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DECIDING BETWEEN HEARING AID REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT

One of the most common questions we hear is, “My hearing aid is damaged or is not performing the same way it used to – do you think I should purchase a new one, or have it repaired?” The only possible answer is “It depends.” The matter of whether to replace or repair hinges on many factors, and the “ideal answer” is particular to the person asking the question. It is worthwhile to state upfront, that all hearing aids, without regard for their original price or quality, should be expected to stop working sooner or later. Why does this happen? Mostly because of continued use in a hostile environment filled with moisture and earwax. Ear wax is normal and necessary because it guards the sensitive lining of the outer ear, but it can be hard on hearing aids; moisture that is left in the ears after showering or swimming can be even tougher on them. Over and above the inhospitable environment, accidental breakage from falls, and wearing away of components both play a role in declining performance. You should be expecting that your hearing aids would require replacement or repair at some point. They won’t keep going forever. So how should you decide between repair and replace? The biggest factor really is you, and whether you like your existing hearing aids. If you like them and are used to the sound that they generate or really like the fit, repair could be the better option for you. Cost is clearly another major thing to consider. While brand new aids may cost thousands, repairing your existing hearing aids might be possible for a few hundred. Countering this, however, many people have insurance coverage that will fully or partly cover the cost of new hearing aids, but that won’t cover repairing them.

 

Main Line Audiology Consultants, PC|  (610) 616-4982|  http://mainlineaudiology.com    

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If you opt to have your hearing aids fixed, another question that comes up is, “Should I take them to the clinic I bought them from, or send them to one of the numerous laboratories who advertise on the Internet?” While Internet advertisers will try to position your community audiologist as merely a middleman, that’s not accurate. There are many benefits of staying nearby. Think about whether you are qualified to assess whether a badly functioning hearing aid needs repairs versus cleaning? Are you able to figure out if your broken aid is fixable at all? Your local audiologist or hearing instrument specialist can tell you what is actually wrong with it and may be able to fix it right then. If they need to ship the hearing aid back to the manufacturer for major repairs, they’ll make the process easy for you and you may even get a better rate because they work in bulk. More options are open to those who elect to replace their existing hearing aids. It is advisable to be open to new styles and technologies acknowledging that anything different takes some getting used to. More recent hearing aid designs may have features that you are interested in, and can be fine-tuned and programmed to match your individual hearing needs. Ultimately, the “replace or repair” question cannot be answered by anyone besides you.