Monday, April 22, 2024

How To Donate Old Hearing Aids

Don't Miss

Local Universities Or Colleges With Audiology Or Hearing Aid Specialist Programs

Can I Donate My Hearing Aids
  • What do they do with donated hearing aids? Many institutions provide donated hearing aids to people in financial need in their local communities or other communities through outreach programs. This also serves the educational needs of students.
  • How do you donate to them? Contact your local university or college to find out if they have audiology or hearing aid specialist programs and, if so, how you can go about making a hearing aid donation to them.

Can I Donate Used Hearing Aids

If the hearing aid wont work for you, it might work for someone else. One of the best things you can do with used hearing aidswhether they’re in great condition or need repairsis to donate them to a charity that will accept used hearing aids to be re-purposed, reprogrammed or recycled to assist others in need in both the U.S. and around the world. For example, the Lions Clubs International Foundation collects hearing aids at its recycling centers, which are located around the community in public places like libraries or in audiologists’ office.

Technology Of Used Hearing Aids Also Matters

Technology is an umbrella term that encompasses many aspects of the hearing aids, like the power source, the programming capability, the age of the circuit and how well its working. A hearing care professional will need to evaluate the hearing aids to determine whether the technology;will work for you.

Read Also: Which Composer Experienced Severe Hearing Loss During His Lifetime

Hope For Hearing: Hearing Aid Recycling Program

Since 2010, the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has provided subspecialty services for the underprivileged of Washtenaw County in partnership with the Hope Clinic through the Hope at UMHS Clinic. A significant number of these patients suffer with hearing loss and could benefit from a hearing aid. Unfortunately, the high cost of hearing aids makes them an unreachable luxury for Hope at UMHS clinic patients.

In an effort to meet the needs of these patients, we established the Hope for Hearing hearing aid recycling program. This program allows us to collect gently used hearing aids and refurbish them for distribution to our Hope at UMHS patients.

You Should Consider Donating Your Hearing Aids

How And Where You Can Donate Used Hearing Aids?

Whether you have outgrown your hearing aids and need new ones, have decided to upgrade to a newer or better model, or received a set of hearing aids due to a family member passing away, you should never throw away hearing aids. Donate them instead!;Current annual production of hearing aids only meets approximately 10 percent of demand.

Regardless, even if annual production of hearing aid met demand,;there are countless people that could benefit from a hearing aid yet cant afford to purchase one. People living in poor areas of the world are especially vulnerable because they are often unable to;avoid common causes of hearing loss.

A donated hearing aid can be a lifeline to allow someone with hearing loss to be able to communicate, work, and once again live a normal life. For children, gaining a donated hearing aid might mean that they can succeed in school and have a chance at a better life.

Read Also: How To Turn On Hearing Aid Mode On Iphone

Donate Your Hearing Aids Tax Deduction Tip

Donate your Hearing Aids; Tax Deduction TipHealthy hearing should be enjoyed by all citizens. And for those who require hearing devices, economics shouldnt be a barrier to hearing health. The Hearing Aid Donation Center, a project of Hearing Charities of America, begins the process of recycling hearing aids for those in need.Through the generosity of organizations and institutions throughout the nation, your donated hearing aids will help others enjoy the sounds many of us take for granted.

Hearing Aid Donations

All used hearing aids are acceptedany age, any brand and any model. No matter how old or what brand your hearing aid is, it can be used to help someone in need.

Its as easy as 1, 2, 3

  • Package the hearing aid in sturdy, crush-proof container
  • Fill out donation form with your contact information and hearing aid details.
  • Print off confirmation page and include with your package. Printable shipping label also provided.
  • See more information at About the Taxes.The tax benefit is only available for those donors who itemize deductions on their tax returns. Those who take the standard deduction receive no additional tax benefit. Only contributions made during that previous tax year are eligible for tax benefits.

    You in the market to Buy a New Hearing Aid? Read this How to Buy a Hearing Aid Online Guide Free. No matter where you end of buying, this guide will save you money;

    Give The Gift Of Hearing

    We are a proud donation location for any and all used hearing aids. Donated hearing aids will be sent to an amazing group, The Starkey Hearing Foundation, that refurbishes the hearing aids and fits them to hearing impaired individuals around the world who would not otherwise have access hearing aids.

