Written by Hulet Smith, OT
Staying connected and communicating with others significantly enhances your quality of life, especially for seniors who are aging in place. Hearing impairments can create barriers to phone communication, impacting well-being and safety. Having a hearing-impaired phone ensures you can easily call for help and follow instructions from 9-1-1 operators, making it an essential tool for maintaining independence and safety at home.
 | 1) Geemarc AmpliPower 60 Telephone for the Hearing Impaired View Product |
With the proliferation of cell phones, not everyone has a home phone anymore. However, for hearing-impaired people, landlines provide reliable, high-quality sound compared to potentially spotty cell and Wi-Fi phone signals, and there are additional features that make them especially attractive for those with hearing loss.
Volume control on the ringer and the receiver, plus the ability to assign easier-to-hear tones for incoming calls, are features that can make a phone more attractive for a hearing-impaired consumer. Knowing the volume levels and tones you are most likely to hear will help you decide if a phone’s features fit your needs.
In addition to the sound of a ringing phone, many landline phones for the hearing impaired will flash or vibrate when a call comes in, so you don’t have to rely on your hearing alone. This is handy when you are in a noisy environment where people are talking, the television is on, or music is playing.
Also known as captioned phones, talk-to-text landlines allow you to read the text on a screen while listening to the audio so you don’t miss something because you can’t hear it properly. Phones with large screens make them easier for visually impaired people to read.
For the more than 48 million people in America with some form of hearing impairment, their physical, mental, and emotional health, as well as their self-esteem and relationships, can suffer because of hearing loss. Although about half of the people who experience hearing loss are over the age of 60, one in five American teens has some form of hearing loss. For military injured members of the military, half of all blast-induced injuries result in some permanent hearing loss. Almost 3 million veterans are dealing with service-connected hearing issues.
If you have documented hearing loss, often need to ask others to repeat themselves over the phone (or you just stop talking on the phone because you can’t hear well enough), or have a harder time hearing higher-pitched noises, you could benefit from an amplified phone. At higher decibels, people can often hear over-amplified phones without needing hearing aids, although some phones are hearing aid compatible.
The right amplified phone first needs to be loud enough for you to hear even with your degree of hearing loss, whatever that is. Although higher-decibel phones can be turned down for people with less severe hearing loss, phones amplified at a lower level can’t be turned up enough to properly serve those with more severe hearing loss. In addition, if you have trouble hearing certain frequencies, the ability to adjust tones is a feature you’ll want to have.
If you also have low vision, many phones have large buttons with additional visual aids to help you see and hear better when making a call. There are many optional features such as an answering machine, speakerphone, hearing aid compatibility, ring volume, and other call alerts that are available.
 | XLC8 Clarity Cordless Amplified Phone for Hard of Hearing View Product |
The XLC8 Clarity Cordless Amplified Phone by Diglo is number 5 on our list. This remarkable device enhances hearing and comprehension during phone calls and when listening to voice messages. This phone offers amplified sound of up to 50 decibels for incoming calls, significantly boosting the user's ability to hear and understand conversations.
Additionally, the phone can amplify outgoing sound by up to 15 decibels, ensuring the user's speech is clearly heard on the other end of the line. With a long-lasting, rechargeable battery and the ability to link to Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, the XLC8 phone offers convenience and versatility. One of its standout features is the slow-down function, which slows the speed of voice messages for better understanding, making it an invaluable tool for individuals with hearing impairments.
 | Future Call Amplified Big Button Corded Phone View Product |
The Future Call Amplified Big Button Corded Phone by Diglo is number 4 on the top 5 list. This phone is an ideal solution for individuals with hearing and visual impairments. This line-powered, corded phone offers 40 decibels of call amplification, significantly enhancing call clarity for users with mild to moderate hearing loss. The large buttons on the dial pad improve visibility and make dialing easier for users with visual impairments or limited dexterity. With a dedicated 911 emergency button, bright LED visual ringer, and hi/low ringer options, this phone ensures that users can easily receive and make calls. Additionally, it retains stored numbers even when unplugged, providing consistent reliability.
