What To Do With Your Used Hearing Aids
It may sound funny to buy a used hearing aid, but there's nothing funny about it if you are in need and don't have the cash. Hearing aids are usually quite expensive, and used hearing aids are available for those who can't drop a big stack of cash.
If you have an old hearing aid you are no longer using, or if you have just upgraded and you don't need the old one anymore, donate it to someone who can use it. Hearing aids are a great help to anyone with hearing loss, and you could really make a difference in someone's life.
Don't worry if the old hearing aids don't work. The condition doesn't matter. Old hearing aids can be fixed up and used by someone.
There is an organization in the United States called "Hear Now" that gets used hearing aids to the people that need them. They take old ones, fix them up and repair them, and sell them cheaply. The money made is put toward buying newer hearing aids to give to the needy. Hear Now is part of the Starkey Hearing Foundation and you can find them on the web at www.sotheworldmayhear.org.
You can also look for local organizations like the Lions Club, Knights of Columbus, or a local senior center, that run hearing aid banks. These organizations can take your old hearing aids and also help you to buy used ones cheaply. They also can tell you about programs you can use to fund your hearing aids.
If you would like to donate your hearing aids to a needy person in another country, there are a few places on the web where you can do this:
Rotary Club -
www.helpthechildrenhear.org/
The Rotary Club runs a program called "Help the Children Hear" that donates hearing aids to people in the Philippines, Central America and South America. They will take your old hearing aids, fix them and get them to someone who needs them.
Worldwide Hearing -
www.worldwidehearing.org
This organization gets hearing aids to needy people in Central and South America. Their website is full of information about what they do, as well as heartwarming pictures of the recipients.
Liga International -
www.ligainternational.org
You may have heard of Liga International's Flying Doctors of Mercy. In addition to other goods, they take used hearing aids and give them to kids in Mexico.
Help The Aged - www.helptheaged.org
This English organization gives used hearing aids to those in need in India.
Whether you are looking to get rid of your old hearing aids, or looking to buy an inexpensive used one, Listen Up's website is full of good resources. They can tell you what to do with them and whether your insurance, medicaid or medicare will cover them. They have state-specific information and a long list or links. Here is the web address: www.listen-up.org/haidfund.htm.
Just because you've gotten a lot of use out of a hearing aid doesn't mean that it's finished. Any kind of hearing aid can be fixed up and used again.