    Help this amazing foundation with their mission So the World May Hear reach their goal to fit 1 MILLION people this decade by donating yours or a family members old hearing aids. Bring the hearing aids to our office and we will donate for you! Upon donation you will receive a brochure explaining the foundation. This donation can also be used as a tax deduction.

    Recommended Reading: How Much Compensation Do You Get For Hearing Loss

    Lions Club Hearing Aid Recycling Program

    Lions Club International is a nonprofit organization that has a hearing aid recycling program. They refurbish the donated hearing aids and give them to those who cant afford them otherwise. Their mission is to be able to provide more access to hearing aids to people around the world.

    If you are interested in donating your hearing aids, visit the Lions Club website to find a local club that can provide you with more information on how to donate hearing aids in your area.

    How You Donate Hearing Aids

    Celebs Help #Starkey Cares Give Free Hearing Aids

    If youre interested in donating a pair of old hearing aids, you first need to find somewhere to donate. As described above, many organizations would love to accept your hearing aid donation.

    Depending on the place of donation, you may have different protocols to follow before donating your hearing aids. You can reach out directly to your group of choice to find information, or the organization may have the information listed on their website.

    If you are going to donate your hearing aids to a local charity, you may have to go to their location to drop them off in person. Although the group handles recycling, cleaning, and more, you should do your best to clean them beforehand.

    In the case that youre donating to a larger nonprofit, you may be able to ship them to a donation center. This process is quick and easy, as they will provide you with direct instructions from the organizations website.

    Don’t Miss: How To Connect Phonak Hearing Aids To Iphone

    What Hearing Aids Are Accepted

    Hearing Solutions accepts all hearing aid donations, whether the devices are working or not. Audiologists and Hearing Instrument Specialists in Peru will determine which hearing aids are in good working condition and which ones will be useful for parts.

    The recycled hearing aids will then be refurbished and reprogrammed to meet the needs of the selected patient.

    How To Recycle Your Hearing Aids In The Uk And Usa

    Do you have old hearing aids stuck in a drawer that you keep just because youre at a loss of what to do with them?;

    My son Harry wore hearing aids until he was 14 months old. Then he was implanted;with his cochlear implants. I knew that he would never need his hearing aids again, but I wasnt sure what to do with them. However, I discovered that there are ways for your old hearing aids to be recycled here in the UK and also in the USA.;

    Read Also: Why Does My Phonak Hearing Aid Beep

    Not Everyone Can Afford Hearing Aids

    One of the major reasons that many people dont receive hearing care is;the high cost. Furthermore, most people experience bilateral hearing loss, which means hearing loss in both ears and often requires two hearing aids. Unfortunately, most insurance plans do not include hearing aids in their coverage.;

    Aside from the hearing aids themselves, there;are additional costs as well. Things like a hearing test, consultation with an audiologist, fitting sessions, periodic cleanings, batteries, and warranty purchases are also additional expenses that can add up quickly.

    Why Its Important To Donate A Used Hearing Aid

    Fraser Valley Beltone Does Good Deed And Donates A Hearing ...

    First, here are some important statistics about hearing loss and hearing aids in the United States:

    • About 38.2 million Americans, or 14% of the total population, suffers from hearing loss
    • 91% of American adults suffering from hearing loss are over the age of 50
    • 15% of school-age children suffer from some form of hearing loss
    • Nearly 29 million adults with hearing loss can benefit from hearing aids, but
    • only 16% of them actually use hearing aids
    • The average age for first-time hearing aid users is 70, but again
    • Fewer than 30% of those over 70 who need hearing aids have ever used them

    This is very worrisome. Because untreated hearing loss has been associated with multiple health issues from an increased risk in falls to cognitive decline and depression.

    And the final compelling fact is that hearing loss can cost the average family $12,000 in income each year. But hearing aids can actually mitigate that cost by up to 50%.

