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Louder volume without headphones: What devices can help my mother better hear video calls and TV without interfering with her hearing aids?

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What devices can help my mother better hear video calls and TV without interfering with her hearing aids?

Question

My 92 year old mother has hearing loss and lives in a care home. She has hearing aids in both ears and is on oxygen, so has the tubing around her ears. I set her up with an iPad so we could Facetime. Even with the sound at maximum, she has trouble hearing me when I Facetime her. I am looking for a way for the phone calls to be amplified. Headphones or ear buds are not an option because wearing these interferes with her oxygen tubing and hearing aids. It would be awesome if the solution would also allow her to better hear the TV AND to easily switch between the TV and Facetime on the iPad - when it connects. Any ideas?

Our answer

Products mentioned in our answer below are provided to inform you about the types of technologies available and have not been evaluated by CanAssist. They may or may not be appropriate for your particular situation. Some technologies and devices may require an in-person assessment. Speak with your health care provider for additional information and support.

Hearing loss should not have to be a barrier to communication over video call, or entertainment from television. Fortunately, there are many products that are designed to relay clear, high quality sound from televisions and smart devices. 

Many products that address this issue are headphones or earbuds, but that’s not a perfect fit for everyone. We have put together a few solutions below, they are organized by how the device is used. 

These products are a set of speakers that are hung over the back of a chair which bring the speakers near to the ears without making direct contact. 

  • Wireless TV Speakers For Hearing Impaired by Audio Fox is a sound system made up of two high-quality speakers, a transmitter, and audio output connectors. With the Headphone to RCA Adaptor cord the same speakers can be used with any iPad, tablet, computer or smartphone with an audio port. The speakers cost about $200 (USD), plus additional shipping fees. Adding the Adaptor would cost an extra $8 (USD). 

  • System CS3 by ChairSpeaker is made up of two speakers linked together by 50 inches of flexible joints, a transmitter and audio output connectors. This product only works with a television and costs about $250 (USD), plus additional shipping fees. 

These products are sit ontop of the shoulders and around the neck of the user. 

  • Monster Boomerang Neckband Bluetooth Speaker are a set of Bluetooth speakers that sit around your neck. They can pair with devices that have Bluetooth capability such as iPads, smartphones, and some new televisions. If you’re certain you would want this to be used with the television, check the make and model to ensure it’s compatible before ordering. This product costs about $120 to $160 (CDN), plus additional shipping fees. 

  • BeHear Proxy Personal TV Sound System by Wear & Hear is a wireless neck speaker with optional earbuds and a Bluetooth audio transmitter. The Bluetooth audio transmitter is plugged into the TV and is paired with the neck speaker. It can be paired with smart devices, such as an iPad and switches easily between the TV and a smartphone. The neck speaker can also act as a personal hearing amplifier. The system costs about $335 (CDN) and Wear & Hear does offer free shipping worldwide and the option for trying it out as a 30-day trial. 

These products act as a portable speaker box. A transmitter is connected to the TV - or a device such as an iPad - and the sound is reSereonic TV SoundBox by Serene Innovationslayed through the speaker. 

  • Sereonic TV SoundBox by Serene Innovations is a portable speaker system, with a charging base station and a large volume knob. This product costs about $130 (USD) plus a shipping fee. It’s also available from Amazon Canada for $240 (CDN), plus additional shipping fees. 

  • Wireless TV Speakers by Simolio (at Amazon Canada) is a portable speaker system with charging base, large volume knob, and optional earbuds. This product costs about $175 to $200 (CDN), plus additional shipping fees. 

Some video calling applications, like Zoom, offer real-time closed captioning so that users can read along with the conversation.

Connecting hearing aids to TV

Many hearing aids now feature Bluetooth technology and are able to connect to TVs and other devices. All you need to do is plug in the Bluetooth adapter to your TV. Here are some brands that sell Bluetooth hearing aids and TV adaptor accessories:

Prices for these adaptors range from $200 and $350 (CDN) and are also available at omnihearing.ca along with other adapters.

Pairing Bluetooth hearing aids to devices like iPhones and iPads is also quite simple as shown in this video tutorial.

 

If you still can’t find what you're looking for, please ask us a question.

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