5 Practical Reasons to Rent Medical Equipment

Life doesn’t always pan out the way we plan. Sometimes, chronic illnesses and age take away a person’s ability to remain independent and live a free, fulfilling life. The ability to rent medical equipment like wheelchairs, bath seats, walkers, and lift seats make it easier for patients to maintain as much independence as possible in the face of these conditions.

The problem is that these medical devices can be very expensive to buy out right. This is especially true for patients with chronic health issues, who may already be faced with the prospect of a restricted income like SSI or SSA. These same patients may attempt to muster through without the help of devices simply to save money.

Sometimes, patients consider not buying medical equipment outright unnecessary for other reasons. A patient with a transient condition like a broken leg may not want to pay for a wheelchair when they’ll no longer need it in a few short months. Similarly, someone recovering from surgery may only need the assistance of a walker for a few days or weeks.

Fortunately, there are options. Instead of buying your own medical equipment, you can rent equipment from your local pharmacy. These benefits are just the beginning; here’s a few more fantastic reasons to rent medical equipment.

1. Test It Out Before You Rent Medical Equipment

One of the best reasons to rent medical equipment is the fact that if a piece of equipment doesn’t work for you, or isn’t well-suited to your needs, you can always return it. Pharmacies that rent medical equipment are more than happy to take back a rental if you rent and realize you didn’t quite make the right choice.

That’s common for patients who are making major life adjustments for the first time, especially around mobility.

Having the ability to test out equipment and return it also generally means you stand a better chance of truly getting the most out of your equipment.

Whether you try it first, decide you like it, and then purchase it outright, the mere fact that you get to know it means you make a more confident decision about whether it’s right. And that makes it easier to justify and feel good about your decision to use medical equipment.

2. Get Helpful Guidance on Equipment

Medical devices can be extremely complex; that’s why most rehabilitation specialists recommend you seek assistance from a professional before you buy. With all of the many available features, bells, whistles, and styles available on the market, it can feel a bit overwhelming to figure out your best match on your own.

Concerningly, choosing the wrong equipment doesn’t always result in discomfort alone; depending on the device, it may even be downright dangerous.

Here’s the thing: there are five questions asked when attempting to find patients the right equipment:

• What condition are you dealing with?
• What’s available on the market?
• Which size or style do you need?
• Which features do you desire?
• How easy is it for the patient to use?

In the pharmacy, we provide helpful guidance at the same time we ask these questions to make sure we not only get answers, but the right answers. We know that not every patient has an expert understanding of the medical device industry, nor should they need to.

So, we stand by ready to take measurements, present options, host fittings, and then teach you how to use your equipment once you decide. And if you run into problems, we’ll be there to help.

We’re happy to provide advice for patients who buy outright, too, but one-on-one assistance is a specific part of most rental programs. Essentially, we want the service we provide to be the best for you.

3. Upgrade Without Additional Cost

Medical devices and equipment are a bit like computers and other electronics; every few years, they become obsolete because they’re replaced with newer, better versions.

In home health care, upgrading regularly is even more important because often, those upgrades provide additional safety measures or critical feature updates to better suit the patient in safe, reliable use.

When you buy your equipment outright, you typically don’t have the ability to return it or refund it once the company releases a new version. Instead, your options are limited to selling the item you have or giving it away. Then, you’re stuck investing in a totally new device and starting over. At the current rate of evolution in medicine, that can become a very expensive endeavor over just five to six years.

When you rent medical equipment, you have the option to return it at any time, for whatever reason. If an upgrade becomes available, all you need to do is contact the pharmacy to make arrangements for return and replacement. In some cases, you may not even need to leave your home; the pharmacy will pick the equipment up and bring the new device at the same time.

Wondering how you can keep track of available upgrades? Ask your pharmacy to contact you when new versions become available.

4. Change Out Equipment As Needed

Sometimes, it isn’t the medical equipment that changes; the patient’s condition or level of need changes instead.

A change in condition (for better or worse) can make your current medical equipment no longer viable or helpful. When you own that equipment, you’re faced with a whole new investment everytime your condition changes.

This isn’t the case when you rent medical equipment. If your condition changes and you no longer need the device, or you need a totally different piece of equipment, all you need to do is reach out. Your pharmacy care team with spend some time with you identifying your new needs and help you find a better solution.

5. Get Free Maintenance and Repairs

One of the absolute best reasons to rent medical equipment is that most rental plans also come with coverage for incidental damage, repairs, and manufacturer’s defects, even beyond the original product warranty.

If something goes wrong with your equipment, and it’s no longer under warranty, the pharmacy will replace the device for you. As long as the damage wasn’t willful or negligent, the replacement occurs at no cost to you.

For maintenance, most pharmacies will either come to you or have you bring the medical equipment back in to the pharmacy. They’ll run all regular maintenance tasks for you and send you back with a device that’s in tip-top shape.

Next time you are in need of medical equipment, whether that be walking aids, bathroom safety products, or bed rentals, considering renting.