Good topic, especially on an outdoor enthusiast forum. My wife is an audiologist who sees a lot of hunters come through her office, so remember to wear ear protection especially in target practice. Here is what she said about getting hearing aids if anyone needs assistance:
1) Most used hearing aids picked up by audiologist offices that my wife knows of, go to a Lions club drive. The Lions club has them cleaned, gutted and/or re-programmed, and donates them typically overseas. However, she wasn't sure whether they all are donated overseas. Try getting in contact with the Lions club and ask if they have a local applicant process. Also, the Riley Children's hospital is the other organization that collects used hearing aids from her office, so if anyone has kids who need them you might try to get in contact with Riley.
2) Some people on Medi-caid (not Medi-care) may be elligible for hearing aids
3) The state of Indiana offers a vocational rehabilitation program that may be worth looking into. If you are currently working or in the employment market and your lack of hearing hurts your ability to perform your job, you may qualify for assistance in getting hearing aids.
4) If you are given a used hearing aid, you need to get it re-programmed to match your hearing loss. Each individual's hearing loss is unique and affects a different set of sound frequencies. A used hearing aid tuned to another person's loss may seem to provide a bit of amplification at certain frequencies, but can actually do more damage than good. Generic "hearing aids" which just amplify the sound without being calibrated may also seem to provide some benefit but can do damage as well. If you are lucky enough to come across a good quality used hearing aid, find an audiologist who deals with that specific brand and have them clean and re-program it for you. There may be a charge of 25-50 dollars, but that's a bargain if you know what they cost new.
Finally, if anyone has any other questions let me know and I can pass the question on to my wife.
