Donating your gently used blood pressure monitor can make a considerable difference for individuals unable who lack the finances to buy such crucial items. My personal experience in searching for budget-friendly durable medical equipment for my mom’s needs at home emphasizes the importance of exploring options such as those below for donating equipment to help those who are less fortunate.
This article serves as an easy-to-follow guide to the numerous donation options available for used medical equipment.
Where to donate blood pressure monitor ? Gently used blood pressure monitors can be donated to –
- State Assistive Technology Projects
- state online equipment exchanges
- reuse centers
- community loan closets (state and local) and bikur cholim
- non-profit charities
- thrift stores
- medical equipment refurbishment projects
- faith-based organizations
- local churches
- senior centers
- veterans centers
- private individuals on classified websites and social media platforms
Contents Overview & Quicklinks
Donating blood pressure monitors to State Assistive Technology Programs
Donating blood pressure monitors to refurbishing and reuse Centers
Donating blood pressure monitors to Centers for Independent Living
Donating blood pressure monitors to Loan Closets
National and international organizations which accept blood pressure monitor donations
Online listing sites where you can donate a blood pressure monitor near you
Donating blood pressure monitors in your neighborhood
Organizations near you which may know where to donate blood pressure monitors
Donating blood pressure monitors to State Assistive Technology Programs
State Assistive Technology Programs (AT Programs) – Opting for state AT programs is a very good choice when donating your blood pressure monitor.
By participating in a statewide system of distribution and reuse, you actively contribute to increasing access to assistive technology devices for all residents of your state.
Your state AT program will normally offer the following programs –
- equipment lending libraries
- demonstration centers
- a network of reuse centers and refurbishing centers
- and may also have an online exchange site
A donated blood pressure monitor on the state AT program, is added to the stock of equipment which is to be loaned to those state residents in need, who have to use the state AT program to find the equipment they require.
To find out about how to donate to your State AT Program, click on your state in the list below.
Click on your state to go to your State AT Program website
Donating your blood pressure monitor to Refurbishment or Reuse Centers
Medical equipment refurbishment centers and reuse centers represent another worthwhile opportunity to donate your blood pressure monitor to those who are unable to afford new and expensive equipment.
You’ll find that medical equipment refurbishment centers are more than willing to accept any gently used disability equipment you have. They will sanitize, and make any repairs, to the equipment before passing it on to someone else. Many of these refurbishment centers are non-profit organizations and offer the redistributed equipment at a very low price, or even for free.
Similarly, reuse centers play a role in redistributing equipment, but they don’t typically handle sanitization or repairs. Similarly to the refurbishment centers, reuse centers also offer the equipment to individuals in need at affordable prices, or as donations.
If understanding the fate of your donation matters to you, consider asking the center you select whether it will be sold or gifted.
To find a center near you, just do an online search for “medical equipment refurbishing centers” or “reuse centers” near you.
Donating electric ice packs to Centers for Independent Living
Centers for Independent Living (CIL) assist disabled individuals to maintain their independence in the community –
“provide independent living services for people with disabilities. CILs are at the core of ACL’s independent living programs, which work to support community living and independence for people with disabilities across the nation based on the belief that all people can live with dignity, make their own choices, and participate fully in society. These programs provide tools, resources, and supports for integrating people with disabilities fully into their communities to promote equal opportunities, self-determination, and respect.”
Source : https://acl.gov/programs/aging-and-disability-networks/centers-independent-living
At Centers for Independent Living, loan closets are typically stocked with medical equipment to assist their members. If you’re interested in donating specifically to individuals with disabilities, I suggest contacting your nearest center to check if they could use blood pressure monitors.
Check for the center closest to you here – website.
Donating blood pressure monitors to community Medical Equipment Loan Closets
My next suggestion for a home for your donation is community medical equipment loan closets.
As a community resource, loan closets offer residents in their service area the opportunity to borrow durable medical equipment.
Their vital role extends to providing equipment to low-income families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities.
Generally, your blood pressure monitor will be lent out for free. However, for larger and more valuable items such as patient lifts, loan closets may ask for a deposit.
Loan closets come in various sizes, but many are small-scale community efforts, and are managed by a band of dedicated volunteers.
How to find loan closets in your neighborhood ?
I always begin by doing a few online searches. If that works for you, you can try contacting a few key places –
- I enter the following terms into my browser engine – “medical equipment loan closet + your location”, “medical equipment lending closet + your location”, “medical equipment lending bank + your location”, or “medical equipment bank + your location”
- if you’re having difficulty finding loan closets with the online search, I recommend getting in touch with your county’s Area Agency on Aging. They might be able to assist you in locating DME loan closets.– this locator tool will find your county agency – here
- in case the Area Agency on Aging couldn’t provide the information you were looking for, consider contacting your local human resources or seniors department – they might have the information regarding loan closets that you are looking for
- consider checking out your local reuse or medical equipment refurbishing centers, and give them a call – an online search will easily locate any centers
- Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs and American Legion Posts – these three organizations operate numerous small community medical equipment loan closets across the US, so it would be a good idea to locate those near you and inquire further about loan closets in the area
To find Lions Clubs in your area, take a quick look at my guide here – How To Find A Lions Club Near Me ? A Very Quick Illustrated Guide
To find Rotary Clubs in your area, take a quick look at my guide here – How To Find A Rotary Club Near Me ? A Very Quick Illustrated Guide
Bikur Cholim or Medical Equipment Gemacht – (Jewish medical equipment loan closets)
Run for, and by, members of the Jewish community, you can donate all types of durable medical equipment, including blood pressure monitors.
You can make inquiries at your local synagogue, Jewish community center, or search on the Chesed Match website.
