Subject: [Wash-at] Article: Amplified Phone Is First Step for Many Clients
From: Ginette Perkins (gperkins@wa.easterseals.com)
Date: Wed Aug 04 2004 - 15:21:16 PDT
07/12/04: Amplified Phone Is First Step for Many Clients
By Karen Appold
People with hearing loss who are reluctant to use hearing instruments can
derive a number of benefits from using an amplified telephone.
An amplified cordless phone with caller ID seems harmless compared to a
hearing aid, according to Diane Contreras, MS, CCC-A, and Tricia Chirillo,
MS, CCC-A, of the Hearing Evaluation Center and Center for the Deaf and Hard
of Hearing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition, realizing
the benefits of an amplified speech signal will open their eyes to the
potential benefits of hearing aids. After their initial contact with an
audiologist and a positive experience with the telephone, they have reason
to return for a hearing aid evaluation.
"An amplified telephone can help define a hearing problem," said James Wise,
PhD, CCC-A, president of Associated Audiologists in Olathe, KS. "Patients
who benefit from using an amplified telephone are more inclined to recognize
there may be other areas for which hearing technology might be beneficial."
An amplified telephone is an inexpensive investment and can be an incentive
to convince a reluctant patient to purchase a hearing device, he said.
However, those who can't afford a hearing aid will enjoy more effective
communication by using an amplified phone, which often enhances a person's
ability to communicate better than a hearing aid telecoil (t-coil), and an
increased quality of life.
Amplified phones are the most frequently requested assistive listening
devices (ALDs) at the Burr Ridge Hearing Center, in Burr Ridge, IL, reported
Therese Kelp, MS, CCC-A. Having a telephone is a basic need of most people,
and appropriate phone access is a safety consideration for those living
alone.
"If money is a real issue and insurance is not an option, at least we can
help the patient at this level," she said.
Programs are available to help individuals who can't afford amplified
telephones. For example, the Public Service Commission in Wisconsin
established the Telecommunication Equipment Purchase Program, which is paid
for by the Wisconsin Universal Service Fund. The program allows people with
hearing loss to obtain telecommunication devices.
The amount of funding varies according to an individual's needs. Through the
program, clinics can provide amplified phones to patients at little or no
cost.
Amplified telephones do more than just help people hear over the phone,
noted Contreras and Chirillo.
Hearing loss is isolating, but increased access to telephone communication
helps people feel less isolated. They can call family members, call in
prescriptions, make doctor's appointments, and socialize with friends.
Amplified telephones essentially sell themselves, reported Steve Hillson, a
sales associate for the Hearing, Speech & Deafness Center, a nonprofit
hearing center in Seattle, WA. "We provide a live phone line and allow
clients to test the phones in a real-life situation. The break- through
experience of hearing well on the phone often leads to requests for more
equipment to address different situations in their lives."
Once clients have the breakthrough experience of regaining independence on
the phone, they often are ready to consider other areas of life that may
have been negatively impacted by hearing loss, he said. Hearing aids can be
more readily discussed as another tool rather than as a vague fix-it
solution for a problem that an individual doesn't fully accept.
"We also discuss the t-coil and its various applications whenever we sell a
phone, so the idea of expanding their experience with an amplified phone is
presented from the beginning," Hillson stated.
Washington State provides amplified phones to residents at a reduced cost.
Kelp asks reluctant patients to try amplified telephones. They can return
the phones if they are unhappy with them. This approach may help patients
take the first step in obtaining hearing help.
In addition to benefiting uncertain patients, amplified telephones are a
great way to educate people about the usefulness of a t-coil. People who
come to understand how a t-coil works also learn about its use with other
ALDs. Once they become aware of assistive devices and feel comfortable with
them, individuals often are motivated to try other types of technology.
In addition to being important for personal use, the telephone is a
necessity for many jobs, Hillson said. As a result, barriers to phone use
can threaten a person's employability. Many clients feel more secure at work
knowing they have access to an amplified telephone.
Among the new features of amplified phones that have proved beneficial
include tone and volume control. These options allow people to make
adjustments for different voices and their own degree of hearing loss.
Caller ID is another popular feature. Being able to identify the caller
before answering the phone helps people communicate better because they can
anticipate the caller's voice quality, dialect, and context of the call.
Frequency adjustment is important as well, Hillson said. People want clarity
first, then volume. The increase in gain from 30 dB to the current line of
40-plus dB, which occurred about four years ago, accommodates greater
hearing losses and has expanded the range of people who can benefit from
amplified phones.
The greatest advance has been a cordless amplified phone above 16 dB of
gain, Dr. Wise observed. Now available with greater gain, these phones are
especially beneficial for patients with limited mobility.
When learning to use an amplified telephone, patients should have the
opportunity to make practice calls with different brands and models and be
able to ask questions about them, advised Contreras and Chirillo.
No machine will slow down a person's speech or adjust an accent, so people
with impaired hearing should state their hearing needs to others. They can
ask their communication partners to slow down, repeat what was said, or
spell out problematic words.
"The amplified phone is a tool, not a cure," Hillson said.
Amplified telephones can assist those who are reluctant to get a hearing aid
to take a first step in helping themselves. By using an amplified phone,
people can verify that a hearing problem exists and realize they would
benefit from other hearing devices.
Karen Appold is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, PA.
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