Is it possible to recycle used hearing aids? Whether they were owned by a passed family member or you decided to update your hearing aids to something fancier such as a cochlear implant, the solution is the same: donate your pre-owned hearing aids rather than throwing them away.
There are lots of people dealing with hearing loss who would benefit from donated hearing aid, and a few institutions out there that acquire and circulate those hearing aids to the people in need. Keep reading to discover how and why to donate used hearing aids.
Why You Should Look Into Donating Your Pre-Owned Hearing Aids
First, here are a few important statistics about hearing loss and hearing aids in the United States:
- Approximately 14% of the total population, has hearing loss
- 91% of adults who have loss of hearing are above the age of 50
- 15% of school-age children suffer from some kind of hearing loss
- Approximately 29 million adults with hearing loss can benefit from hearing aids, 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…
- Of those people over 70 who require hearing aids, fewer than 30% percent have ever had them
I think we should be worried. Because health problems like mental decline, greater risk of falling, and depression have been connected to untreated loss of hearing. The relevance of your hearing to your overall health is supported by new research being released all of the time. These health problems can be eliminated and in certain situations reversed by hearing aids.
And the final convincing point is that hearing loss can cost the typical family $12,000 in income every single year. But hearing aids can actually decrease that cost by as much as 50%.
For a family that loses out on $12,000 every year, it may just not be feasible for them to afford a hearing aid.
Your pre-owned hearing aid can have an enormous effect, in the overall health, quality of life and financial stability, for an individual in need who could not otherwise afford a hearing aid. It might also help a child in school that has difficulty hearing, which could affect their ability to enter into higher education and make a decent living when they get older.
How to Donate Your Used Hearing Aid
There are lots of volunteer organizations and manufacturers who help recycle old hearing aids. Stop by and we can help you find a recycling strategy. Or give us a call.