Thursday, March 28, 2024
39.0°F

Ask your audiologist...

by Tia Flynn
| March 16, 2010 9:00 PM

In these economic hardship times is there a way to donate old hearing aids so someone else can use them?

Some offices may take donated aids and try to help others with them. At our office we love donated behind the ear hearing (BTE) aids because we can help a less fortunate local person. If I have a hearing impaired patient come in that cannot afford new aids and I have a donated one that will work for them I just require them to purchase a mold for the donated aid. I don't always have good quality donated aids on hand in the office so you have to ask to be put on a waiting list if I don't currently have any.

In the ear (ITE) hearing aids are a different story. This is because in the ear aids are custom fit and the cost to remake them to a new ear is a pretty large expense. I usually don't recommend spending money on remaking a used ITE aid that may not last very long.

I usually save up the in the ear hearing aids until I have a few then I pass them along to the Lion's club. I was told that there is a special repair department of the Lion's club in Denver that can reuse some of the inner parts to help others hear.

If you have old hearing aids that you would like to donate please do not hesitate to bring them to us.

If you need to stop by after hours you may leave them in the mailbox next to our front door. Always keep a spare hearing aid(s) just in case your current hearing aid needs repaired. Only donate aids that you are sure you won't need anymore.

Dr. Tia Flynn is a certified audiologist and can be reached at (208) 664-2767.Every Tuesday morning from 9 a.m. to noon, Dr. Flynn provides free earwax removal, hearing aid cleanings, in office hearing aid repairs and hearing screenings at 1601 Third St. in Coeur d'Alene.