Kia ora koutou,
Our thoughts are with those who have been impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle and lost loved ones.
We are aware that many people will be without power in the Tairāwhiti and Hawkes Bay regions, which will mean people will not be able to charge batteries for their speech processors.
If this has affected you, then there is the option to use disposable batteries. When you were issued with your current speech processor, you should have been provided with a disposable battery holder for this purpose. If you have never used this, it should be with other equipment issued with your switch-on or upgrade kit.
If you do not have batteries, or a battery holder, please contact us if you are able and we will arrange to dispatch batteries to a collection point nearest to you. Courier services have been disrupted so delivery to your home or other address may not be possible.
If you have not used batteries for your processor before, you can use any battery labeled as a “675” battery, pictured here. These may be available from supermarkets or your local Audiology clinic if they are open.
Instructions on how to use disposable batteries with your speech processor can be found by clicking the links below.
If you know of someone who may need this advice, please reach out to them or SCIP to facilitate a solution. You can contact us here.
We hope everyone stays safe at this difficult time.
Kia kaha,
The Southern Cochlear Implant Programme