Old hearing aids can accumulate like old glasses with outdated prescriptions or lenses you no longer like. Just as donating your old glasses can provide the gift of sight to someone else, you can use your old hearing aids to give the gift of hearing. Your used hearing aids can make an enormous impact on the health, quality of life and financial well being of a person in need.
Insurance often does not cover hearing aids and not everyone has access to insurance, even if a company does cover the hearing aids. The price of the simplest hearing aids can be an impossible expense for many people who suffer from hearing loss, including children. There are opportunities to help those with hearing loss here in the United States and in other countries where access to hearing health professionals and hearing aids may be unavailable.
Donating Your Old Hearing Aids
Did you know that there is an entire community centered around the collection of hearing aids all over the United States? This community provides critical aid to those in need by providing them with hearing aids and includes the donors of used hearing aids, state and local organizations, and volunteers that work with individuals experiencing hearing loss.
- The Hearing Aid Center is a great place to start. They work to establish collection centers in every community and provide the personal assistance and education needed to help those suffering with hearing loss. You can help a child excel in school, an adult get a better-paying job, prevent cognitive decline – all by donating your used hearing aids. They have many ways you can get involved beyond just donating your hearing aids.
- The Starkey Hearing Foundation has provided hearing healthcare services to over 1.5 million people in need around the world in over 100 countries for more than 30 years. Their website has wonderful videos showing the result of giving the gift of sound. You can also choose multiple ways to help beyond just hearing aid donations.
- Hear Now is a part of the Starkey Hearing Foundation that focuses on helping those in need in the United States. Hear Now takes the donated hearing aids, repairs and resells them. That income is used to buy newer hearing aids for people who cannot afford them. Their information is normally found on the Starkey Hearing Foundation website (link above); however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have suspended their hearing aid recycling program until further notice.
- Hearing Charities of America collects used hearing aids so they can be refurbished and given to those in need through the Hearing Aid Project. To donate, please mail hearing aids to:
Hearing Charities of America/Sertoma, Inc.
ATTN: Meredith See
1912 E. Meyer Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64132
816-333-8300
- Lions Clubs: The Hearing Aid Recycling Program (HARP) enables Lions to provide affordable, refurbished hearing aids for individuals with limited financial resources. Lions currently maintain hearing aid recycling centers in Canada and in the United States.
- Knights of Columbus: The Knights of Columbus also collect used hearing aids. Contact your local organization for more information, as COVID-19 may have changed current procedures.
All of these organizations will provide you with information on how to carefully pack and ship your hearing aids. You should also ask if they need you to perform any precautions due to COVID-19; or, if they are still accepting donations at this time. If they are not, hang onto your hearing aids until later or try another foundation.
Benefits of Donating Old Hearing Aids
Hearing loss is related to so many physical and mental conditions, including cognitive decline and social isolation. In younger sufferers, hearing loss has just as profound effects, such as preventing their ability to play sports or even get into college because they are unable to hear in school.
Giving the gift of hearing can have many benefits, including:
- Helping a person get a job or a better job
- Helping a child excel in school or get into college
- Helping children, adolescents and adults play and enjoy sports
- Lowering the risk for hearing loss-related cognitive decline
- Allowing individuals with hearing loss to participate in conversations, listen to a live concert, watch a movie and enjoy an active social life
- Helping a child hear their parents voices for the first time
Your donation is also eligible as a charitable tax deduction; however, you need to speak with your accountant as to the exact amount that can be deducted, as your purchase price is not the write-off amount. You also may need to get a receipt from the organization you choose to donate to.
Sonora Hearing Care Helps Our Local Community
Sonora Hearing Care supports community organizations serving those with hearing loss. (Grace Hearing Center, The SERTOMA Hearing Aid Bank, and the Adult Loss of Hearing Association-ALOHA). If you are one of our patients or are in the area and have unused or old hearing aids, consider bringing them into our clinic and to be donated to these organizations. These donated hearing aids are given to low-income residents in the southern Arizona area who would not be able to afford these devices. By donating hearing aids that you or a family member is no longer using, you will give someone in the community a better quality of life! Please pass on our contact information to other friends and family who also use hearing aids.
Our goal at Sonora Hearing Care is to provide you with the right devices to live your best life and the support you need. When you trade up, you can provide this same help to someone in need! Contact us to speak with an audiology professional or to make an appointment. Let us help you change your hearing and life for the better and help someone else in the process.