Equipment Resources

home alerts to keep you safe and independent

By Andrea Kaneb
woman ringing a doorbell as an example of staying aware of alerts

We fill our homes with devices that alert us to important messages. For instance, we need to know when people are at our door or calling on the phone. Is the cake in the oven done? Has the baby awakened from her nap? Everyone needs to act promptly to a fire or dangerous weather. We’ll miss our flight if we oversleep. We rely on alerts throughout the entire day and night more than you may realize. Consequently, we need to stay aware of home alerts to maintain our independence, safety and peace of mind. Above all, people with hearing loss need to use other senses or enhance devices to stay aware of home alerts.

Is there an alert you’re unable to hear that is impacting your life?

  • alarm clock
  • baby crying
  • caregiving (fall risk, wandering)
  • doorbell
  • emergency alerts
  • fire/CO
  • oven timer
  • phone ringing
  • tea kettle
  • water running
  • weather alerts

What will help you stay aware of home alerts? In other words, what is most likely to wake you from a sound sleep?

  • a louder version of same device
  • flashing lights or a lamp
  • vibration, gentle shaking
  • relay to phone or other product
  • signing up for a local public safety alert system
  • a service dog

How user friendly or simple should your home alerts be?

  • An all-in-one system alerts you to many situations (doorbell, smoke alarm, alarm clock, baby crying, weather alert, etc.) This is especially helpful when connected to a bed-shaker device or flashing lamp while sleeping. In addition, it is a little bit more complex to set up. Would you get past the initial setup? Alternatively, do you prefer a simple plug-in chime for your doorbell? At the other end of the spectrum, do you want everything connected to the internet of things?

What’s your home and family situation like?

  • Are you concerned with disturbing other people like your sleeping spouse?
  • Is your home large or multi-level? You may need a multiple doorbell chime system or add-on alerts to ensure you hear it everywhere.
  • Are your smoke alarms hardwired together or individual? Do you live in an apartment with whole building alarms too?
  • Is your doorbell hardwired? Can you simply replace the doorbell? Alternatively, do you prefer to maintain batteries?
  • Is your area prone to power outages, poor cell coverage or poor Wi-Fi? Most importantly, how can you ensure that alerts are reliable?

Finally, how comfortable are you with technology to keep you aware of things?

  • Do you prefer linking your devices via Wi-Fi and apps?
  • Is privacy a concern for you?

be sure your smoke/CO alarms wake you

If you cannot hear at night once you remove your hearing aids or cochlear implant, please invest in a smoke/CO alarm that flashes or sends vibrations to a bedshaker or wristband.

  • A bedshaker is a simple device placed under your mattress that vibrates to wake you to various alarms like a smoke alarm.
  • Smoke alerts with bedshakers are sometimes free from your local Red Cross or TEDAP program.
  • Some smoke alarms sense smoke and others only listen for the sound from a standard smoke alarm.
    • For the alarms that only listen for a standard smoke alarm, be sure it recognizes the beeps from your specific smoke/CO alarms. Use the test button on your smoke/CO alarms and listen to the number of beeps.
      • If you hear 3 beeps (beep, beep, beep), be sure your central hearing hub recognizes T3
      • If you hear 4 beeps  (beep, beep, beep, beep) be sure your central hearing hub recognizes T4
  • If you live in an apartment building, be aware there are alarms for the whole building and alarms for each unit, and you need alerts for both. Some central hearing hub systems require an “audio listener” placed  next to each smoke/CO that will transmit to the main unit.

examples from my experience

alarm clocks –

A battery powered vibrating alarm clock works well for travel. Wrist alerts, smartphones on flashing bases, central hearing hub alarms with flashing lights or bedshakers…..there are many possibilities.

baby crying

There are stand-alone off the shelf baby monitors or “listening” transmitters that are part of a central hearing hub system. For stand-alone, look for a portable unit with lights and vibration or one that links to your phone. Many have video and some have a graphic sound level meter. You could also use a personal assistive listening system.

