How can you recycle used hearing aids? Whether they were owned by a deceased family member or you decided to update your hearing aids to something fancier like a cochlear implant, the answer is the same: your used hearing aids need to be donated versus getting rid of.
There are a lot of people dealing with loss of hearing who could use a donated hearing aid, and a number of organizations out there that collect and distribute those hearing aids to the people in need. Read on to discover why it’s important to donate your used hearing aid and find out how you can go about it.
Why It’s Important to Donate a Pre-owned Hearing Aid
First, here are a few important statistics about hearing loss and hearing aids in the US:
- Approximately 14% of the total population, suffers from hearing loss
- 91% of adults suffering from loss of hearing are above the age of 50
- There is evidence of hearing loss in 15% of school aged children
- Hearing aids would benefit almost 29 million adults with loss of hearing, but…
- …hearing aids are actually utilized by only 16% (4.6 million) of them
- The general age for first-time hearing aid users is 70, but again…
- Less than 30% of individuals over 70 who require hearing aids have ever had them
I think we should be worried. Because health issues like cognitive decline, greater risk of falling, and depression have been associated with untreated hearing loss. In fact, new studies come out all the time showing how important hearing is to your general health. Getting hearing aids can lessen these health problems (and in certain cases even reverse them).
And loss of hearing will cost the average family up to $12,000 every year which should be an extremely persuasive point. But hearing aids can actually reduce that cost by as much as 50%.
It may not be feasible for families who lose $12,000 a year to afford hearing aids.
For an individual in need, who can’t afford a hearing aid, your pre-owned hearing aids can have a big impact on their financial stability, quality of life, and overall health. It may also help a child in school that has a hard time hearing, which could affect their ability to get into higher education and make a decent living when they’re older.
Donating Your Used Hearing Aids
There are many volunteer groups and makers who help recycle old hearing aids. Stop by and we can help you find a recycling program. Or you can simply give us a call.