How to Easily Change Your Hearing Aid Batteries

Of the 300,000 Canadians that could benefit from a hearing aid, the unfortunate fact is that less than 30% are wearing them regularly. This resistance to treatment comes primarily from seniors who are uncomfortable asking for help with their hearing loss. Many seniors assume that needing a hearing aid may eventually interfere with their living independently.

Caregivers and adult children should be watchful for signs that a hearing test is necessary. Turning up the TV’s volume, missing parts of conversations, and regular requests for people to repeat themselves can all be clear signals that a senior has trouble hearing. 

For seniors taking advantage of hearing aids, changing the batteries can be a frustrating chore. Adult children and caregivers are often called upon to clean and replace batteries in hearing aids. Seniors who suffer from arthritis or vision problems can find it very difficult to change their hearing aid batteries.

Although switching out the batteries in a hearing aid is relatively simple, it is something that you may have to take care of for your senior parent. Depending on the hearing aid’s style and size, batteries can last from a few hours to several weeks. The most important thing to know is what type of batteries you will need. Finding hearing aid batteries in Canada can be simple with online purchases or direct buying from a doctor’s office.

Once you know the right battery size and brand, it’s a good idea to buy more than one so that you have some backups on hand, you can read hearing aid reviews to see which brands are known for the longest battery life too. You don’t want to end up not having a battery when they are needed. Let’s look at the simple steps to change a hearing aid battery.

• Place a towel on the surface where you are working to cushion the area and prevent dropped or mishandled batteries from bouncing to the floor and getting lost.

• Remove your new battery from its package and remove the sticker from the “+” symbol.

• Wait for one minute before installing your battery to allow time for it to activate by absorbing oxygen.

• Open the battery compartment on your hearing aid. It will often have a small arrow sign to indicate which direction it will open.

• Remove your old battery from the hearing aid and set aside or place it in the garbage so that it will not be confused with the new battery.

• Insert the new battery with the “+” symbol facing upwards. When the battery is installed correctly, the drawer will close easily. If your battery is upside down, your drawer will feel stuck.

• Close the drawer with the new battery installed. Depending on your hearing aid brand, it may play an automated chiming sound, or a small LED light may flash. 

Changing out the batteries on a hearing aid should not be a daunting task. If you are caring for a senior parent, go through the process with them, and help them change the batteries themselves. You can even write down these instructions to help make the process easier.