Your hearing aids were no longer worth the cost of a repair, so you had to get a new set. Or maybe you needed to upgrade to the newest technology. Or maybe an elderly relative passed away recently, and they had hearing aids that are still in good condition. Whatever the reason, you now have old hearing aids you don’t need. However, someone else could use them. Why not donate them to charity? Why should I give my old hearing aids to charity? Hearing is a very important part of how we interact with the world around us. Hearing loss cuts us off from communication with family, friends, and others we see every day. This has been associated with mental health concerns like depression and anxiety, social withdrawal, and cognition and brain health – such as auditory/mental fatigue and memory loss. Donating your hearing aids, therefore, can help those less fortunate stay connected to the world around them. Who would take my old hearing aids? CEENTA has partnered with the Lions Club of Sherrill’s Ford, NC. CEENTA collects the old hearing aids. They are then refurbished and given to people who either cannot afford to purchase them or do not qualify for assistance through the state. You can drop off your old hearing aids at any CEENTA location with audiology services. They will then be collected in our Concord office, and from there they are transported to the Lions Club for distribution. “Helen Keller was quoted as saying ‘Blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people,’” CEENTA Audiology Administrative Assistant Patty Hagler, who spearheads the program, said. “Hearing loss affects family and friends as well as the patient. It is frustrating when a loved one has trouble understanding you or anyone around him or her. Donations to the Lions Club give us an opportunity to give some hearing back to an individual who would not be able to afford it.” You know how much you appreciate the help hearing aids have given you and your loved ones in reconnecting with the world. Next time you upgrade yours, leave your old hearing aids and accessories behind. You could help reconnect someone else with the world around them. CEENTA has audiology services in nearly every office in North and South Carolina. To make an appointment for a hearing screening, call 704-295-3000.
