Medical Equipment: Available for Loan

You never know when your family may experience a medical emergency. One minute you are healthy and well. The next minute you are in the ER with a sick child, tween, or teen. Or your child, tween, or teen ends up in the ER for an injury from a fall at home or at a sports game.

Life as you knew it before the illness or injury may get back to normal quickly. However, in the case of serious illnesses or complicated injuries, recovery at home may take longer for your child, tween, or teen. At those times, you may return home from the ER or hospital stay in need of medical equipment.

Prescription medications, first aid supplies, bandages, and crutches will generally be provided through your health insurance provider or can be purchased and then reimbursed after purchase. But what about other items of medical equipment? Your child, tween, or teen may need a piece of medical equipment, such as a wheelchair, walker, cane, hospital bed, crutches, shower stool, or potty chair as she recovers from her illness or injury.

Local charitable organizations have medical equipment available for loan. Organizations generally do not charge for medical equipment, but will require that the medical equipment be returned when no longer needed. The road to recovery may be short or long depending on the illness or injury.

Organizations That Loan Medical Equipment

Allegany County

• Lavale Lions Club--301-729-4166.http://lavalelions.com/1.html Equipment available for loan: canes, crutches, walkers,wheelchairs, potty chairs, hospital beds, and more.

Baltimore County

• Arbutus Lions Club--P.O. Box 7347, Arbutus, MD. 410-242-8435.http://www.arbutusmd.lionwap.org/

Carroll County

• Deer Park Lions Club--410-848-3831.
• Freedom District Lions Club--410-549-LION. http://www.e-district.org/sites/22w/page-7.phpEquipment available for loan: wheelchairs, transfer wheelchairs, hospital beds, walkers, crutches, canes, potty chairs, shower chairs, tub transfer chairs, recliner chairs, raised toilet seats, grabbers, and more. Area served: Carroll County south of Liberty Reservoir and east of Route 97.
• Mount Airy Lions Club--301-829-LION.
• Westminster Lions Club--http://lionsclubofwestminster.org/AboutUs.html

Cecil County

• North East Lions Club--P.O. Box 47, North East, MD 21901; 410-287-8440.http://www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/northeastmd/projects.phpEquipment available for loan: hospital beds, wheelchairs, canes, crutches, and more.

Frederick County

• Taneytown Lions Club--410-751-1120.http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/taneytown/index.phpEquipment available for loan: wheelchairs, walkers, canes, potty chairs, hospital beds, and more.

Harford County

• Edgewood Lions Club--P.O. Box 35, Edgewood, MD 21040. 410-676-6032.http://www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/edgewood/index.php

Howard County

• Glenwood Lions Club--760 Middle Trail Ct., Mt. Airy, MD 21771. 410-489-2975.http://glenwoodmd.lionwap.org/Equipment available for loan: walkers, canes, hospital trays, commodes, manual wheelchairs, crutches, hospital beds, and more. Donations are always welcomed.
• Way Station's Loan Closet of Howard County--9030 Route 108, Columbia, MD 21045. 410-740-1643.http://www.waystationinc.org/LoanCloset.htmEquipment available for loan: potty chairs, bedside over-the-bed tables, canes, crutches, toilet seats, grabbers, shower chairs, tub transfer chairs, walkers, wheelchairs, and more.

Montgomery County

• Damascus Lions Club--P.O. Box 267, Damascus, MD 20872; 301-253-2141.damascus.lions.club@gmail.comhttp://damascuslions.org/community-service/medical-equipment-loans/Equipment available for loan: wheelchairs, walkers, canes, hospital beds, crutches, shower chairs, adult "potty" chairs, and more. Donations of medical equipment are accepted.

Washington County

• Boonsboro Lions Club--301-432-2273. Equipment available for loan: canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, hospital beds, bath chairs, and more.
• Hagerstown Lions Club--301-393-9333.http://www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/hagerstown/index.phpEquipment available for loan: canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, potty chairs, and more.