Don't Forget Free Resources

Many non profit organizations have tons of donated chairs and medical equpiment. Even if you are not associated with a specific group, most have a cross help policy when it comes to the equipment.

First check with your specific disease or difficulties cause. They can then help you to find other resources if they can not assist you. Some will even have a special fund to help pay for items not otherwise available to their clientel. A lot of times this fund is a multi-use account. Once a year is usually the time frame for most charities. So that you may utilize this fund once every fiscal year.

Plan ahead if possible with this in mind and you can benefit everyone. Instead of trying to get everything you need at once, maybe break it up into little chunks so that the non-profit or organization can help you more. Remember to that their is no rule normally about asking multiple agencies if appropriate for assistance. An example would be that you have Arthritis, you could ask the Arthritis foundation for assistance, the drug company that sells your arthritis medications, the church that you attend, and any other relevant agencies that would be interested in helping you. The more donors you can find the smaller the hit to all of their budgets.

Make sure to always donate your old equipment as well to these programs. Even though you may not be able to use something, others may. Perhaps your condition has declined and now you use an electric wheelchair, well your old manual wheelchair may fit the needs of another consumer. Lots of these non-profits will also give you a receipt so that you can take a tax write off if you do donate to an appropriate agency. So in essence it is like double dipping, you are helping them and they are helping you with a tax write off and new equipement.

Remember too, if you do get something second hand make sure that you have a professional assess you and your needs. The fit of the equipment can sometimes be even more important then the equipment itself.

Happy donations!