Holiday Gift Ideas for People with Hearing Loss
The gift of hearing is the best gift you can give someone who has hearing loss.
Around the holidays, you may notice that some family members are acting more isolated or unengaged than usual. Sometimes, this can be a sign of hearing loss.
As you spend more time with family members around the holidays, you may notice some concerning symptoms of hearing loss. Some sign to look out for are:
- The family member asks you to repeat things often
- The family member answers your question(s) incorrectly
- They don’t seem as engaged as usual
- They may even isolate themselves due to not being able to hear
The holidays can be especially isolating and frustrating for loved ones with hearing loss. Make their holidays a little easier by gifting them something from this list:
Hearing Aid Accessories
- Batteries: You can buy these at pharmacies and audiology clinics!
- Wax Filters: These are not sold in stores do you’ll need to contact your audiologist.
- MiraCell: These are great drops for itchy ears that keep the ear canal healthy!
- Hearing Aid Wipes: They’re great for people with air pods, too, because they’re so good at sterilizing.
- Hearing Aid Dryers: Condensation can build up in hearing aids so these hearing aid dryers make a great gift! Prices range from $20-$90.
- Remote Microphone: For people who struggle hearing through noise, consider a remote microphone to improve speech comprehension.
Many hearing aid users can’t or won’t buy these hearing aid accessories because the initial hearing aid purchase can be quite pricey. At Adaptive, we offer discounts on hearing aid accessories because we understand how important, yet expensive, they can be.
Phone & Tablet
- iPhone: A great gift idea for someone with hearing loss is to buy a used iPhone and get it set up for them to make it easier to integrate. Adaptive can help you select the right phone to go with your loved one’s hearing device.
- Amplified Phones: There are federal and state programs to get these amplified phones for landlines! I like clarity phones, personally.
- iPad: iPads have FaceTime capabilities which are great for people with hearing loss. Sometimes, my patients will start with an iPad and once they get the hang of it, they’re much more open to getting an iPhone.
TV
- Sound Bar: TVs are built so thin that the speakers are sometimes lacking. A sound bar really helps those hard of hearing with speech comprehension.
- TV Streamer: A device that plugs into the TV and streams right to the hearing aid.
Books
Hear Your Life: Inspiring Stories and Honest Advice for Overcoming Hearing Loss
By Melissa Rodriguez, a collection of short stories from people with hearing loss
Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World
By Nina Kraus, this book is for the science geeks! It goes in-depth about how the ear works.
Soundtracks of Silence: Love, Loss and a Playlist for Life
By Matt Hay, who currently hears through a cochlear implant.
Hear & Beyond: Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss
By Shari Eberts & Gael Hannon, its a collection of lessons they’ve learned about having hearing loss in adulthood.
A Friendly Reminder
Also, remember during the holidays, we need to change how we communicate with family members with hearing loss. For example, don’t try to talk to them while you’re in another room.
Happy holiday gifting!
Read more here: 11 Tips for Communicating with Someone Who Has Hearing Loss
