Captioning Phone For The Hearing Impaired

Mom could hear on the phone. My Dad? Not so much…

Captioning Phones – Can’t Hear The Phone Conversation? Read It Instead!

Hold the phone – No, literally! Hold the phone….

As my parents aged, I noticed that telephone conversations were getting shorter and shorter. I also noticed there was more of ‘can you hear me now?!’ on my side of the conversation.

It took me a while to catch on that my elderly folks could no longer really hear me on the phone, even after I bought them an amplified phone.

So, the next step? How about a phone that not only rings and amplifies conversations, but also gives you a video of the words spoken during the conversation! Your elderly loved one can now read along to each and every word.

Captioning phones work beautifully for the hard-of-hearing, even if they swear they’re not (hint: they are…..). And, since a captioning phone can be used right on the same line as any other phone, it’s possible to talk to Grandpa and Grandma at the same time; the entire conversation is printed out and scrolls across the screen so he can even see what she says.

Captioning phones work by using Captioned Telephone Service (CTS) which is provided by the FCC and works in the favor of those with hearing issues. Your phone call goes across your internet service right to the CTS where it is transcribed by a computer recognition program aided by a live representative.

Your conversation remains 100% confidential. And, the best part (besides being able to communication on an amplified phone again) is that there is no cost to the customer for the captioning – it’s one of the good services provided by the government.

Captioning phones for the hearing impaired require both a phone landline (not cellular service), an electrical outlet, and an internet connection. And, that’s IT!

So, what are you waiting for – I SAID, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR! A captioning phone would be a wonderful present for about any elderly loved one.

The Hamilton CapTel Real-Time Closed Captioned Phone

 Hamilton CapTel 840i Real-Time Closed Captioned Telephone
This particular real-time captioning phone is one I would recommend for the elderly – you’ll see why in a minute when I review the other captioning phone available.

One reason I recommend this Hamilton CapTel Closed Captioned Telephone is because it looks more like a traditional push button phone. There is a regular keypad along with volume buttons. My experience with the elderly is ‘the simpler, the better.’

There’s also headphone jacks so, if it is easier for your elderly loved one to wear headphones to hear the phone conversation clearer, this phone allows just that. Finally, the font size and color of the display can be changed thereby aiding those whose eyesight may be failing also.

One of the drawbacks noted with this captioning phone is that it is corded. To me, that’s not an issue but you should be aware of that requirement.

The Plantronics Touch Screen Captioning Telephone

 Plantronics 1-Handset Clarity Ensemble Touch Screen Captioning PhoneAlthough the Plantronics phone is quite nice, I generally do not recommend touch screens for the elderly. There’s just too much confusion as ‘the new fangled things’ can be quite complicated. And, if one is awakened from a sleep by a phone call, they’d probably rather just pick up the handset rather than have to work through some touch screen buttons.

That said, if your elderly friend is used to touch screens, you might be good to go with this model.

I particularly like the large 7″ readout on this captioning telephone. The font size is noted by one reviewer as being too small but can be adjusted to a large size. It just has to be adjusted with each and every telephone call which might create some frustration.