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If you are living with hearing loss, little things that you used to enjoy can become more difficult as time goes on. Telephone calls can be very frustrating when you have even a small amount of hearing loss.
Amplified phones are specifically designed to help people with hearing loss stay in touch with the people most important to you. The sad side effect of hearing loss is social isolation. Unfortunately, hearing loss doesn’t just make in-person conversations difficult, telephone calls can be a challenge. Studies show that people who isolate themselves due to hearing loss experience a higher incidence of depression as compared to those people that maintain a satisfying social life. Amplified telephones can help relieve some of that isolation.
Like the name implies, amplified phones allow you to increase the volume of both the ringer and the speaker. They also have tone control features that allow the listened to adjust the pitch of the person on the other side of the call.
Do I need an amplified phone?
If you experience any of the following, you should consider an amplified phone:
How often are you asking the caller to repeat themselves?
Are you listening to TV and radio louder than others would like?
Do you avoid talking on the phone because you struggle to hear?
Do you ask other people to make calls for you because you can’t hear?
Do you find yourself avoiding social situations because you won’t hear well?
If you have to ask others to repeat themselves often or you avoid phone calls altogether, you would benefit from an amplified phone
Residents of Florida are fortunate
If you are a Florida resident, are over the age of 3 and have any degree of hearing loss, you are eligible for an amplified phone at no cost. The state of Florida has been providing amplified phones at no cost for over 25 years. As many people have eliminated their landlines and are using cell phones only, the struggles with the phones have only worsened. The telephones the state provides have some of the following features, depending on the model you choose:
Caller ID
Amplified speakerphone
Backlit numbers
A “slow” feature to slow down fast talkers
Amplified and visual ringers
Bluetooth technology for use with cell phones
We carry a portable phone that can pair to your cell phone so that when your cell phone rings, you can answer on that phone which will allow you to hear the call more comfortably. We also carry a portable phone amplifier for when you are not at home.
For more information, visit www.ftri.org or www.audiologywithaheart.com
The FTRI (Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc) customer service phone number is 888-554-1151 and our local office is 561-366-7219.
If you live in another state, you can visit https://www.hearingloss.org/hearing-help/financial-assistance/state-telephone-programs/ to see if your state has a program and how you qualify.
If your hearing loss is severe, you might benefit from a captioned phone. There are a number of options for captioned phones, please call 561-366-7219 for more information.
www.captel.com
www.clearcaptions.com
www.sorenson.com