    For a family that loses out on $12,000 each year, it may just not be possible for them to afford a hearing aid.

    Your old hearing aid can make a huge impact, in the health, quality of life and financial well-being, for a person in need who could not otherwise afford a hearing aid. It could also help a child in school who has difficulty hearing, which could affect their ability to get into higher education and make a livable wage when theyre older.

    Recommended Reading: Will Medicare Pay For Hearing Aids

    Olive Osmond Hearing Fund

    • Who are they? The Olive Osmond Hearing Fund is a non-profit organization that raises funds and awareness to support the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
    • What do they do with donated hearing aids? They refurbish donated devices and provide them to those who cannot afford hearing aids otherwise.
    • How do you donate to them? Complete the Aid Donation Form and send your hearing aid directly to the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund. Donations are tax-deductible.

    Donate Old Hearing Aids And Give The Gift Of Hearing

    As we begin a new year, we often think of ways we can better ourselves. Whether it be from becoming healthier, getting our finances in order, or starting a new hobby, this is a time when we create resolutions. As 2020 was a difficult year, many people may be looking for ways to also better their community. One of the ways to help is by donating your used hearing aids! Hearing impairment and deafness not only cause social isolation and depression, but can result in learning difficulties in children and decreased employment opportunities for adults. The challenge of communication during the pandemic has increased due to social distancing and wearing masks. Hearing aids and the related services have become limited to many due to COVID-19 restrictions and financial hardship.;

    Many service organizations have programs that accept donations of hearing aids and work with local hearing care professionals to provide them to those in need.;;Some of the organizations include The Lions Club, Sertoma, Hearing Charities of America, your local university, or speech and hearing clinics.; The donated hearing aids are repaired, including a complete cleaning, and any defective parts are replaced. ;The hearing aids are then re-programmed for the hearing loss of the recipient by the local hearing professional.;

    If you have hearing aids that you are no longer wearing, please consider donating them and give the gift of hearing.; Hearing is essential and your donation can change a life.

    Don’t Miss: How To Pair Hearing Aids To Iphone

    National Hearing Aid Project

    Hearing Charities of America has partnered with the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences & Disorders at the University of Kansas to set up a program where they accept and refurbish donated hearing aids and distribute them to people in need. They also provide free hearing evaluations to people that cannot afford them. To donate your hearing aid, go;here.

    How To Donate Hearing Aids

    First VLOG goes viral!! Durban audiologists donate hearing aids during covid19

    The invention of hearing aids is and was a life changing technological breakthrough that has helped millions of people improve their quality of life and gain more independence in daily activities including work, communication and entertainment. With the further advancement of technology, new and improved models and designs of hearing aids appear often making the current devices obsolete and eventually left unused. Those fortunate enough to be able to upgrade their hearing equipment often do not know what to do with the old devices.

    Instead of putting your old hearing aid in a drawer and forgetting about it or throwing it away, there are different ways you can dispose of it while at the same time giving a chance to someone else to improve their hearing. Unfortunately, hearing aids are not widely accessible, mainly due to financial limitations, to many people living in developing countries although problems with hearing impairment are just as common as in the rest of the world.

    One way to help others with hearing difficulties is by donating your old or used hearing aids. A donation will not only prolong the life and the usability of a good hearing aid but also be beneficial for someone who cannot have it in any other way. It is calculated that manufacturers meet about 10% of global need for hearing aids and many people around the world cannot afford either hearing loss prevention or hearing devices.

    Recommended Reading: How Long Do Hearing Aid Batteries Last

    Can You Donate Old Hearing Aids

    You can donate old, new, working, or broken hearing aids, depending on the initiative. Hearing aids that sit behind the ear and deliver sound into the ear with a wire or tube are the simplest to repurpose.

    Hearing aids that are custom-made to fit into the ear canal can be used one way or another. Sometimes the electronics may be put into a new shell custom-made for the intended recipient. Many times providers of donated devices send ITE hearing aids and ones that are old or broken, to a manufacturer who issues credit to them for the useful parts of the devices, which they then put to good use.

