What do you do with old equipment?

[HuskerDude]

Ive been at this quite a while now. What do you do with your old equipment when you get new equipment (wheelchairs)? I figure after use, it's mine and I've been selling things to a third party. Is that wrong? Would the VA want my old beaten up wheelchair back?

[SCI-Nurse]

Depends upon the specific VA, but if the equipment was purchased for you by the VA, it is yours to do with as you please. You can sell it, give it away, or trash it. If equipment is still in decent shape, consider donation to an organization such as the MS Society (which has equipment banks in many of their local chapters), or to a local private sector rehab center, specifying that it only be given to someone whose insurance has denied payment for such equipment (this applied to most bathroom equipment, but also power chairs and good quality extra light manual chairs), and items like hospital bed frames or low air loss mattresses.

Some VAs run their own equipment repair clinics and may take equipment back as donations to use for parts, or for use in the therapy department if you so desire, but this is not generally required.

(KLD)

[wazabiker]

I.will not sell any equipment/supplies issued by VA. These goods were purchased with tax dollars, thus should be made available at no charge to someone in need or donated to SCI related organization. My previous power chair was given to local independent living organization for wheelers. Also have given unopened supplies that VA won’t take to folks on Care Cure.

[graybeard]

I.will not sell any equipment/supplies issued by VA. These goods were purchased with tax dollars, thus should be made available at no charge to someone in need or donated to SCI related organization. My previous power chair was given to local independent living organization for wheelers. Also have given unopened supplies that VA won’t take to folks on Care Cure.

This.....My workers comp pays for most of my equipment and medical supplies, not all. Still, once I am done with the equipment - I donate the items to organizations or to someone needing the item. Med supplies I donate to a charity near me that gives them to hospitals overseas. No charities near me will take up the med supplies. Don't understand that one.

[baldfatdad]

I use to donate to Easter Seals. I would go there and fix equipment for them to give out, but with the Covid no one wants anything. I've found I can sell it and donate the money though.

[hlh]

We donate to my Dad's town's Senior Services, where they keep an array of second hand equipment for seniors to use for free (eg. walkers/transport chairs/bathroom equipment) or give away on Freecycle. But the more specialized good stuff will go to the SCI Association in our state and they send out emails to the SCI community offering the stuff for free.

[SCI-Nurse]

Keep in mind that this thread is in the VETERANS forum, so is really only about equipment that was provided to a SCI/D Veteran by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA). Others may want to share what they do with old equipment in the Equipment & Supplies forum. Thanks. (KLD)