Elderly father. Would Headphones work instead of Hearing aid

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dewsbury

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Hi,

My father is a young (but fairly hard of hearing) 89 year old.

He can hear if you face him and speak loudly.

He has tried hearing aids in the past but did not continue wearing them.... I gather that they can be quite fiddley...troublesome

When watching TV he wears headphones and these have worked very well - for several hours every day.

QUESTION: Could he use "headphones" as a hearing aid?? He rarely leaves the house and probably would fine "headphone" easier to get used to.

He usually only speaks with one person at a time.

I am aware that I may be simplifying things!
 
That would be kind of the same principle as a body worn aid wouldn't it?

He could wear whatever he wants to get the sound into his ears, but you need some sort of receiver/amplifier hooked up to the headphones...
 
He could try something like a Williams Sound pocket talker .

It might work for him - there are a few other brands as well, but you'll want to get something that would be carried by an audiologist, versus something from WalMart etc.
 
yeah, hearing aides are high maintenance. The headphones will probably work if it can be adjusted to boost the proper frequencies.

I like idea of headphones. Something to wear around the house, then wear the ha's outside.
 
Which aids has he tried? He may just need to switch over from ITE style aids to BTEs.
 
Thanks for the reponses.
The link provided above Pocketalker® - Williams Sound - Helping People Hear is perhaps something like we should pursue for my father.

His eyesight is okay but not great and it would be impractical to give him something that needed good sight.

1. He may just use the hearing "device" indoors - specifically in one room.
2. Large headphones (like the ones he uses for TV) would be suitable.
3. We can probably afford the solution - i.e. money should not be a problem.
4. He cannot communicate with his 10 year old grandson.

Summary: Used in one room talking to one person. Bigger devices are easier to see and manage.

Further suggestions welcome.
 
Bottesini said:
If he's almost 90, he may not have the coordination to get the BTE's into his ears.
Click to expand...

I had clients that where not able to use their HA for that reason , it was too hard to open the tiny door and put the battery in . Some had HA that fixed right into the ear and they way too hard to used. It really pissed me of that hearing aid dealers where selling tiny in the ear HA to elderly people will poor coordination .
 
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