Profoundly Deaf Person "hearing" Loud Knocking/banging Noises

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AmyRey

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Hi, All --

Thank you for providing this forum. I am a hearing person who assists a family member who is completely deaf and has some cognitive disability. He was my sister's husband for 25 years; she passed away 4 years ago.

I am about to drive out to his place (some distance away) to see what's going on - His apartment manager called to say he is telling her that someone is banging on his door at all hours of the day and night. He thinks it's a specific apartment, and is now banging on their door.

Anyway...how can he hear this if he's completely deaf? What's happening? Could it be tinnitius? I'm terribly worried. I'm hoping he isn't in some kind of psychological breakdown. Won't answer his video phone. Anyway...wondered if anyone had any insight. I'm in SoCal...I may need a counseling/psychological help referral.
 
Perhaps, he is feeling the viberations from the banging? Deaf/HoH persons often pay special attention to viberations.
 
Cappy said:
Perhaps, he is feeling the viberations from the banging? Deaf/HoH persons often pay special attention to viberations.
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Cappy has a point. Sound is a vibration in the air so if a sound is loud enough one should be able to feel it in their ear drum or feel a pressure.
 
Salma said:
Cappy has a point. Sound is a vibration in the air so if a sound is loud enough one should be able to feel it in their ear drum or feel a pressure.
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Not necessarly in the ear drum, but on the floor, wall, chair, drinking cup, on and on.
 
Should have security cameras. Maybe an hostile neighbor is banging on his door, or a wall or ceiling.

Bad things happen in apartment complexes sometimes, and being deaf doesn't make you immune, or crazy either.
 
I agree he could be feeling vibration from some source it could someone exercise equipment . A guy use to live in the unit over mine and when he
worked out on his exercise equipment the vibration drove me nuts ! I could feel it coming from my walls. I can't always hear my growl but if I have his leash on him and he growl at something I can feel it from his leash .
 
Does anybody else is hearing the same thing at the same time or only that deaf person?

How intriguing.

Fuzzy
 
My question also. If no one else hear or feels it then it might be a brain issue. Do any of the units have a washer or drying or dishwasher by the door. I have mistaken these for knocking
 
I'm very relieved to say that it looks like he is feeling the vibrations through the floor--I went outside and pounded on the door and he shouted out that he felt it. So no brain or psychological issue. But a mystery as to who is the culprit. It's a senior living apartment, so nobody has heard anything and there aren't many pesky kids running around. I spoke with the manager, so maybe we will get to the bottom of it. Thanks for the ideas!
 
Glad to hear. I was going to say it may be tinnitus. I know I've had some really wild tinnitus sounds over the years. But the fact that most apartment complexes have thinner walls, good chance he felt the vibrations coming from somewhere.
 
AmyRey said:
I'm very relieved to say that it looks like he is feeling the vibrations through the floor--I went outside and pounded on the door and he shouted out that he felt it. So no brain or psychological issue. But a mystery as to who is the culprit. It's a senior living apartment, so nobody has heard anything and there aren't many pesky kids running around. I spoke with the manager, so maybe we will get to the bottom of it. Thanks for the ideas!
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Maybe one of the other residents is having mental issues (dementia, Alzheimer, ??). Maybe thinks your brother-in-laws apt is his/hers and is trying to get in.
 
AmyRey said:
I'm very relieved to say that it looks like he is feeling the vibrations through the floor--I went outside and pounded on the door and he shouted out that he felt it. So no brain or psychological issue. But a mystery as to who is the culprit. It's a senior living apartment, so nobody has heard anything and there aren't many pesky kids running around. I spoke with the manager, so maybe we will get to the bottom of it. Thanks for the ideas!
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How do guests and delivery people entrance the building , can they just walk in or do that have to get beeped in by ringing a doorbell ?
Your friend could try putting down some heavy rugs and see that that made the vibration harder to feel.
 
Whatdidyousay! that's a good suggestion. It's a secure building, locked gates, and delivery people do have to be let in by the office. It's entirely possible that somebody's got early dementia. That's kind of what I was thinking for my brother-in-law. And I know he's lonely since my sister died. Thanks again for this. I'll have to keep tabs on what happens. I told him to be sure to call me if it happens again.
 
AmyRey said:
Whatdidyousay! that's a good suggestion. It's a secure building, locked gates, and delivery people do have to be let in by the office. It's entirely possible that somebody's got early dementia. That's kind of what I was thinking for my brother-in-law. And I know he's lonely since my sister died. Thanks again for this. I'll have to keep tabs on what happens. I told him to be sure to call me if it happens again.
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I was a health aide and I know some people forget which apartment they live in b/c they have dementia and will keep on knocking at someone else door thinking they live there. Some buildings a had camera in the lobby and residents were able to see who was ringing their bell right on their TV . I was wondering how your brother in law
building is set up and if he is able to tell if someone is trying visit him.
 
How to check if someone is visiting/knocking on door--- Look through the peephole.
 
DeafDucky said:
How to check if someone is visiting/knocking on door--- Look through the peephole.
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I am talking about a person trying to get into the building . It's not safe to just let anyone into a senior housing . I had a client that was robbed of $500 while she was sleeping. I had a lot of clients that kept the door to their apartments ajar so their health aide or nurse could come in on their own. So you had to be very careful about who was allowed into the from off the street . And none the apartments had peep holes .
 
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I am sure there are other ways to allow people in... buzzing in- though I don't know how to adapt that sort of system for a deaf person- I hardly ever got visitors anyway at the one apartment where you had to buzz the person in. Same with the last apartment I lived in- they finally put up gates at the entrance. They let me have a code I could just enter without having to hear (since I can't understand voices through intercoms) and usually I already KNEW who could be let in.

Why would they keep the door ajar if the simpler thing to do was to make a copy of the house/apartment key for the health aide/nurse who comes on a regular basis? I can see why they would if they did it 10-15 minutes before they got there but even then that's a dangerous thing to do these days.

I would think a tenant can ASK the apartment/condo manager if they could drill a peephole in the door- not a big thing to do and I'd think it would fall under ADA law to allow for safer living for a deaf/hard of hearing person no?

Senior housing in general I would think have something in place for the residents regarding people trying to get into the building (if it's one where all the apartments are contained within a building- like a hotel) or into the apartment(if it's a layout where doors open to outside) such as intercom system, peepholes, buzzer system etc. That's in general though not specifically with an eye to deaf or blind or otherwise disabled.

Otherwise I give up... :P
 
AmyRey said:
I'm very relieved to say that it looks like he is feeling the vibrations through the floor--I went outside and pounded on the door and he shouted out that he felt it. So no brain or psychological issue. But a mystery as to who is the culprit. It's a senior living apartment, so nobody has heard anything and there aren't many pesky kids running around. I spoke with the manager, so maybe we will get to the bottom of it. Thanks for the ideas!
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It's good to know he hears that, but it still does not exclude the possibility of hearing phantom noises, too
unless somebody else is a witness to such banging noise or at least see someone doing that.
Is there any surveillance cameras at this building's corridors that could help shed a light?

Fuzzy
 
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