I Lost My Hearing Aid!
One of our patients lost a hearing aid last week.
It happens.
He is covered under his loss warranty – so he can get a replacement, but not without paying a deductible.
Regardless
Someone found his hearing aid – and returned it to a hearing aid dispenser nearby.
The hearing aid dispenser called the hearing aid manufacturer and they looked up the serial number. Thought their detective work, the hearing aid was tracked back to our office.
The hearing aid manufacturer called our office to tell us where the patient’s hearing aid could be found.
In turn, we called the patient to give him the wonderful news – not only was his hearing aid found, but so many people went to extra lengths to locate the owner of the lost hearing aid and return it to him.
It is hoped that the loss of a hearing aid, given the expense involved, could be avoided. Complete avoidance may be impossible, but we do have ways where we can shave the odds in an effort to recover a lost hearing aid:
- Make note of your serial numbers. If you misplace your hearing aids, you can call the audiologist or hearing aid manufacturer and they can put a notification on file attached to the serial numbers.
- Keep your bluetooth on! If your hearing aids are attached to your phone, you can “Find Your Hearing Aids” and identify their location, much like you can for an Apple product.
- Make certain that you place the receivers deep inside your ear canal – they will be less likely to fall out that way.
- Make a mental note to feel for the hearing aids on your ears every hour or so. This way, if they get lost you can zone in on when/where you last had them.
- There are bluetooth devices that you can use to track your hearing aids. Some are more functional than others, look on the internet and research which one is best suited for you. If your hearing aids are a part of an IFTTT forum in your home or work (If This, Than That) you can program your unit to identify a lost item within the forum.
In the wake of such a heartwarming and positive gesture of good will, it’s also important to remember to always pay it forward. If you find a hearing aid (or other device) that has been lost, return it to the nearest Audiologist or call the manufacturer who is likely to be able to investigate the rightful owner.
We never know when we personally will need someone to “pay it forward.”