National and International organizations which accept donations of blood pressure monitors
Goodwill
To donate your blood pressure monitor, locate a store near you and give them a call – https://www.goodwill.org/locator/
Salvation Army
To donate your blood pressure monitors, click on the following link – https://satruck.org/
EasterSeals
To locate your local affiliate to make your blood pressure monitors donation, use this link – https://www.easterseals.com/connect-locally/
The Partnership for Quality Medical Donations
Their website page for donating blood pressure monitors is here – http://www.pqmd.org/pillars/donation-guidelines/
Project Cure
Their website page for donating your blood pressure monitors is here – https://projectcure.org/donate-supplies-equipment
REMEDY – Recovered Medical Equipment for the developing World
To donate your blood pressure monitor to REMEDY, use this web page here – https://www.med-eq.org/Login/form.aspx?type=donate&quick=1
Advocates for World Health
The page for donating your blood pressure monitor is here – https://awhealth.org/donate-medical-equipment/
Esperenca
To donate your blood pressure monitor, go here – https://www.esperanca.org/donate-supplies/
MedShare
Go to the MedShare website to donate your blood pressure monitor here – https://www.medshare.org/
HERO Healthcare Equipment Recycling Organization
You can find about donating your blood pressure monitor on their website here – https://www.herofargo.org/wp-content/uploads/IndividualSupplies.pdf
MedWish
The page for donations is here on their website – https://www.medwish.org/give
Global Links
To donate your blood pressure monitor, go to this website page – https://www.globallinks.org/our-work/programs/medical-surplus-recovery-program/individual-and-community-surplus-recovery
Global Mobility USA
You can donate your blood pressure monitor at this web address – http://www.globalmobilityusa.org/equipment-and-in-kind-donations
Medical Bridges
This is the donation page on their website – http://www.medicalbridges.org/donate/medical-supplies-and-equipment
Online listing sites and other social media platforms where you can donate blood pressure monitors near you
This is, in my view, the most practical way of donating an item online as you can donate to recipients in your preferred local areas. You have the freedom to choose the specific areas where your donation advertisement/posting will be seen.
Here, though, are a few precautions worth considering when donating online –
- in your posting/advertisement, make it clear that your blood pressure monitor is being donated “as is” – specify that you won’t assume any liability for any potential problems once it is handed over
- the safety and well-being of any elderly individuals in your home should be your top priority, so having strangers come into your home for item pick-up may not be advisable, as it can pose safety risks and cause confusion for older people
- I would hand over your blood pressure monitor in a public place, and if you feel at all vulnerable take a friend with you
- if you’re posting online classified listings like Craigslist, it’s sensible not to use your personal email address, but rather to use a throwaway email address
The following list shows the online platforms on which you can donate equipment to others for free –
- Craigslist.com
- UsedHME.com
- Nextdoor.com
- Facebook.com
- Freecycle.org
- OfferUp.com
If you’ve never donated an item on one of these sites, I have short illustrated guides on how to donate new, or used, devices on each one –
Craigslist.com – “How To Donate Used Medical Equipment Near Me On Craigslist ? An Illustrated Guide”
UsedHME.com – “How To Donate Used Medical Equipment Near Me On UsedHME ? An illustrated Guide”
Facebook.com – “How To Donate Used Medical Equipment Near Me On Facebook ? An Illustrated Guide”
Freecycle.org – “How To Donate Used Medical Equipment Near Me on Freecycle.org ? A Very Quick Illustrated Guide”
Nextdoor.com – “How To Get Free Medical Equipment Near Me On Nextdoor.com ? A Quick Illustrated Guide”
OfferUp.com – There is already a very good video showing how to use OfferUp, see below.
Donating blood pressure monitors in your neighborhood
You may prefer to go door to door with your donation. If that’s the case, there are a variety of good options for donating, which might be in your neighborhood-
- Local Hospitals
- Emergency rooms
- Thrift stores
- Senior Centers or Elderly Day Care Centers
- Veterans Centers
- Local Retirement Homes
- Churches
- Your local council Seniors’ department
Organizations near you who may know where to donate a blood pressure monitor
If you want more information on where to donate your blood pressure monitor, the organizations below may be able to advise you-
Area Agency On Aging
The primary source for advice on available services for seniors in your county is your Area Agency on Aging, and among the essential services that seniors rely on, are medical equipment loan closets.
To find the Area Agency on Aging in your county, use this link to the locator tool – click here.
Social Services
Contact your Social Services department for information on programs run by charitable organizations to aid those in need, which may include loan closets available in your area.
Faith-based Charities
The Catholic Charities and Society of St Vincent de Paul
The Catholic Charities and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul are actively engaged in running programs for low-income families, the homeless, refugees, and victims of abuse across the US.
Either one of these charities will most likely have information on places, programs, or individuals who may benefit from your donation.
To find the chapter responsible for services in your area, of either one of the two organizations, do an online search for”name of the charity + where you live”.
Local Town Hall or Chamber of Commerce
Lastly, I would suggest visiting your town hall and chamber of commerce to gather information about nonprofit organizations and charities within their administrative area that specialize in refurbishing and redistributing durable medical equipment.
Why isn’t your blood pressure monitor donation being accepted ?
In some cases, your donation might be declined, and this could be due to the following factors –
- the item might be too damaged or old
- sanitizing the item may not be feasible for all organizations
- used blood pressure monitors may no longer be under warranty
- there could be restrictions imposed by state laws
Tax deductions on donations
Keep your receipt for any donations that you make to any charities, if you are hoping to get a tax deduction – the IRS will require the receipt for the item.
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.
