It is a fact that when humans gray there are some physiological functions that diminish and one of those is hearing which is why many seniors use hearing devices not only to hear but also to communicate.

Hearing devices, technically called Assistive Listening Devices (ALD) are used by seniors to have the ability to hear and thus communicate in many situations. The devices listed in the next section are the devices that allow seniors to function independently once again.

1) Hearing Aid
A hearing aid is an electronic device that is worn depending on the style at the inside or behind of the ears which amplify sounds so that a person who is hard of hearing can hear the sounds clearly. A hearing aid has many styles among those are: Completely-in-the-canal, In-the-canal, and the In-the-ear.

The style that a senior uses depends on the degree of his hearing loss which is better determined by an audiologist. In general, the completely-in-the-canal and in-the-canal styles are used by seniors who have mild to moderate hearing loss while the in-the-ear style is used by those who have mild to severe hearing loss.

2) Personal FM Systems
Are hearing devices that allows the senior to enjoy the things that he used to do, eat at a restaurant, attend church gatherings, listen to discussions, and watch TV with the rest of the family. You can think of it as a personal radio station for the senior because it does work like one due to its transmitter and receiver.

For instance, when the senior eats dinner at a restaurant, he can place the transmitter on the table and he can hear voices wherever he sits. Another example is that he can place the transmitter near the TV to be able to hear and understand what's on without turning up the volume to super loud setting.

3) Cochlear Implants
These are hearing devices that is surgically implanted into the ear or ears of the senior who has difficulty hearing. It works by electrically stimulating the nerves of the inner ear to give a more enhanced hearing for those hard of hearing and deaf individuals.

It consists of two components: the component that is surgically implanted and the component that is worn by the user.

4) Amplified Phones
Are special phones that allow the senior who is hearing impaired to start talking with friends and relatives over the phone once again. These devices are equipped with tone and volume control for better clarity.

These also come with extra loud ringers, a flasher that blinks when there's an incoming call, phone memory for storing family and emergency numbers, and most importantly, they can be used by a senior with or without a hearing aid.

5) Infrared Systems
They work just like an FM system but the difference is they transmit sound in infrared light waves. They can be used either in the home or in theaters and for watching sports competitions.

However, the drawback with these hearing devices is that the user has to have a clear line of sight between the transmitter and the receiver otherwise it will not work.