Finding a shower commode chair is not really that difficult, but finding a retailer with a good range is a little more tricky. So I’ve done the work for you. And as some self-propelling shower commodes can be very expensive, I have included a whole network of places to look for refurbished “gently used” equipment, that you may not know exist.
You can buy shower commodes at Walmart, Amazon, Walgreens, Home Depot, and at specialist medical suppliers like Rehabmart.com and American Discount Home Medical Equipment. You can also buy a refurbished shower commode at medical equipment refurbishment outlets and state AT programs all across the US.
Contents Overview and Quicklinks
Who has the widest range of bedside commodes ?
Well known brands of shower chair commodes
Where would I go to buy a shower commode ?
Self-propelling shower chair transport commodes
How much do shower commodes cost ?
Do you have Medicare Part B or a Medicare Advantage plan ?
When is a shower commode covered by Medicare ?
Where do you buy a bedside commode with Medicare Part B ?
If you are on Medicaid, do you qualify for shower a chair commode ?
Who has the widest range of bedside commodes ?
Overall, Walmart and Amazon have the largest range of shower chair commodes by far, with all types on offer.
Walmart and Amazon also have a lot of shower chair commodes from lesser known brands, and I would tend to stay clear of those.
Amazon has a huge range of attendant shower chair commodes, a smaller number of self-propelling shower chair commodes and four static shower chair commodes.
Amazon, though, is difficult to navigate because there are so many brands you have never heard of, and stuff is just so mixed up, which is not so much the case with Walmart. So if you really want to buy on Amazon, you may want to go look on Walmart and then get the exact name and product number of the commode you are looking for, and then look for that specific item on Amazon.
Amazon does carry the well established brands just like Walmart, and I don’t want to make it seem like I don’t buy there, it is just a bit difficult when it comes to shower chair commodes.
Walmart has a range of 14 self-propelling shower chair commodes, huge range of attendant shower chair commodes and three static shower commodes.
Walmart carries the following established brands of shower chair commodes – Acquatec, Drive Medical, Heathline, Invacare, Mckesson, Mor Medical, Platinum Health and Shower Buddy.
Walgreens has a range of only 6 shower chair commodes, but they are from well established brands.
Walgreens carries shower chair commodes from the established brands Drive Medical and Nova.
Walgreens has 1 self-propelling shower chair commode and 5 attendant shower chair commodes.
Home Depot has a range of only 4 shower chair commodes, but they are from a well established brand.
Home Depot carries shower chair commodes from the established brand Drive Medical.
Home Depot has 1 self-propelling shower chair commode and 3 attendant shower chair commodes.
Rehabmart.com are online medical supply specialists with a large range of attendant and self-propelling shower commodes, and 3 static shower commodes.
American Discount Medical Equipment are online specialists and have a range of 50 plus attendant shower chair commodes, self-propelling shower chair commodes and a static Graham Field Lumex shower chair commode.
Well known brands of shower chair commodes
If you are looking for a shower chair commode, the following list contains established brands which can be relied upon for their build quality. This list includes brands of static attendant, and of self propelling shower chair commodes –
- Arjo
- Drive
- Guardian
- Healthline Ezee Life
- Invacare
- Lumex
- McKesson
- Medline
- Mor Medical
- Platinum Health
- Tuffcare
Where would I go to buy a shower commode ?
Static Shower Chair Commodes
There are only four static shower chair commodes that I have ever found –
- Graham Field, Lumex padded shower chair and commode, 7947KD.
- Platinum Health UltraCommode
- Platinum Health Dignity Ultra-Premium Padded shower chair commode
- Platinum Health Gentle boost Uplift assist commode and shower chair
Amazon and Walmart sell all 4.
Rehabmart.com sells the 3 from Platinum Health.
American Discount Home Medical sells the static shower chair commode from Graham Field, the Lumex padded shower chair and commode, 7947KD.
