Susan began her full time career with Welsch Hearing Aid Company in December, 1984 as the Office Manager. On March 5, 1985, she became a State Licensed Hearing Instrument Specialist. In 1994, she passed her National Board for Certification Examination.
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Sometimes it is hard to think of what to buy your parents and grandparents for Christmas since they have everything already. Do they have hearing loss? Do they wear hearing aids? If so I have some good ideas for gifts for those with hearing loss.
Christmas gifts for those with hearing loss
For the person who wears hearing aids there are many gift ideas in a variety of price ranges. Here are some suggestions: hearing aid batteries, wax guards, cleaning tools, Audio Wipes—to safely disinfect hearing aids, neck loops to use with none wireless hearing aids to connect to media devices wirelessly or with wires, wireless accessories that work with their wireless hearing aids such as a mini-microphone, a TV listening device or a remote control, electronic hearing aid dryers, and gift certificates for hearing aid cleaning and service from your favorite local hearing care provider.
If your loved one has hearing loss but does not yet wear hearing aids or refuses to do so, there are several products that can help him/her hear better for certain things. Keep your loved one safe with an Alerting System that alerts one when the phone and doorbells ring, someone walks into the house, and when a smoke alarm is sounding. A person with hearing loss cannot hear the smoke alarm, especially when they are sleeping. A system that shakes him/her awake would be best to assure their safety. If your loved one can’t hear the alarm clock in the morning—one with a shaker and an extremely loud ring would get them up on time. If one can’t hear on the phone, there are many styles of amplified telephones available—there is even funding to help pay for them through the TEPP (Telecommunications Equipment Purchase Program). Answering machines that are amplified and slow down the messages are very 
helpful too.
For the person who turns the TV too loud, TV listening devices come in a variety of styles and price points. Special speakers, like HyperSound™, can point the sound directly to the person with hearing loss so they can hear it much clearer and louder than others in the same room. You can even get a device that picks up the vibration of a cell phone and alerts you that it is ringing. These are only a few examples of the products available today.
Don’t let this Christmas be just another “Silent Night” Give the Gift of Hearing!