Give grandparents the gift of hearing this holiday season

There are over 3 million people with hearing loss in Florida, and a large majority of these people are seniors. For those living with hearing loss, holidays can be hard. When you can’t hear your loved ones telling a story or wishing you a “Merry Christmas” over the phone you tend to withdraw from the conversation. It can create an isolating feeling while the remainder of the family enjoys laughs, stories and memories.

This holiday season is a perfect time to address the needs of older loved ones, and ensure that they feel connected and engaged with family and friends. If you have someone in your family with hearing loss, there is a tremendous resource in our state they may not be aware of called Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc. – the state’s non-profit distributor of amplified phones. If your friend or family member has a hearing loss, they can receive an amplified phone for free.

One of the greatest joys of my job is getting to see grandparents reconnect with their families with solutions that fit their needs. Take Doug and Dorothy for instance.

Retired for 21 years, Doug and Dorothy moved down to Winter Park to be closer to their daughter and grandkids, who are both now in college.

Doug and Dorothy are aging, and they admit some things are getting harder to do. Over those 21 years of retirement, Doug’s hearing has decreased and Dorothy has macular degeneration; a loss of vision in the center of the visual field due to damage to the retina. Both say that their vision and hearing get a little worse each year.

It finally got to the point where conversations were hard to hear and phone calls with their grandkids away at school were difficult. Doug read about phones offered through FTRI and brought his wife to see if there was a phone that could help them both.

Getting an amplified phone that increased volume, took away distracting noise, and had a bright, visual ringer helped reconnect Doug and Dorothy to their grandkids and friends once again.

“Now she will be able to see the phone when it rings and I can hear it,” Doug said of how this phone will improve their lives.

Amplified phones are designed to address the many health needs of seniors and help them stay engaged in phone conversations. Staying connected to loved ones, especially over the holidays, can make a huge difference in your grandparent’s feeling of belonging and connection.

If your grandparents, parents or friends are one of the more than 3 million Floridians with hearing loss, let them know about resources like FTRI. Have them fill out an application online at http://www.ftri.org/winterpk or visit us at Center for Independent Living in Central Florida on 720 North Denning Dr.

Even if you can’t see them this holiday season, pick up the phone and give them call. You can make their day and help us all keep Florida connected.