    Where To Donate Used Hearing Aids

    Just like many companies will take your old cell phones, laptops, batteries, and more, many places will take your used hearing aids. Rather than letting your hearing aids sit in your home unused, donating them will put them to good use.

    Whats more, if youre interested, donating used hearing aids is typically tax-deductible as well. So, while youre doing a good deed by allowing your hearing aids to be recycled, you may also benefit. Once youve decided that you want to donate your used hearing aids, you have to figure out where to do so.

    Many nonprofits exist around the United States, and beyond, that accept seemingly all styles of used hearing aids. You can have behind the ear, in the ear, or other models and all can be put to good use. Already mentioned,

    Lions Club Hearing Aid Recycling is a popular nonprofit that accepts hearing aids and redistributes them in a meaningful way. The Hearing Aid Project is another nonprofit that welcomes used hearing aids.

    The group recycles, repairs, and modifies used hearing aids to be fit for new users. It works to provide hearing aids to those in need who otherwise wouldnt be able to afford hearing aids.

    The Starkey Hearing Foundation is another popular organization that accepts used hearing aids donations. Reports have stated that the organization collects 60,000 used hearing aids per year. The group uses those hearing aids to support people who are in desperate need of hearing assistance.

    You May Like: How Many Decibels Of Noise Can Cause Temporary Hearing Loss

    Hearing Loss Association Of America

    Contact your state or local chapter of;HLAA;for information on state agencies or other community programs that recycle and accept donated hearing aids.

    Hearing aids of any make, model, age, and condition can be donated. Hearing aids that cant be refurbished are used for parts for other hearing aids, so consider donating your hearing aid even if it doesnt function.;

    Who Decides Who Needs A Hearing Aid

    Donate

    There is a National Council in Peru for people with disabilities, backed by local municipal programs, that receives requests. Hearing aid candidates are put on a waiting list and tested by an Audiologist to assess their level of hearing loss. The Audiologist will also determine what type of hearing aid will work best for the patient.

    Once a hearing aid matching the patients needs is available, theyre called into the clinic and fitted with their new assistive devices.

    Read Also: Why Is Water Getting Trapped In My Ear

    Hear For A Purpose Hearing Foundation

    • Who are they? Hear For A Purpose is a non-profit organization that aims to improve hearing healthcare in the Dominican Republic.
    • What do they do with donated hearing aids? They clean, check and, if necessary, recondition the devices to distribute to people with hearing loss in the Dominican Republic on their annual humanitarian missions.
    • How do you donate to them? Hear For A Purpose accepts any brand or age RIC and BTE hearing aids. Mail your hearing aid directly to Hear For A Purpose. Donations are tax-deductible.

    Is There Any Value In A Used Hearing Aids

    by Hearts for Hearing | Feb 5, 2020 | Hearing Aids News

    How can you recycle used hearing aids? Whether they were owned by a departed relative or you chose to upgrade your hearing aids to something fancier like a cochlear implant, the answer is the same: donate your pre-owned hearing aids rather than throwing them away.

    There are several organizations that acquire and circulate used hearing aids to people who could really use them, and there are many people who need them. Read on to discover why its important to donate your pre-owned hearing aid and find out how you can go about it.

    Don’t Miss: What Are The 3 Main Causes Of Hearing Loss

    Can You Sell Or Donate Used Hearing Aids

    Hearing aids are custom-fitted for the person who will be wearing them. Thats why its essential to consider the style of used hearing aids youve acquired. From a functional viewpoint, they may not work well for the person who received them secondhand. Its also not hygienic to reuse in-the-ear hearing aids from one person to the next.

    Over-the-ear hearing aids can be acquired used and still offer benefits for the people wearing them. If youve recently upgraded your hearing aids and have a spare pair youd like to donate, many organizations would love to have them. Ideas on ways to reuse your over-the-ear hearing aids are listed below for you to consider.

    Selling Used Hearing Aids

    Although some people would advise against it, selling your old hearing aid enables someone else to benefit from its use. It also lets you recoup some of its initial cost. Being able to help someone else with better hearing care feels excellent. Its something youll be glad that you did.

