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July 27, 2020
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August 3, 2020Must-have gadgets for people with hearing loss in 2020
This year has been like no other. Within a matter of a few short months, we’ve seen our lives changed in many ways.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, many of us are no longer able to go out and socialize like before, and the majority of us are now confined to our homes, only venturing out when it’s deemed necessary. Now is more than ever the time for us to realize just what things are important to us, and perhaps, to let go. Now isn’t the time for buying toys and fancy playthings. Instead, we should look at those things which can really bring benefits to our lives, including gadgets for people with hearing loss.
Must-have gadgets for people with hearing loss in 2020
The following gadgets are worthwhile because each one can really add significantly, not just to our daily needs, as a person with hearing loss, but also help improve our lives as well.
Silent Smoke alarm
Photo credit: NRS Healthcare
This really has to be top of any list. You only have to imagine that worst-case scenario, a fire in your home, to be able to see the positive benefits of an alarm, but add to this the fact that this one is hearing loss user-friendly and you have to be on to a winner.
Regular smoke alarms are cheap and easy to pick up from stores or even in many circumstances from fire stations, however, these are useless for anyone with a serious hearing problem.
When you realize just how many fires happen during the night, a time when people with hearing loss are at their most vulnerable, having removed hearing aids and settled down for a good night’s sleep, you can fully appreciate just how great a life-saving device such as this could be.
There are a number of models on the market, however, this one is a better choice in my opinion, because it not only comes with a handy pager, but, best of all, it has a pillow shaker. No matter how deeply asleep you happen to be this alarm will wake you up.
Wireless Doorbell
Photo credit: Doorbell World
Consider for a moment if you’re at home and maybe waiting for a delivery of food or other essentials. The world has changed and may drivers will no longer have the time to hang around and keep knocking on.
As a hard of hearing individual it is all too easy to miss that all-important knock. Which is where having a wireless doorbell comes in so handy. Because, it isn’t that you miss things because you’re inattentive, hearing loss just gives us all a different and unique set of daily challenges to contend with.
The doorbell chosen is not only conveniently battery operated, it is also very well priced and extremely effective. It has a super-loud 94dB chime, as well as a flashing strobe light alert. It also works at a good distance from the door with its 100m range. It’s also fully portable and so, can be moved around the home with you. It comes with 8 different chimes to choose from.
Wake-up Light Alarm Clock
Photo credit: T3 Smarter Living
What could be more natural than to wake up as nature intended, out in the fields to the morning sun? Apparently this clock could, because it wakes you up from sleep in your own bed, sounds good to me. This has to be a far more gentle and natural way to greet the new day.
The best kind of technology has to be the kind that integrates so well with the natural world and these days anything which reminds us of nature has to come top of our priority list.
If you using a super-loud alarm clock or an under the pillow buzzer vibro-pad, surely a warm glow of light has to seem like a better alternative.
According to a Very Well Health article, Lights that simulate dawn work well for waking a person up because of the circadian rhythm, which enforces optimal sleep and wakefulness.
“Humans, like most animals, have evolved to sleep overnight during darkness,” the article states. “Light, conversely, has a waking effect on the brain and body. It suppresses melatonin and activates the circadian alerting signal. Light at the wrong time, like from a screen prior to bedtime, may make it hard to fall asleep and contribute to insomnia. In the morning, when incorporated into a sunrise alarm clock, it may make it easier to wake.”
Doesn’t this seem like a much better way to greet the day?
Hearing Aid Dryer (Phonak D-Dry+)
Photo credit: Phonak
The dehumidifier for hearing aids is not that new a device, but, in these uncertain times it really is a must-have. These little gadgets can help to prolong the life of your hearing age, by drying it out whenever you’re not wearing it. Aids are prone to moisture damage, so, having one of these makes a lot of sense, as you never know how difficult repairs and replacements may become in the not so distant future.
For want of a better word I termed these products gadgets, however, really that underwhelming term doesn’t really do these any justice, as they’re more must-haves, rather than things you might like.
For me, these four items which can and should enrich the already challenged life of anyone with hearing loss are well worth putting on anyone’s wish-list this year.