Attendant Shower chair commodes
Walmart, Amazon, Rehabmart.com, Home-med-equip.com – Walmart and Amazon have a huge number of attendant shower chair transport commodes, but there are many brands I have never heard of.
Rehabmart.com and American Discount Home Medical have in the region of 40- 50 each, but these are all from established brands.
Self-propelling shower chair transport commodes
Walmart, Amazon, Rehabmart.com, Home-med-equip.com – Walmart and Amazon have quite a number of self-propelling shower chair transport commodes, but the two online sites are not far behind.
Walmart and Amazon as well as the established brands have a preponderance of brands that you have never heard of, and sometimes with Amazon the search results throw in too much stuff that you are not looking for.
I personally prefer to go to the American Discount Home Medical website – https://home-med-equip.com
I like it because, I find the website is the best user experience and the information about each piece of equipment is extensive – which with some specialized equipment is very important.
Rehabmart.com is also very good for the shower chair commodes with a huge range, but the website is not quite as user-friendly as American Discount Home Medical.
Walmart had a huge range of shower chair transport commodes, as well as lots of brands I have never heard of, they had a lot of very good, well known brands and models.
How much do shower commodes cost ?
Static shower chair bedside commodes vary in price from $119.95 to $199.00 – but I have only been able to find 3 models.
Shower Transport bedside commodes vary in price from $119.00 to $3303.88 – but I have been able to find 70 models.
Bedside commodes of all types vary in cost from around $40.00 to $3000.00, and shower commodes are at not the cheapest.
If you want to see a list of all the models available, just take a look at my article, “How Much Does A Bedside Commode Cost ? A Guide With Over 160 Examples By Category”. To help you find the article on the internet, I have included the manufacturer’s name and model number for the model.
Do you have Medicare Part B or a Medicare Advantage plan ?
If the shower commode is for a person who has either Medicare Part B or a Medicare Advantage plan, you may want to see if you qualify for Medicare coverage.
Should you qualify, and you can get a Medicare-enrolled doctor to give you a signed prescription for a shower commode, you are typically covered for 80% of the Medicare-approved cost of the equipment, and you will have your 20% coinsurance, plus your deductible to pay.
I must just say here, that if you are wanting a self-propelled/ wheelchair shower chair commode, and you already have a wheelchair through Medicare, it is hard to see how you wouldn’t qualify – but you never know.
The conditions for qualifying for a commode are outlined in brief in the following section, but if you want to know more about the guidelines for qualifying for durable medical equipment coverage with Medicare, I have a long article all about how it all works.
You can read “Does Medicare Cover Bedside Commodes ?” here.
When is a shower commode covered by Medicare ?
Typically, Medicare Part B will cover 80% of the Medicare-approved price of a “commode chair” if you are –
- enrolled in Medicare Part B
- and you have a signed prescription from a Medicare-enrolled physician certifying that a shower commode is a medical necessity for the patient in question
Here is text from Medicare itself, and note that they refer to “commode chairs” –
“Commode chairs
Part B (Medical Insurance) covers commode chairs as durable medical equipment(DME) when ordered by a doctor for use in your home if you can’t use a regular toilet.“
You can read the original text here Medicare.gov.
To qualify for a commode chair, your physician has to show that it is considered that you are medically unable to use the toilet, or get to the toilet without assistance.
As you can see the rues say a commode chair, so it will be necessary to prove that you have to have one which goes into the shower as you cannot otherwise wash yourself alone.
Another point here, is that the rules always say that Medicare “typically” covers, or “typically” does not cover, as Medicare can be persuaded in some cases to cover equipment if they see that the equipment will reduce costs in other ways or benefit the person’s condition.
Once you have your prescription, you will then go to see a Medicare-enrolled supplier and pick out the type of commode chair for which you have the prescription.
If the supplier you have chosen is a Medicare-enrolled “Participating Supplier”, who “accepts assignment” (Medicare terminology), you will “typically” pay 20% of the Medicare-approved price as your coinsurance, and if it applies your Medicare deductible.
