Special devices for the hearing-handicapped patient.

Abstract

THE HARD-OF-HEARING patient often has communication problems that are not solved by the use of a hearing aid or by lipreading. Some of these problems involve the use of the telephone, radio, and television, and the inability to hear the door chime, telephone bell, and alarm clock. The solution to these problems can be frustrating not only to the patient but also to the otologist and audiologist whom he consults regarding them. The purpose of this paper is to familiarize the reader with some of the instruments that have been developed to solve these problems. All are available either through the telephone company business office or the patient's own hearing aid dispenser. Telephone Communication The telephone represents a major avenue of communication and one that offers the hard-of-hearing person considerable difficulty. Modern hearing aids often provide a telephone switch (Fig 1). Moving the switch turns off the aid's microphone and