An In Care of Dad Series

by Karen Keller Capuciati

Noise-canceling headphones have become popular with people who fly a lot — they’re a luxurious upgrade over the airline-issued variety.  They’re comfortable and block out the background airplane noise so you can actually hear the movie.

When our father was in and out of the hospital and rehabilitation centers, we bought him the Bose noise-canceling headphones to enhance his comfort level in two ways.  Our initial objective was to provide him the pleasure of his favorite CDs — Dad loved all types of music, from Patsy Cline and Neil Diamond to the Three Tenors.  But we especially wanted to provide him some peace and quiet from the constant noise that fills every medical facility — the beeps, alarms, pages, incessant hallway chatter, as well as the often-too-loud TV that his roommate would watch.