Little gizmo helps Mom hear better on the phone

Mom's got some hearing loss and it seems to get worse all the time.   She has a hearing aid but using it on the telephone causes distortions that bother her.    Talking with family and friends on the phone is a major source of support and entertainment for her so I've been really concerned when I know she can't hear me talking to her.  I end up yelling into the phone yet she still can't seem to hear me.   I want to talk WITH her not just listen to her ramble; knowing what's going on with us helps keep her in the loop and she enjoys it. 

Before I go out and buy a volume controlled phone - the best start at $100  - I thought I'd try an in-line amplifier first.  Mom complained of echos and static on the phone so I hoped this would fix that and it did.  I spoke with her for more than 20 minutes and only had to yell once!  It was a huge relief.  I still need to get a phone with volume control on the handset or receiver but this will help reduce distortion on the line and boost the volume for Mom too.

I found the following product at walmart.com.  I usually don't like to shop Walmart but they had it for the best price and I could have it sent directly to Mom's apartment.  I should add that it takes a couple of AAA batteries but the first ones are included with the amplifier.   I also liked that she could adjust the volume on the unit.

Clarity CE-125 High Frequency Portable Telephone Amplifier, US$14.82.

Please note that I am not receiving any sort of compensation for listing this product on my blog.   I have not been given any products or samples by the manufacturer or distributor.  I've posted it simply because it is a useful tool for my mom.

A simple pole helps Mom be more independent.

NOTE:  This was originally posted with title that's a bit cheeky (it referred to "pole dan cin') but I got all kinds of nasty automated comments advertising porn sites so I changed the title and reposted.   It really erks me that I'm trying to do something beneficial and those rotten bastards mess it up.

Mom's ALF installed a great new device for her.  It means that she can be more independent and I have something to tease her about.   They put in a "pole"  next to her chair.   The center of it has a rubberized "sleeve" that gives her something to grip as she rises from her chair.  She still has good arm strength so can pull herself up to her feet, then she takes a small step or two and, still hanging on, pivots into her wheelchair.  It means she's able to get herself into and out of her wheel chair without help.  She feels better since she doesn't have to call for help as often and I worry less about her falling. 

The pole itself works like a giant tension rod between the floor and ceiling.  There is a flared sort of stand on the floor and a larger piece at the top where the pole meets the ceiling.

Here's a photo of the "stand" where the pole meets the floor.  It's relatively flat and not wide so Mom won't trip over it: (The news paper looks pretty messy but it's mom's favorite past time )

Here's the top of the pole, where it meets the ceiling:

I tried to find some brand name on the pole but could not.   There is a label about a distributors name but it's in the United Kingdom.   If anyone is interested in finding one of these for their home, I'd suggest asking a physical therapist or a pharmacy that also sells wheelchairs shower chairs, handholds for the bathroom and other "safety" products.   I'll try to find out more from the ALF and will share it here as I can.

Making a safe home for mom

As my mom gets more frail due to osteoporosis and arthritis I've tried to make her home safer to reduce the chance of falls, bumps, bruises and minor mishaps. Her situation is complicated because she uses a walker due to a bum knee, is blind in one eye and has become gradually weaker. As she's aged we make adjustments to enable her to continue to do things for herself; often these are not attractive alterations but it's more important to make her home safe. We hope to help maintain her independence, dignity, self-worth and to help her feel that an aging body is not robbing her of self-control.

These ideas below are in NO WAY meant to be professional full-proof measures but are just a few things we did at my mothers home as adjustments to help her. To avoid getting sued, I suppose I MUST say: Try these things at your own risk. Consider your own knowledge on use of tools and hardware before trying to do it yourself. Don't attempt something you are not familiar with; it's better to pay a professional to do it right the first time rather than have incur more expense and disruption later.

Here is a list of things that my family and I have done around Mom's home:

Remove area rugs. This prevents tripping over folds and eliminates one more thing to clean. Even if the rug remains flat, it can be a trip hazard. Old folks often can't lift their legs high when they walk, they tend to shuffle. That small 1/2" rise is enough to catch a toe or heel and cause a fall.

Be sure cabinet doors close: Open cabinet doors are right at eye or knee level, if they hang open it's one more thing to bump into. Sharp or pointed edges can crack or break a bone if someone falls against it. We installed magnetized gizmo's to hold the doors closed. As mom got older the magnets were too strong and she didn't have strength to open the door so I applied tape to the magnets to weaken their hold; it was enough to keep the door closed yet Mom could still pull it open.

Stabilize appliances: Mom once lost her balance as she pulled the fridge door open; the whole thing began to tip over. Luckily my nephew was there and big enough to catch her with one arm and push the fridge back with the other (he's a 6'5" hunk with strong arms and back). We solved this problem by nailing a 2X4 board across the front of the fridge; my husband drove very long screws through the board and into the toe kick of the cabinets. We painted it to match the cabinetry so it's not ugly. Since many refridgerators are deeper than cabinets this might not work in all situations. Other options we considered were a metal bracket that attached to the side or top of the fridge and then to a stud in the wall or even a strap around the top of the fridge and attached to the wall. The 2X4 was the "least ugly" of these solutions and most acceptable to Mom.

Check other appliances for stability: Wiggle other appliances to judge their stability. Consider the stove or dryer - anything where your elder could hang one, lean or fall on the open door. Front loading washers are not as big a worry since their weight is mainly on the bottom of the appliance which makes it more stable.

Get appliances on the living level: Mom's washer / dryer was in her basement and the stairs were a huge worry for us especially if she tried to carry anything. We converted a linen closet to a laundry closet and moved these up stairs.

Secure other furniture to walls with brackets: cook cases, china cupboards, curio cabinets - anything that might be top heavy and fall over when used as a hand hold. All it takes is a small "L" bracket and a couple of screws. Or, move heavy objects from upper shelves to the bottom shelves.

Get a taller toilet: Often our elders have a hard time getting up from low seats. Given that, the bathroom poses a huge problem. They are alone, exposed and it's often in tight quarters. A taller toilet enables them to more easily raise up from a seated position, installation of a grab bar to pull with their arms can help even further. Other options like a "riser" - a plastic toilet shaped device that fits over the toilet - are possible but these are hard to clean which creates another set of issues. Don't get a toilet that's too tall or they can't get on it in the first place.

Bathroom hand holds: Install grab bars near the toilet, shower or tub. If you notice that they hold on to a towel rod to walk across the bathroom, ensure that it is securely fastened to a stud in the wall; don't trust the little 1/2" screws that come with the towel bars. After we noticed that the towel bar was loose, we replaced it with a real grab bar; it does double duty for towels and to steady Mom.

That's it for now - I have many other tricks and I'll share those as time permits.