Do you have a rollator in good shape that you want to donate ? It’s a wonderful act to donate it to someone who really needs it and where it can make a great difference to their quality of life. Elderly equipment in good shape, such as rollators can be donated to many types of organizations, as well as person to person online.
Where to donate a rollator ? Gently used rollators can be donated to all of these places – State Assistive Technology Projects, online equipment exchanges, reuse centers, DME loan closets (state and local), Bikur Cholim, non-profit organizations, thrift stores, medical equipment refurbishment projects, faith based charities, senior centers, veterans centers and local churches, and directly to private individuals on classified listing websites and social media platforms.
You will find lists and explanations of all of these examples below.
Contents Overview & Quicklinks
Donating a rollator and other used medical equipment to State Assistive Technology Programs
Donating a rollator to refurbishing and reuse Centers
Donating a rollator to Centers for Independent Living
Donating a rollator to Medical Equipment Loan Closets
National and international organizations which accept durable medical equipment donations
Online listing sites where you can donate a rollator near you
Donating a rollator in your neighborhood
Organizations near you which may know where to donate rollators
Donating rollators to Assistive Technology Programs
Assistive Technology Programs (AT Programs) are, in short, programs in every state funded with a federal grant, and designed to increase access to assistive technology devices, with a focus on helping those on low incomes, the disabled and the elderly.
Assistive technology devices are devices without which an individual is unable to complete – this basically encompasses most devices which are used by disabled persons and the elderly.
Your state will give equipment demonstrations, equipment maintenance, and equipment loans on their state AT program, and you can add to the supply of equipment available by donating your rollator to your state’s AT Program.
Typically, there will be centers in the different regions of each state, and you can find the one nearest to you if you wish to donate your equipment.
Select your state in the list below to learn more about donating to your state program- it will take you to your state AT Program website.
Click on your state to go to your AT program website
Donating a rollator to Refurbishment and Reuse Centers
Both types of center for used equipment are great places where you can gift your donation.
Refurbishment centers accept equipment donations, they will then do any repair work or maintenance required, sanitize it, and then pass it on to a new owner.
A reuse center will take your equipment if it is in good condition, and will offer it to someone else.
Either type of center will typically redistribute your donation, to individuals without insurance, with a low income, or who are disabled.
Donating a rollator to a Center for Independent Living
If you wish to donate just to disabled individuals, your local Centers for Independent Living is a great place to do that.
Your state Centers for Independent Living 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
The majority of Centers for Independent Living manage DME loan closets of all types of assistive and mobility equipment to support their disabled members, and gratefully accept donations of equipment in good condition.
To find your nearest Center for Independent Living, check this website.
Donating a rollator to community Medical Equipment Loan Closets
A medical equipment loan closet is typically a supply of durable medical equipment, sometimes with a few medical supplies such as diapers, which is available on loan in the local, or wider community – it may service a small neighborhood, or part of a state.
Whether a loan closet lends to anyone in their community, or only to those who qualify on a needs basis – those with the greatest need come first – depends on the individual loan closets.
Donating your rollator to a loan closet, will make a difference in many of people’s lives as it will pass through many pairs of hands over it’s lifetime, and it will typically be free.
How to find medical equipment loan closet near you ?
In all my research for articles such as this one, I have found that it is best to start by doing a few specific searches and inquiries, as if these don’t work, nothing much else will –
- to start, I do my online searches – “medical equipment loan closet + your location”, “medical equipment lending closet + your location”, “medical equipment lending bank + your location”, or “medical equipment bank + your location” – I do the three searches in the order I’ve written them above
- no luck ? Don’t waste any more time doing searches, instead make inquiries with your county Area Agency on Aging (more about them further down) – to locate the agency responsible for your county, use the agency locator tool here
- you can also make more inquiries with your local council, human resources or seniors department, ask if they manage any community medical equipment loan closets
- do internet searches for your local reuse or medical equipment refurbishing centers, and again make inquiries with them about loan closets in your area – they may even run one
- Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs and American Legion Posts – I’ve also come across many clubs and posts which run community medical equipment loan closets, so I would suggest that you check with a club, or post, near you
To locate a Lions Club in your area, check out my article here – How To Find A Lions Club Near Me ? A Very Quick Illustrated Guide
To locate a Rotary Club in your area, check out my article here – How To Find A Rotary Club Near Me ? A Very Quick Illustrated Guide
Bikur Cholim or Medical Equipment Gemacht – these are Jewish community medical equipment loan closets, available to, and run by, members of the Jewish community.
