You all know my interest in hearing loss, especially when
it comes to helping Seniors. I had the good fortune to visit the exhibit booth
of MCDHH, the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing at a
health and wellness fair recently. My
experience included trying out and learning about the benefits of using
Assistive Listening Devices and Systems, ALDS.
Hearing and hard of hearing people use ALDS to understand more in a
variety of communication situations. I found myself listening through a pair of durable stereo headphones plugged into a tunable FM ALDS receiver.
Those activating the telecoil function in their hearing aids used a neckloop, instead of these headphones. Then we took turns speaking into a handheld tunable wireless FM microphone while adjusting the volume control on the FM ALDS receivers.
The FM ALDS components I tried were similar to the multifunctional
HearItAll, distributed by www.HARC.com MCDHH is a state commission whose mission is to provide accessible communication, education and advocacy to consumers and private and public entities so that programs, services and opportunities throughout Massachusetts are fully accessible to persons who are Deaf and hard of hearing. The pertinent
agency in your state might be a state commission or state office, or
coordinator of rehabilitation services with a department or division
specializing in the needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. In an earlier post we highlighted the need to eliminate background noise in residences designed for senior citizens (45-50%of seniors age 75 and over experience hearing loss). MCDHH provides free staff in service trainings on effective communication so that rehabilitation facilities, and homes designed for our older population will now have educated employees who are sensitive to the needs of their residents. Oftentimes training can even be found online.
Take action. Contact MCDHH (www.mass.gov/mcdhh) or your state’s
Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for this important training.
