After a loved one dies and the funeral is over, the task of sorting through personal belongings begins. While you will likely distribute items with sentimental value or family historical to beneficiaries of the estate plan, you may also be responsible for other items you find in your late loved one’s home. You may give some items, such as trinkets and personal effects, to family or friends. However, you can sell or donate other items, including medical equipment, to charity. From eyeglasses and hearing aids to wheelchairs and at-home hospital beds, options abound for used medical equipment.
Death, Decluttering & Medical Equipment
Unless someone carefully declutters throughout their entire lifetime, it is unlikely that they will die without possessions. What’s more, when someone struggles at the end of their life with an ailment or age-related decline, they may require certain medical items:
- Elder-care or assisted-living products such as bathroom grab bars, shower seats, entryway ramps, and personal alert systems.
- Mobility aids like canes, wheelchairs, scooters, and walkers.
- Eyeglasses and hearing aids.
- Big-ticket medical equipment such as hospital beds, kidney machines, prostheses, ventilators, apnea monitors, and infusion pumps.
Donating Used Medical Equipment
The fastest and easiest way to get rid of unneeded medical items is to donate them. Depending on the items, consider the following options:
- A local hospice, nursing home, church, Veterans Affairs hospital, or Center for Independent Living
- Charities, including Alliance for Smiles, American Red Cross, American Medical Resource Foundation, Easter Seals, Med-Eq, MedShare, Project CURE, and United Way
- A local thrift store
- Eyeglasses
- The Lions Club Recycle for Sight program, Eyes for the Needy, and New Eyes
- A local eye doctor
- Hearing aids
- The Starkey Hearing Foundation Hear Now
- The Lions Club Hearing Aid Recycling Program, Hearing Charities of America, and Hearing Loss Association of America
Selling Used Medical Equipment
Donating small personal items like eyeglasses and assistive hearing devices might make more sense than selling them. While hearing aids, which are considered medical devices by the Food and Drug Administration, can be costly and might be worth selling, not all states permit the sale of used hearing aids. Where legal, used hearing aid sales may also have guidelines and restrictions.
Local resellers may be willing to pick up used equipment, but shipping costs may be involved for nonlocal buyers and can affect pricing. Buyers may have a set price for what they are willing to pay. As with most sales, though, it may be possible to negotiate a better deal. Clean up the equipment before shopping it around, take pictures in good lighting, and identify the brand, model, and features.
Instead of using a professional reseller, consider a local medical facility that may be willing to purchase the used medical equipment. In either case, spend some time researching what the equipment may be worth. Online calculators can be used to get a rough idea of used medical equipment value.
Our attorneys have dealt with all aspects of estate planning and administration. Whether you need advice about selecting a charity or reseller for medical equipment donations, have legal questions about selling specific types of equipment, are wondering about charitable tax deductions, or are interested in securing your legacy with an estate plan, call or contact us to get answers.
About Skvarna Law Firm in Glendora and Upland, California
Let a skilled attorney assist with your estate plan. So, contact us today to learn about your options (909) 608-7671. We operate offices in Glendora and Upland, California. Therefore, we provide legal services for individuals living in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties. This includes the cities of Upland, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Colton, Rialto, Chino, Chino Hills, Glendora, Claremont, Montclair, Pomona, La Verne, San Dimas, Azusa, Covina, West Covina, Diamond Bar, Walnut, La Puente, Corona, Norco & Mira Loma. Visit SkvarnaLaw.com to learn more.