I would only do this if your deductible does not apply, as to pay 20% of the Medicare-approved cost, plus your deductible for a shower commode would seem a little crazy, as it is hard to see how you would save anything.
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, or Part C as it is also known, you are entitled to the same coverage as medicare Parts A and B.
As of the fall of 2020, Medicare Advantage plans are allowed to cover some new benefits, and some plans are adding bathroom safety equipment, so if you can’t get it under the Medicare qualifying guidelines, you may find a Medicare Advantage plan which covers some bathroom safety equipment.
Where do you buy a bedside commode with Medicare Part B ?
Medicare uses Medicare-enrolled suppliers, and don’t forget, to get the lowest coinsurance price you should only use those suppliers who are called “Medicare Participating Suppliers” and who accept “assignment”.
You can find a local DME supplier on Medicare.gov.
If you are on Medicaid, do you qualify for a shower chair commode ?
It varies with each state, but for those on Medicaid, there are programs for care in the home which will cover the cost of durable medical equipment.
The programs are called HCBS programs and waivers and 1915 waivers.
HCBS stands for “Home and Community Based Services”.
If you are eligible for these programs, you can often get the equipment you require to maintain your independence in your home covered by the program.
The information is in the second half of the article on bedside commodes and Medicare here. Skip the Medicare sections and go straight to the section on Medicaid and the different HCBS programs and waivers. You will see instructions on how to find out what is available in your state.
Where to find a refurbished shower commode ?
If you are thinking of buying a “gently used” shower commode which has been refurbished, as the self-propelling shower commodes in particular can be extremely expensive, there is the option of stores like Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and other re-use and refurbishing centers.
Goodwill
There are Goodwill stores all across the country which sell used equipment which has been donated.
You can use this link to find your local Goodwill store – https://www.goodwill.org/locator/
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army also sells used durable medical equipment such as shower chair commodes which have been donated.
Go here to find a local store – https://satruck.org/
Across the US there are nonprofits and community organizations with re-use, re-cycling and refurbishing centers, and outlets, where you can buy cheap “gently used” equipment, which has been properly cleaned up.
If you are having trouble finding any of these organizations in your area, get in touch with your local Area Agency On Aging.
Area Agency On Aging
Area Agencies on Aging will have a lot of knowledge about the different nonprofits and community organizations in your area, which are working with helping the elderly and the disabled.
Here’s the Area Agency on Aging locator tool to help you find one near you – click here to do so.
Assistive Technology Programs
Many state Assistive Technology Programs partner with community organizations and non-profits who are already involved in recycling and refurbishing AT devices and medical equipment.
The job of AT Programs is to increase the access to Assistive Technology devices for both the disabled and the elderly.
Assistive Technology Devices are any kind of device which will assist an individual who is unable to complete a task, to complete that task and this very often is durable medical equipment, and this includes shower chair commodes.
Each state AT program will have a website which acts as a hub through which services, events and outreach are coordinated for the whole state. It is there that you can make contact with administrators and register with them to let them know if you are in need of assistance and equipment, and are in financial difficulty.
Mixed in with all the different services there is typically information about all about the recycling and refurbishing centers in your state where you may be able to buy “gently used” cheap equipment, or even get it for free if you are in financial difficulty.
State AT Programs should also have an “Online AT Exchange”, where registered state residents can exchange, buy, sell or donate equipment. It is free to join, you just register with an email, like on any site where you wish to be a member.
I have a bunch of articles about donating to charitable organizations etc., and in those articles I have listed all the State AT Programs, their websites and each one’s Online Equipment Exchange. The lists of the states are halfway through the articles, and you just click on your state, and you will find links to your state AT website and to the online exchange, if it exists. You can find the article here.
I’m Gareth, the author and owner of Looking After Mom and Dad.com
I have been a caregiver for over 10 yrs and share all my tips here.
