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What to do with hearing aids of someone who has died?

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In reply to @BoCat

@BoCat said:

look at https://www.charitynavigator.org/ - but that was not useful in this case.

Charity Navigator - Rating for Lions Clubs International Foundation1 Lions club is the name of the charity I mentioned. They reference Hearing Charities of America, which is too small to be required to file the forms used by charity navigator. Lions Clubs have been giving away free eyeglasses for almost 100 years. I don’t know how long they have been doing , but I heard they have a fund to provide grants for new aids to some in need.

My eye doctor is an active Lions Club member (She tried really hard to recruit me!) but I don’t have a dog in the fight. See a lions club if you need hearing aids.

WH

In NE Ohio we have the Cleveland Speech and Hearing Center that has a program to refurbish and distribute used aids. Depending on where you are in Texas there may be a similar outfit near you, Contact your local school district - I’m sure they have speech and hearing services in their rolodex for student referrals.

@elminero said:

You can find examples of this on eBay.

You can also find Phonak Trial Aids on eBay as well.

Not meant to be sold but they are.

:slight_smile:

Edited

In reply to @elminero

Certainly I am aware that hearing aids are sold on ebay, but I doubt by audiologists where I am. I don’t think our regulations allow it. Maybe it’s different in the States. With the acknowledgement that our search engines will direct us in different directions, I just checked the first three pages of my “hearing aids” search (dodging the ) and there were no small local audiology clinics. A few prolific international sellers (largely China and India) and one seller with no information which I would assume is a private individual.

That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, I’m sure it does. But I couldn’t find immediate examples to support “most”, and I am not personally aware of any clinics that do this.

Hi. I’m a hearing aid technician in NJ and Colombia, South America. We are glad if you can donate us for a poor people in this country, Colombia. I’m an American Citizen and I live in NJ. I’m traveling to Colombia in the first week of February if you want to donate us. Just in case, my address is:
Gerardo Casteblanco
1704 Albert St.
Piscataway, NJ 08854
I really appreciate your help!

My HLAA (Hearing Loss Association Chapter) accepts used hearing aids. We then send them to a local charity called Hearing the Call who refurbish them and get then tools income people with hearing loss. In the San Fran. area there are several HLAA Chapters. I know of HLAA East Bay and HLAA North Bay that have active Chapters. Contact them. Good luck.

Do not take hearing aids away from someone that died because they may need 'em in the afterlife.

You never know.

I would be careful of selling/giving away to random people. Hearing aids, like prescription glasses are “fitted” to each individual - both physically and audiological. You can’t just stick any old in your ears and expect to properly hear things any more than you can put my glasses on your face and see properly.

Yes but unlike glasses, are very easily adjusted to ones loss, there’s nothing wrong with giving away or selling ones old HAs (not withstanding the fact that they need to be fully sanitised before use)

Edited
@tenkan said:

they need to be fully sanitised before use)

@tenkan: A quick spritz with which, then? Listerine or household javel water? (And wiping off immediately, of course!!)

THE CORRECT ANSWER IS - NEITHER! Even alcohol wipes can damage your devices.

If you don’t know how to do it yourself, take them to the audiologist, or buy a good quality dryer. Dry the aids and brush or vacuum any loose cerumen off the appliances. Replace receivers and domes, too.

@SpudGunner said:

THE CORRECT ANSWER IS - NEITHER! Even alcohol wipes can damage your devices.

YES!!

I’m an admin for a Hearing Devices Pimping FB Page and I’m always saying no alcohol wipes!!

Oticon specifically bought a release out during Covid saying no alcohol wipes. (The release might have been UK only.)

In reply to @SpudGunner

Oh I always use wipes,I remove the housing and clean with good old warm soapy water, plus i always fit new receivers and domes, this is a given! I use 40% isopropyl for the internal circuit/chassis, anything to strong can reduce the nano technology that’s coated on every .
This is what’s known as “sanitising” you’d be surprised how much wax, dirt you find “inside” HAs, a lot of bacteria and fungi live inside not just on the outside.
There’s a lot of wipes on the market that are specially formulated for use with HAs for the purpose of sanitising, those dryers U/V units are ok, but that’s not the same, they are great for moisture issues,since covid19 I’ve become even more meticulous with my cleaning on just about everything, including the steering wheel in my car, a great germ farm I hear!

In reply to @Zebras

Alcohol wipes are fine occasionally - not recommended to use regularly. I asked our Phonak rep about this when Covid started - a low concentration of alcohol (like what comes in the little wipes) is ok. I wouldn’t use them regularly on earmolds though.

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