Hearing Aid

hearing aid may not look like much, but it could be very expensive. "It's a range usually from around $1500 to maybe $3500 for just one hearing aid," said audiologist Caroline Roberts with Blount Hearing and Speech Services in Maryville. Roberts says the high cost can prevent people who need the devices most from being able to hear.

"Seventy percent of our patient base lives at or below the poverty level," said Hearing and Speech Foundation Executive Director Megan Venable Smith. "They pay nothing for anything. The doctor visits, the hearing aids, the ear molds, the batteries--we cover everything." Some recycled hearing aids can be given to patients on the spot, but others are sent to the manufacturer, who also donates refurbishing services.

Outdated, broken or damaged hearing aids that are donated to the program can be sent back to the original manufacturer to be used for parts. Roberts says the program has put more than 400 hearing aids on area residents in the first year alone. To donate a hearing aid to the Hearing and Speech Foundation, contact Megan Venable Smith at (865) 977-0981 or simply mail or drop off the device at the office, located at 1619 E. Broadway in Maryville, TN, 37804.