    Trade-In Your Used Hearing Aid for a Newer Model

    Some audiologists partner with charities to donate working hearing aids to people in need. You can request more information about such a program when you go in to get fitted for your new hearing aid. Youll know right away whether the ear specialist works with another party to bring the gift of better hearing into peoples lives.

    Donate Your Used Hearing Aid

    Contact Us Today for More Information About How to Help Others with Hearing Loss

    See more

    Disposing Of Your Hearing Aid Batteries

    Naples girl who lost her hearing aid gets a generous donation from a doctor

    Some hearing aid batteries contain mercury while others dont. Mercury-free batteries will state on the packaging that they dont contain mercury. Batteries that state mercury-free on the label are safe to throw away with the rest of your household garbage. However, when it comes time to dispose of your batteries that contain mercury, you should seek out a recycling center that accepts mercury batteries and they will safely recycle them. If there isnt a recycling center near your home, many retailers that sell hearing aids will accept mercury batteries as well.

    Recommended Reading: How To Clean Out Ears Properly

    Why You Should Consider Donating Your Pre

    First, here are some significant stats about hearing loss and hearing aids in the United States:

    • Of the total populace, around 14% have some kind of hearing loss
    • Of all of the adults who have loss of hearing 91% percent are over 50 years old
    • 15% of school-age children suffer from some form of hearing loss
    • Almost 29 million adults with hearing loss can benefit from hearing aids, but
    • only 16% of them actually make use of hearing aids
    • First time hearing aid users have an average age of 70, but again
    • Of those over 70 who require hearing aids, fewer than 30% percent have ever had them

    This is extremely troubling. Because health problems like mental decline, increased risk of falling, and depression have been linked to untreated hearing loss. The importance of your hearing to your general health is backed up by new research coming out all of the time. Getting hearing aids can lessen these health issues .

    And hearing loss will cost the typical family up to $12,000 each year which should be a very persuasive fact. But that expense can actually be decreased by up to 50% with hearing aids.

    For a family that loses out on $12,000 each year, it may simply not be possible for them to pay for a hearing aid.

    The Impact Of Your Hearing Aid Donations

    One 21 year-old Peruvian woman with a profound hearing loss hadnt worn hearing aids since elementary school because she could not afford to purchase new ones and her old pair had broken.

    Purinapaq received two donated power behind-the-ear style hearing aids that were perfect for the patient. When she came to the clinic and had the hearing aid turned on for the first time, she started to laugh for over 5 minutes. She told her mother I hear you when you whisper about me.

    Don’t Miss: What Medications Can Cause Hearing Loss

    What You Can Do With Your Old Hearing Aids

    What can you do with your old hearing aids? This is a common question asked by hearing aid users who purchase a new device, or by people who have come across relatives unused aids. If youre a hearing aid user keeping one hearing aid as a spare is a good idea in case yours needs repairs or you are left without one for some reason. If you have an unwanted hearing aid, consider donating it to one of the many initiatives that accept donated aids for a good cause, or consider donating it to a loved one.

    How To Package And Send Hearing Aids

    Donate hearing aids to the ones in need!

    Donation bins and centers have become a staple in communities across the country, making it easier than ever to give old items a new home. Hearing aids are no exception, which is why the Hearing Aid Project makes it simple to turn donated hearing aids into a new beginning for someone in need.

    Every day, millions struggling with hearing loss face the harsh reality of the rising cost of hearing aids. Thankfully, the Hearing Aid Project is able to eliminate the financial barriers that hold many people back from this life-changing technology.

    Hearing aids of any type, age, or condition are accepted and those that can are refurbished and given to recipients of the Hearing Aid Project. Hearing aids that cannot be reconditioned are used for repairs- meaning every donation can and will make a difference in the life of someone who needs it.

    Donate your old hearing aids today! Fill out the;online donation form and ship your hearing aids to the address below:

    Hearing Charities of America

    Recommended Reading: How To Get Hard Wax Out Of Ear

    More articles

    Popular Articles