 | CapTel Captioned Telephones - 840i and 880i View Product |
The CapTel Captioned Telephones by Diglo, our number 3 choice, available in models 840i and 880i, are designed to assist individuals with moderate hearing loss by providing audio and visual support during phone conversations. These phones connect to your landline or internet, making them versatile for home or office use. With a user-friendly interface, the CapTel phones display large, easy-to-read captions of your conversations, ensuring you catch every word. The main difference between the two models lies in the display screen size: the 840i features a 7-inch display, while the 880i offers a larger 10-inch display. This technology allows users to listen to or read conversations, enhancing communication with family, friends, and colleagues.
 | Amplified Senior Picture Phone by Diglo View Product |
The Amplified Senior Picture Phone by Diglo has unique features to serve multiple needs, earning it the number 2 spot on our list. If you use the locking speed dial function, only the numbers programmed into the phone can be dialed. This is useful in homes with senior citizens or small children where control over outgoing calls is beneficial. The large buttons have slots where photos can be inserted; matching the face in the photo with the number, the corresponding button calls via speed dial.
This phone serves the hearing impaired, amplifies calls up to 40 decibels, and best serves people with mild to moderate hearing loss. The large buttons and an extra bright ring indicator make this corded phone very user-friendly for those with low vision.
Other features include a 9-1-1 emergency speed dial button that can be used even when the speed dial lock is engaged, a last number redial function, and hearing aid compatibility.
The unique ability to customize this hearing-impaired phone with photos to identify speed dial numbers is a game-changer. People with hearing loss, especially older users, often face multiple challenges. Low vision and cognitive or memory issues are common among the elderly, and this multi-featured phone addresses those conditions along with impaired hearing.
People with cognitive or memory issues who can’t dial a string of numbers or make the connection between people and corresponding numbers on the speed dial can look at a face, press the button, and call the person in the picture.
 | Geemarc AmpliPower 60 Telephone for the Hearing Impaired View Product |
Our top pick for the best telephone for the hearing impaired is one of the loudest amplified phones you can get. The AmpliPower 60 Amplified Hearing Impaired Telephone by Diglo boasts 67 decibels of incoming voice amplification.
Your calls will be loud and clear, even when using the integrated speakerphone. It has big, easy-to-read buttons and a visual ringer to complement the 90-decibel incoming ring, with adjustable volume and tone control. For safety, it has three programmable emergency buttons, and it can hold nine numbers in its memory for convenience.
This hearing-impaired phone has boost override, an indicator when a message is waiting, and the last number redial. It is hearing aid compatible, has a 2.5 mm headset jack, and you can purchase an optional bed shaker to wake you if it rings at night. This wall-mounted corded phone has a battery backup and comes with a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty.
This hearing-impaired phone is the number 1 choice on our list because of the high-quality sound it provides at high volumes. Now, people with severe hearing loss who cannot communicate easily even using other amplified phones have an option for clear, easy-to-understand phone calls using the handset or the speakerphone. Even with a significant hearing impairment, you don’t have to miss another word when you use the AmpliPower 60 Amplified Hearing Impaired Telephone.
No matter your degree of hearing loss or impairment, any hearing-impaired phone on this list will allow you to maintain your connections and enjoy your telephone conversations.
The AmpliPower 60 Amplified Hearing Impaired Telephone is our top recommended item due to its exceptional 67-decibel voice amplification and user-friendly features, ensuring clear communication for those even with severe hearing loss.
If you want more information and helpful resources for yourself or your loved ones, visit us at Caregiver University!
Co-founder/CEO of Rehabmart, Pediatric Occupational Therapist, husband, and father. Passionate about connecting special needs kids with superb nutrition, sensory integration, and complementary health strategies. Excited about Rehabmart's mission to become the premier online educational platform which empowers caregivers by spotlighting innovative devices and interventions to achieve optimal patient response and recovery.