To find one of these loan closets near you, talk to your synagogue, or take a look on the Chesed Match website.
National and International organizations which accept rollator donations
Goodwill
To donate your rollator, locate a store near you and give them a call. Here’s the store locator – https://www.goodwill.org/locator/
Salvation Army
To donate your rollator, click on the following link website – https://satruck.org/
EasterSeals
To locate your local affiliate and make your rollator donation, use this link – https://www.easterseals.com/connect-locally/
The Partnership for Quality Medical Donations
The page on their website for donating your rollator is here – http://www.pqmd.org/pillars/donation-guidelines/
Project Cure
The page on the website for donating your rollator can be found here – https://projectcure.org/donate-supplies-equipment
REMEDY – Recovered Medical Equipment for the developing World
To donate your rollator to REMEDY, follow this link – https://www.med-eq.org/Login/form.aspx?type=donate&quick=1
Advocates for World Health
The page on the website for donating any durable medical equipment is here – https://awhealth.org/donate-medical-equipment/
Esperenca
To donate your rollator, follow this link – https://www.esperanca.org/donate-supplies/
MedShare
Follow this link to the MedShare website to donate your rollator – https://www.medshare.org/
HERO Healthcare Equipment Recycling Organization
You can find out about donating your rollator on their website go here – https://www.herofargo.org/wp-content/uploads/IndividualSupplies.pdf
MedWish
The page on the website for donating your rollator is here – https://www.medwish.org/give
Global Links
To donate your rollator, check out this website page – https://www.globallinks.org/our-work/programs/medical-surplus-recovery-program/individual-and-community-surplus-recovery
Global Mobility USA
You can contact them at this web address – http://www.globalmobilityusa.org/equipment-and-in-kind-donations
Medical Bridges
To find out about donating, follow this link to their website – http://www.medicalbridges.org/donate/medical-supplies-and-equipment
Online listing sites where you can donate rollators to those near you
I like to use this method, as I can donate to someone very nearby, and won’t have to go a long way to get this done.
You will, though, want to take a few precautions if you donate your item on an online listing, or a social media platform –
1) If you are caring for an elderly loved one in your home, you will want to prioritize their safety, privacy and well-being. It isn’t recommended having strangers coming into your home for an item pick-up.
2) Organize somewhere in a public place to hand over your rollator – a car park or a mall café, for example, and ladies, I would have someone else go along with, so you aren’t alone.
3) For those of you who donate specifically on an online classified listing, such as Craigslist, don’t use your personal email – create a throwaway email address, to avoid your private email drowning in spam message.
4) This applies to all online donations – in the description of your rollator, you really do want to state that you are donating the rollator “as is”, and that you accept no liability for anything which happens after the fact.
To find out about donating an item on Craigslist, UsedHME.com, Facebook, Freecycle, Nextdoor, you can take a look at my short illustrated guides on donating on each of the platforms –
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 – I haven’t written an article on this, as there is already a very good video showing how to use OfferUp, see below.
Donating rollators in your neighborhood
If you prefer to do things in person, and just talk to people, I would go to some of the following places 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 you can donate a rollator
the following are some administrations and organizations which may be able to give advice if nothing is working so far –
Area Agencies On Aging
An Area Agency on Aging is a non-profit agency, appointed to your county by your state, and it’s job is to assist the elderly to access to the services that are available to them in their community.
This is the best place to start asking questions, as the agency should be abreast of all the programs which would appreciate your type of donation.
Use the agency locator tool to locate yours – click here.
Social Services
Your Social Services department, is another administration which should know of the different programs who you can donate equipment to.
Faith-based Charities
The Catholic Charities and Society of St Vincent de Paul
Both charities run chapters across large parts of the US, and run multiple services/programs for low income families, the homeless, refugees, and victims of abuse.
Either of the two organizations, may know of a destination for your donation in your area.
To find the chapter in your area, do a search like this “name of the charity + where you live”, in your web browser.
Local Town Hall or Chamber of Commerce
Your Chamber of Commerce, will have records of the local non-profit organizations, charities and community groups in their administrative area, so find out about those dealing with used medical equipment.
Why isn’t your donation of a rollator being accepted ?
A few possible reasons why your rollator isn’t wanted –
- it may be considered to be in poor condition
- not everyone is equipped to sanitize used mobility equipment, and it may be required where you live to do so
- used equipment is no longer under warranty
- state laws governing the reuse of durable medical equipment, in particular, may not allow for certain equipment to be reused under certain conditions
Tax deductions on donations
Hang on to the receipt from your donation that you make to any charities so that you can 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.
