Tips on how to get the best out of a new amplified landline telephone and some possible pitfalls
Being able to communicate is an important part of everybody's life and especially for those living alone the telephone is a vital link. Before purchasing a home telephone for use with hearing aids I hope that the following thoughts and information will help you manage your expectations and avoid raising false hopes.
Overall, one key factor to remember is that
if hearing aids don't work adequately for normal conversation they also will not work when you add in a telephone. In this case you might consider alternatives such as a relay service like Relay UK, WhatsApp (or similar) or email.
A good question we often ask is,
if someone stands at arm's length from you, are you able to hold a conversation without relying on lipreading? If you can't, this would suggest your aids are the limiting factor and we would advise visiting your Audiologist to review and update the hearing aid programming to better match your hearing loss. The sound quality & intelligibility from a home phone is not as good as standing beside somebody.
Many people happily use their home telephone successfully with their hearing aid microphone. If privacy allows using a speakerphone is also popular with hearing aid users. However, using a hearing aid microphone with a telephone can be problematical for some, we explain more below.
Technically
the best way to use a home telephone with your hearing aid is to use the Loop programme ('T'), using the loop signal gives the hearing aid a good sound input and avoids any chance of acoustic feedback as well as reducing the distraction of any noise around you. Some hearing aids can activate their loop programme automatically by sticking a small activator magnet to the phone handset. Your audiologist will be able to explain your options and demonstrate how your hearing aid works on the Loop Programme.
The high volume of amplified telephones is designed for use by people who do not use a hearing aid not for hearing aid users. There does become a point where an amplified telephone, even with a 'boost', is no substitute for a hearing aid programmed for the hearing loss.
Whilst many people do successfully use a home telephone with their hearing aid microphone, many find it unsatisfactory.
1) If you are using the hearing aid on microphone and holding it up to your hearing aid, using the phone on boost/at a high level will overload the hearing aid and cause distortion - it is a bit like someone standing at your ear and shouting at you, this too would cause your aids to distort.
2) Holding a handset beside your hearing aid, with the microphone live, can cause feedback as the handset housing can bounce back sound leakage from your hearing aid back to its microphone.
3) Your hearing aid will have been set up to give you the correct volume of sound for your hearing loss with day to day sound levels. The more you turn up the volume of a telephone the more some hearing aids will compensate by turning themselves down.
4) If you are going to try using a telephone with your hearing aid on M, you will need to experiment to find the best place to position the handset, which will be probably near your hearing aid microphone not your ear. If you do not find the result satisfactory use your hearing aid on the loop programme.
Do I need a highly amplified telephone with my hearing aid on the loop programme? No, you cannot use an amplified phone at a high volume setting as it will overload the hearing aid on either loop programme or it's normal microphone. Having some amplification is good and allows you to adjust for quiet speakers/low sound level however lots of amplification can be counter productive.
The quality of my home phone is not as good as using my iPhone on zoom. That is not surprising, a £50 (ish) home telephone will not compete in audio quality with a £600+ iPhone. Also, the frequency response/sound quality in a Zoom, WhatsApp or Teams call across the internet is typically 50-12,000 hertz whereas a landline phone is only 300-3,400 hertz.
Some tips from our support team:-
a) Many amplified corded phones (and certainly phones with a boost button or flash indicator) require mains power - they will work at normal sound level without power but need mains for their special features - so please remember to connect the PSU and turn on the switch.
b) When using a telephone with a hearing aid on the loop programme ('T') you will need to experiment and find the best place to hold the handset near/above the hearing aid in order to give you the best loop programme pickup.
c) Many people's hearing loss will change over time and it is recommended to have a hearing test every three years or sooner if appropriate.
Should you have any questions please email
info@connevans.com
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