Page Reviewed / Updated – October 19, 2020

Overview

There are many non-profit organizations and foundations that assist aging and / or disabled individuals either financially or by providing free, long term loans of home and durable medical equipment (DME). Loaner programs tend to focus more on durable medical equipment (DME) and less on electronic items, (sometimes referred to assistive technology) as these are much harder to service.  

Types of Assistance Programs

Non-profit and foundation assistance programs can be divided into 3 groups.

1) National Foundations
These programs are typically condition-specific and usually require that an individual have a specific diagnosis to participate in a loan program. This includes organizations such as ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) Association and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Loan programs within these organizations are usually run by the local chapters.

2) Local Non-Profits
These are regional programs that accept donated durable medical equipment, refurbish the items and either re-sell them at extremely low-cost or simply give the equipment to local needy residents. Each program has their own requirements for participation.  One might try locating other programs by doing a web search for “Free Durable Medical Equipment” AND “Your City, State”.

3) Lost Limb Organizations
These programs are specifically intended to assist individuals that have lost limbs or lost the use of their limbs.

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Assistance Program Links

Non-Profit Assistance Programs for Durable Medical Equipment
National Foundations Local Organizations Lost Limb Support
ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) Association Muscular Dystrophy Association Free Foundation (Roanoke, VA) Project Mend (San Antonio, TX) AGE of Central Texas (Austin and Round Rock) HomeCARES (Oakland, CA) Medical Angels (New Jersey) DME Exchange (Dallas, TX) Durable Medical Equipment Aid Society (Los Angeles County, CA) Back in Use (New Mexico) Changing Hands (Central PA) MassMATCH (Boston, MA) University of Pittsburgh Program (Mercer County, PA) The Foundation Assisting Seniors (Las Vegas, NV) Barr Foundation Bowman Siciliano Limb Bank Foundation Challenged Athletes Foundation Limbs for Life Foundation National Amputation Foundation