care giver alerts

I used a Smart Caregiver system with a loved one. It had a very loud beep and flashing light on a portable unit and is available with a bed, chair or floor pad to detect movement or falls. There are also many audible door alert systems.

doorbell

There are simple inexpensive plug in flashing/loud doorbell alerts  and added security video doorbells linked to your phone. Consider the size of your dwelling, batteries vs. hardwired, climate.  There are many options that do not require an electrician. Honeywell makes a nice doorbell with lots of color and sound choices, for multiple doors and with extenders. It is available at home improvement stores.

emergency alerts

Most mobile phones have wireless emergency alerts (WEA) based on cell location. Some communities have an emergency notification system for  emergency voice and TTY calls if you sign up with your contact info. To see if your local government offers this type of emergency notification, contact your area NON-EMERGENCY police number. Neighbors, family and friends could also be asked to alert you as a backup.

weather alert devices

NOAA weather alert radios feature lights and vibration alerts. Learn more from the national weather service.

oven timer

Get a portable timer that you can carry with you or use the timer on your phone set to a frequency you hear well. Some portable timers vibrate, flash or beep. Timers also make handy reminders if you are filling a bathtub or if you can’t hear your washing machine/dryer when it’s finished.

 

phone ringing

There are landline phones with very loud ringers and/or flashing lights. On a smartphone, try various alerts to find one in a frequency you hear better. There are also central hearing hub systems that you can plug a landline or mobile phone into and other products that flash/vibrate a base for a landline or smartphone.

tea kettle

It was scary to discover I’d left the kettle boiling on the stove and never heard it whistling from upstairs. I replaced it with an electric one-cup hot water dispenser. Other options include your microwave oven, bottled water machine or a built-in instant hot water dispenser.

water running

auto shut-off faucets that use motion sensors or spring loaded handles are available at home improvement stores. Online stores sell instant-off valves that screw in.

all-in-one systems

These systems are especially helpful while sleeping. They may require add-on components depending on what you are listening for and they take a little time to set up.

where can I find alerting devices?

Many alerting devices can be found online, at a hardware store/baby store/kitchen store or through the internet. There are also companies that specialize in these products.

home improvements

  • use area rugs, carpeting, curtains, and canvas art panels to reduce reverb
  • install motion sensor lighting outside to alert you to newcomers
  • pay attention to noise ratings when buying appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators, washers, dryers and heating systems.
  • consider a small loop listening system for television and if you use speakers be sure they are high fidelity.

Smart home systems

A smart home system is made up of components like doorbells, fire/smoke and carbon monoxide sensors, smart speakers (sometimes with displays with captions), tv speakers, appliances, motion sensors, smart lightbulbs, security cameras, garage doors, sprinklers, thermostats, etc. The ability to link a smart home system to smartphones and Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids or streamers is on the rise. There are currently a few hearing aids using If This Than That (IFTTT) technology to link your hearing aids with your doorbell, home alarm system, send a text or email to a caregiver when your hearing aid batteries are low or if you fall down and even change to preferred programs based on your GPS location. Be sure your hearing devices are compatible with any system you install, especially if it has a brand specific central smart home hub. Some well-known central hub products are not compatible with IFTTT products, certain smart lighting products, fire/smoke products or they were acquired by another company and became incompatible. You should also ensure you get the alerts you need while sleeping when hearing aids/CI are removed. You may need to set up an additional bedshaker or flashing light linked to your smartphone or to the system itself if possible.

hotel rooms

Did you know that hotels and motels are required to have ADA compliant rooms that include hearing assistive technology including visual alerts for doorbell, telephone and smoke detector? Be sure to ask if you need these accommodations while traveling.

moving tips

Moving is often a hectic and stressful process. In addition to your lifestyle considerations, here is some advice from “mymove”  that could help.

Gathering Sound