Assistive Listening Devices

The California Ear Institute is committed to offering patients the finest devices that technology can offer. Hearing aids are all-purpose instruments designed to provide amplification in a variety of listening situations; however, they may not be sufficient in all circumstances. In a very noisy restaurant a person may not understand the speaker because they will not be able to separate the speech from the noise. There is special technology to help in this situation. A small microphone clipped to the speaker’s collar and a miniature receiver connected to the listener’s hearing device will boost the speaker’s voice over the noise. This technology is called a personal FM system and is available for many hearing devices.

Other assistive devices are available to help you hear the television, telephone, in theaters, in restaurants and at conferences or seminars. Advances in technology, including Bluetooth equipped products, have revolutionized the assistive devices. The Hearing Device Center has many assistive listening devices available to try in our office or to borrow for a period of time in your own home.