making it compatible with most major brands of hearing aids.