Last month one of our clients had called and asked if his hearing aids were still in warranty and covered for loss and damage protection. This client was working around a pile of coal dust and had dropped a black hearing aid right in the middle of it (you can’t make this stuff up). The next day he called to report that he had found it with the use of a metal detector.

This technique is pretty useful if you know approximately where a hearing aid has been lost, but what if it is somewhere between the house and the grocery store? In this case loss and damage protection warranty is the only way to go. If the hearing aids are out of their original loss and damage protection warranty and you find that the original manufacturer will not re-warranty your hearing aids due to their age or the onetime loss and damage replacement has already been used, then there is a company called Ebsco that will warranty any hearing aid as long as it is in good operating condition. For more information about Ebsco, visit their website at www.earserv.com.

Another idea that most people tend to not think of is their home owner’s insurance policy. Ask your insurance agent if this protection is already included in your plan. If so, normally it will be found under a section which includes other personal property such as jewelry, silverware, cameras, art, etc…

On a final note, there are inexpensive clips available at most hearing offices that will fasten the aids to a shirt collar. This is particularly useful if the wearer thinks he or she will be doing any activities outdoors.