In order to continue living as safely and pleasantly as possible, many older persons rely on home medical equipment including walkers, wheelchairs, hospital beds, oxygen extractors, or other aids. However, it can be difficult to locate the ideal equipment at a reasonable cost. In this context, we will discuss effective options for getting free medical equipment for seniors in need.
There are a few different ways to locate the home medical equipment and supplies your elderly relative requires. Receiving oxygen, IV, or NG tube supplies are good examples of how quickly and effectively medical supplies can be obtained. They frequently arrive at your house in overnight shipments.
It will vary on the regional medical equipment providers you must deal with in order for Medicare to fund the item. However, it’s not the only place to go for medical gear and supplies. Let’s discuss the options for obtaining free medical supplies for seniors in their need!
- 10 Effective Ways To Get Free Medical Equipment For Seniors
- 1. Obtain a prescription
- 2. Locate a nearby lending initiative
- 3. Government Programs And Non-profit Organizations
- 4. Goodwill Home Medical Equipment
- 5. Salvation Army
- 6. ALS Association
- 7. MedShare International
- 8. Project CURE
- 9. Hearing Charities of America (HCOA)
- 10. Hope Haven
- Maryland Durable Medical Equipment Reuse
- FAQ About Free Medical Equipment For Seniors
- What does DME mean in terms of medicine?
- What does a grant for disabled people mean?
- What piece of medical equipment is the most crucial?
10 Effective Ways To Get Free Medical Equipment For Seniors
1. Obtain a prescription
A doctor’s prescription is required if your elderly relative needs durable medical equipment and wants Medicare Part B or Medicaid to cover the cost. In order to get the necessary equipment, your older adult’s primary care doctor or specialist must first assess them and then sign a “prescription” (known as a doctor’s order).
Any further paperwork that is needed must be filled out and submitted by the doctor. For instance, for a wheelchair to be funded by Medicare, your elderly patient’s doctor might need to evaluate and determine that your elderly patient:
Has trouble moving around the house, even with a walker or cane.
Has an illness, disease, or accident that necessitates the use of a specific kind of wheelchair in the house
Is unable of carrying out everyday activities (such as dressing and washing) on their own
Possesses the ability to physically use the wheelchair or has a caregiver available at all times.
Additional condition-specific durable medical equipment, such as a hospital bed, CPAP device, patient lift, wheelchair, cane, oxygenation concentrator, blood sugar monitor, and others, is also covered by the requirement for a doctor’s prescription.
Medicare may only partially or entirely cover the cost of various types of equipment. Your senior would have to make monthly co-payments if only a portion of the cost was covered, either in a rent-based or lease-to-own arrangement.
2. Locate a nearby lending initiative
There may be initiatives run by local nonprofits that allow people to get free access to medical supplies and assistive technology. Usually, the medical equipment for these initiatives is donated by patients who no longer use it.
The items are fixed and cleaned before being lent to those in need. To find out if any local senior resource centers, religious institutions, or Area Agencies on Aging in the county have loan programs for medical equipment, contact them.
A variety of durable medical equipment, such as bedside commodes, wheelchairs, walkers, overbed tables, canes, and occasionally even hospital beds, are frequently available. The organization may also keep an inventory of cleaning materials, adult incontinence products, and nutritional drinks.
3. Government Programs And Non-profit Organizations
You can get free medical equipment for seniors from many government-run programs and non-profit organizations, or NGOs. This is a great way to get free medical equipment free of cost.
Free medical equipment, such as shower chairs, motorized wheelchairs, walkers, scooters, conventional wheelchairs, hospital beds, and canes, are available through a number of government programs and charitable groups.
The programs listed below are at the state level, however, there are also federal initiatives that are active all across the nation. The free medical equipment programs offered by each organization are listed below.
4. Goodwill Home Medical Equipment
The Methodist clergyman Reverend Edgar J. Helms established Goodwill Industries in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1902. More than 157 distinct Goodwill groups exist both domestically and abroad in 12 different nations.
The Greater Philadelphia region is served by Goodwill Industries, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit with offices in Philadelphia and South NJ. It offers career services, employment training, and education.
Goodwill Home Medical Equipment sells reconditioned home medical supplies. Here are several ways that Goodwill provides medical equipment assistance:
- Donate free, unopened medical items to Philadelphia and South Jersey seniors.
- Donate gently used hospital beds, canes, crutches, wheelchairs, and other mobility aids.
- Offer to thoroughly clean and restore the home medical equipment at their Bellmawr, New Jersey location (Camden County).
- People should be given dependable home medical supplies and equipment that improve their quality of life.
- Provide equipment at a reasonable price without prescriptions or eligibility conditions.
- Encourage people who can contribute home medical equipment to reach out to individuals who need it.
Through their reuse strategies, home medical equipment that would otherwise be thrown away is given a second chance.
5. Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a global movement within the larger Christian Church that has an evangelical bent. The Bible is the movement’s source. They provide assistance to around 23 million Americans annually throughout 130 different nations.
The Salvation Army will accept donations of items to sell in their thrift shops. The sale proceeds are used to support their adult rehabilitation centers, which offer assistance, hope, and second chances to people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol.
6. ALS Association
The ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Association was established in 1985 and is the only national nonprofit organization battling ALS on numerous fronts.
The Association actively pursues novel cures and treatments through international research, aids individuals with ALS through a countrywide network of chapters, coordinates multidisciplinary treatment through its clinical psychologist care centers, and fosters government relationships.
The Equipment Loan Closet, which primarily holds used and donated equipment, is a reliable temporary resource. You are welcome to use the equipment for as long as you wish; it is offered without charge.
7. MedShare International
An international nonprofit organization called MedShare is committed to enhancing the health and well-being of people all around the world by donating extra free medical equipment and supplies to underserved regions.
Hospitals and manufacturers in the US are able to contribute extra medical supplies or used equipment to MedShare. There are two ways that hospitals and clinics abroad can get the donated supplies:
- Helping teams on medical missions.
- Direct exports to over 75 impoverished countries
8. Project CURE
For the past 31 years, Project CURE has donated free life-saving medical supplies for older adults to hospitals and clinics all around the world. They provide donations for medical help to more than 135 nations. They are the biggest provider of free medical goods for the elderly that have been donated anywhere in the globe.
Their programs are supported by grants from the US government, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), philanthropic foundations, corporate partners, and private individuals. Those who no longer need them can contribute medical equipment and supplies to Project CURE.
9. Hearing Charities of America (HCOA)
The National Hearing Aid Project was developed by Hearing Charities of America (HCOA), and it is a model and collaboration unmatched by any other. The rising need for hearing aids is met by offering them on a national level.
As a part of the project, organizations work together so that each plays a specialized role in helping individuals in need get hearing aids.
All of the hearing aids in the program are maintained and monitored through a partnership between the HCOA and the University of Kansas Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences & Disorders. The following basic services are offered in this project:
- Applying for, evaluating, and accepting jobs,
- Cleaning and repair of hearing aids,
- Considering the condition of the ears,
- Locating individuals who can provide their services and support in order to help with the project.
When you no longer need your old earplugs, you can donate them to someone else who may not otherwise be able to buy a hearing aid. If a youngster donates his hearing aid to the National Hearing Aid Project, he or she will be able to hear the instructor in class and succeed academically.
A mother or father may gain from obtaining employment or a higher-paying position. Even if one wears a hearing aid, the gift of hearing can be offered, enhancing one’s quality of life.
10. Hope Haven
Hope Haven is a place where people are valued as God’s unique creations, encouraged to pursue their goals and realize their ambitions, valued for their gifts, talents, and accomplishments, and held accountable for their own and the community’s growth.
Hope Haven accepted eleven kids in 1964. Since the business’s founding in Northwest Iowa, it has expanded and changed to offer new services and goods. In addition to being present in regions in Iowa and Minnesota, their overseas ministries have an impact on people’s lives in 109 other nations.
They give wheelchairs to persons in need all across the world as part of their purpose. All around the United States, the charity receives gifts of wheelchairs, components, raw materials, financial assistance, and more.
You may like: Best Medical Alert Systems For Seniors No Monthly Fee
Maryland Durable Medical Equipment Reuse
Regardless of age, Marylanders with any sickness, accident, or handicap can get durable medical equipment (DME) free of charge from the Maryland Department of Aging.
Every piece of equipment is gathered through donations, cleaned, mended, and given to people in need in Maryland. Many Marylanders will see an improvement in their quality of life because of this service, which also gives them the chance to avoid more expensive levels of care.
The recipient of the device must reside in Maryland. Regardless of age, they offer free DME to Maryland citizens with any injury, disease, or medical condition. It is necessary to complete and file a DME Request Form. Choose one of the forms from their selection based on the kind of equipment you are needing.
FAQ About Free Medical Equipment For Seniors
What does DME mean in terms of medicine?
In medical terminology, DME primarily refers to durable medical equipment.
A healthcare professional may order equipment and supplies for frequent or long-term use. Wheelchairs, crutches, oxygen equipment, and blood test strips for diabetics are examples of DME that may be covered.
What does a grant for disabled people mean?
An individual who is disabled can live more effectively in their own homes with the support of a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG).
What piece of medical equipment is the most crucial?
Surgical boards and patient beds are essential for every procedure, and without a patient bed, no patients can be treated. Patients’ rehabilitation beds and tables are the ultimate essential pieces of equipment that any hospital ought to have for treatments and surgical interventions.
Bottom Line
Above we have discussed some of the best ways to get free medical equipment for seniors from different states. Therefore, the ways can also be followed by seniors to obtain free medical equipment. In the third procedure, we have mentioned several organizations and programs that offer quality medical equipment for seniors.