As a person who is hearing impaired, you just experienced your worst nightmare. Something just happened to your hearing aid! You accidentally dropped it into your drink. You just hopped into the shower without removing them. You just knocked one off of the countertop where it sat and stepped on it. You just…..insert your worst nightmare here. Now what? First, calm down and take a deep breath. It will be all right. Now you as yourself, where do you go to repair hearing aids? Depending on your situation, you have several possibilities.
Possibilities Include:
- Go to your audiologist.
- If you don’t have one, find an audiologist.
- Go directly to a repair lab.
Go to Your Audiologist
If your audiologist is where you bought your hearing aids, they may still be covered under warranty. Discuss this with your service provider to determine if you have coverage or not. This could help you avoid a $100-$200 repair bill. Worst case scenario, your hearing aid is not repairable and needs to be replaced. It is a possibility it can be replaced under warranty. Another upside to going back to your audiologist is: she might give you a temporary hearing aid until yours is returned from service. That’s an awesome benefit to take advantage of! Without a doubt, it’s frustrating to not be able to hear well while waiting on a repair. It can take up 5-7 days to finish a repair job.
Find an Audiologist
If you currently do not have an audiologist you can schedule an appointment with, it’s easy to find one. There are multiple avenues at your disposal to find hearing aid help. With a little effort you will find hearing aid providers that can meet your needs.
- Get a referral from your family doctor.
- Ask your health insurance company.
- Complete a Google search for an Audiologist in your local area.
- Use the yellow pages in your phone book or online.
For more information on finding a service provider you can read the following article: Find an Audiologist.
Go Directly to a Repair Lab
Considering a repair lab may be a possibility if there is one in your area. You may find one listed in your local yellow pages or you can conduct an online search to see if there is one near you. This possibly could save you a little time due to not having to ship your hearing aid out of town. However, the downside is you may have to pay out of your own pocket. Also, you won’t be able to get a loaner hearing aid to use while your repairs are being made.
Maintenance Protects Your Investment
Regular maintenance is recommended whether there is an actual problem or not. Take your hearing aid to your service provider every 3-6 months to have it cleaned and inspected. This may be free and could help you avoid the need to repair hearing aids in the future.