Many caregivers care for loved ones who have developed hearing loss over the years. Seniors often have trouble understanding others speaking to them over the telephone. Increasingly, they “pretend” to understand what is being said, ask the person to “speak up” or request the information be repeated over and over. They can find it increasingly difficult to understand instructions or directions, recognize confirmation numbers for products or services, and most importantly, communicate with emergency operators when necessary.
My mother, Gloria Newberger, experienced a profound hearing loss. She was able to get a free captioned phone and it made a world of difference. When speaking to her you had to wait after stating each sentence, for her to read it, but it was a vast improvement over her saying ”what” all the time. Ironically, when she finally did get hearing aids, she still read the captions and the delay continued. Sometimes, she would read about my sentences and they were hysterically funny because they resembled what I said but din not repeat the conversation accurately.
Today, new more accessible telephone products and services, including hearing aid compatible phones, are becoming more widely available. Today’s devices offer consumers a choice of language.
How Captioned Telephones Work
Captioned telephones are is similar to captioned television, where spoken words appear as written text for viewers to read. The captions are displayed on the phone’s built-in screen so the user can read the words while “listening” to the voice of the other party.
While most seniors face major adjustments when transitioning to an elder-care community, Jewish seniors face additional challenges. Not only do they lose their homes, and many of their friends, but they also lose ties to their cultural heritage. This is where the Jewish Pavilion, a 501c3 non-profit, steps in. The Pavilion serves as a resource that provides room visits, festive holiday celebrations, and more to 450 Jewish residents in fifty facilities for seniors. The Jewish Pavilion promotes inclusion, and thousands of seniors of all faiths are welcomed into our programs. www.JewishPavilion.org
The Orlando Senior Help Desk (407-678-9363) helps thousands of callers navigate their way through the daunting senior maze, alleviating caregiver stress while giving advice on all types of elder issues. www.OrlandoSeniorHelpDesk.org