How can you recycle used hearing aids? The answer is definitely the same whether you decide to upgrade to a more sophisticated model like cochlear implants or you got them from a departed family member: donate your pre-owned hearing aids rather than throwing them away.
There are several organizations that collect and circulate used hearing aids to individuals who need them, and there are lots of people who need them. Read on to discover why it’s important to donate your pre-owned hearing aid and learn how you can go about it.
Why It’s Important to Contribute a Pre-owned Hearing Aid
First, here are a few important statistics about hearing loss and hearing aids in the United States:
- Approximately 14% of the overall population, suffers from hearing loss
- Of all of the adults suffering from hearing loss 91% percent are above 50 years old
- 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% (4.6 million) 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, less than 30% percent have ever used them
This is really worrisome. Because health issues 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 studies coming out all of the time. These health issues can be prevented and in some situations reversed by hearing aids.
And the final convincing fact is that loss of hearing can cost the average family $12,000 in earnings every year. But hearing aids can actually decrease that cost by up to 50%.
For a family that loses out on $12,000 every year, it may simply not be possible for them to pay for a hearing aid.
Your old hearing aid can make an enormous impact, in the overall health, quality of life and financial well-being, for a person in need who could not otherwise afford a hearing aid. It could also cost a child the ability to go to college and better their lives because they can’t hear in school.
How to Donate Your Used Hearing Aid
There are lots of volunteer organizations and makers who help recycle old hearing aids. Stop by and we can help you find a recycling program. Or you can just give us a call.