By Neyeah Watson

Living independently may seem challenging, or even daunting, to someone who has recently been diagnosed with a hearing loss. Fortunately, innovations in technology can vastly improve life and safety in the home. Functions like answering visitors at the door, waking up with an alarm clock, and responding to an emergency can be simplified with various tools. 

Below we review devices and applications that can help you or your loved one with hearing loss perform everyday tasks and live safely.

Waking Up
A specialized alarm clock with a round, vibrotactile device attached can be placed under one’s mattress or sheets. Instead of making sounds like beeps or music, the vibrotactile device wakes the sleeper through movement. A vibrating watch worn to sleep can be used instead of, or in addition to, an alarm clock with a shaker device. Like an alarm clock, these watches use vibrations and visual representations to wake sleepers.

Responding to Danger
A multi-part device that includes a bed-shaker can be connected to a smoke detector to notify the resident of danger. One part is a flat, round, vibrotactile device placed under the mattress or other furniture that responds with movement when the smoke detector identifies a fire. The other part of the device mimics the design of an alarm clock. When activated by the smoke detector, strobe lights and/or the word “FIRE” display on the screen. Carbon monoxide devices for residents with hearing loss are designed similarly. If carbon monoxide is detected, the strobe lights and vibrating device are triggered.

Landline Phone Conversations
Captioned telephones help those who struggle to hear on a landline phone. These phones translate spoken conversation into visual text. The telephones look like standard phones with large screens attached. Most of these landlines transcribe what the other person on the other end saying, not the entire conversation. Captioned phones are available for free to individuals with hearing loss with documentation from a professional such as an audiologist or medical doctor. 

Smartphone Use
For those who use their smartphone as a means of communication at home, smartphone applications can make conversations easier by captioning the call in real time. Speech-to-text apps, the majority of which are free, use a computer voice recognition system to provide captions. Other apps transcribe in-person conversations picked up by smartphones’ microphones. 

Greeting Visitors
Door signalers notify residents of the arrival of visitors and can take different forms. Devices with screens—to show who is at the door or to indicate that someone is present—can be placed around the home. Other versions are connected to the doorbell; when the bell is detected, signal lights in front of the door will flash.

Acknowledging Natural Disasters
Weather alert machines come in the form of receivers that are connected to weather stations. When an emergency occurs, the receiver will turn on and issue a response, usually in the form of vibrations or an extremely loud alarm. Then the warning light will appear with a short message such as “TORNADO” on the display. External devices, such as strobe lights, sirens, and vibrating devices, will also be activated.