Time to Read: 5 minutes
Our telephones are truly our social lifeline. And since the advent of Smartphones, they’ve also become our cameras, photo albums, street directories and much, much more.
And yet, no matter how clever our mobile phones are, their most important function is to make and receive high quality phone calls.
We have some great tips here on how maximise your best hearing on the phone.
Stream calls directly into your hearing aids
Modern hearing aids with Bluetooth connectivity can stream calls directly into your hearing aid which means you are getting the very best quality sound available. But if your hearing aid doesn’t have that feature, there are other things you can do to get the best quality phone call.
Put your phone on speaker
Two ears are better than one and when your hearing is enhanced by hearing aids, it makes sense to have your phone calls go through both ears.
Experiment with the position of the phone
Whistles, hisses and screeches are not pleasant, so experiment with the position of your mobile phone by tilting the speaker away from your ear. If you wear behind-the-ear hearing aids, raise the phone so it is closer to the speaker in your hearing aid
How to talk on the phone to someone with hearing loss
Good communication is a two way street, so if you are finding it difficult to hear the person on the end of the line, so encourage them to use good phone technique.
- Ask the caller to speak clearly without exaggeration. One technique is use pauses to control the rate of conversation and give the listener time to process speech. Let them know that there is no need to yell
- If you’re struggling to hear the caller because of background noise, ask them to move to a quieter environment or ask them to call back when they are in a more suitable location for a call.
- Ask questions and don’t be afraid to ask the caller to repeat themselves or rephrase their response if you are unsure you understood what was being said.
For specific information about mobile phones and hearing aids, we have links to information from leading manufacturers:
- Widex - https://www.widex.com.au/en-au/blog-au/how-do-my-hearing-aids-connect-with-my-phone
- Oticon - https://www.oticon.com.au/hearing-aid-users/support/usage-situations/mobilephone
- Phonak Android - https://www.phonak.com/au/en/support/faq/bluetooth/android-faq.html
- Phonak iPhone - https://www.phonak.com/au/en/support/faq/bluetooth/iphone-faq.html
- Unitron - https://www.unitron.com/au/en_au/help-and-support.html?q=mobile+phone&tabItem=consumers
- Beltone - https://www.beltone.com/en-au/support/compatibility
- Starkey - https://www.starkey.com.au/blog/articles/2020/03/android-users-stream-starkey-hearing-aids
