How To Donate a Hospital Bed in 4 Easy Steps

Hospital beds are a type of durable medical equipment that, when donated, can make a huge difference in the life of someone in need. If you have a gently used home hospital bed that you are no longer using, there are several organizations that will refurbish your bed and give it to someone who can’t afford to buy one of their own. 

So, in practical terms, how do you donate a hospital bed? 

Step 1: Find an Organization That Accepts Hospital Bed Donations in Your Area

There are several national and local organizations that accept donations of durable medical equipment, including hospital beds for home use. These include non-profit organizations, faith-based groups, and government agencies. 

For reasons of hygiene, practicality, and space, some organizations may only be able to accept single-size hospital beds, fully electric hospital beds, or beds that break into three pieces. Many organizations can take hospital bed frames but not hospital bed mattresses.

National Organizations

These national organizations accept medical equipment, including hospital beds, for reuse in the United States and around the world:

Brother’s Brother Foundation

The Brother’s Brother Foundation gives medical equipment to dozens of countries around the world, including medical beds as well as lift chairs, transport chairs, shower chairs, and more. If you have a home hospital bed in good condition, contact them to schedule a drop-off or home pick-up.

Project C.U.R.E. 

Project C.U.R.E. is the world’s largest distributor of donated medical supplies, shipping 200 40-foot cargo containers of supplies to more than 135 countries each year. They accept home health beds as well as rollators, crutches, canes, patient lifts, bedside commodes, CPAPs, and nebulizers.

After donating a medical bed, you will receive a receipt via email. The receipt won’t provide a valuation or itemize the equipment donated. If you wish to claim a tax deduction on the donation, you should consult with a tax specialist for advice about valuing the market value of the bed.

Med-EQ

Med-EQ is an all-volunteer organization based in Connecticut that accepts a wide range of durable medical equipment. To donate your hospital bed, fill out the web form and specify whether you will mail the bed or need it to be picked up. 

On the form, you can specify whether you want the bed to be directed to a non-profit organization or a deserving for-profit organization if no nonprofits need a hospital bed at the time of donation. After filling out the form, allow two weeks for your donation to be placed. 

Muscular Dystrophy Association

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is a national organization that funds research and helps to provide access to care for families living with muscular dystrophy. If you’d like to inquire about donating your medical bed, the MDA Resource Center can be contacted at 1-833-ASK-MDA1 (1-833-275-6321) or by email at ResourceCenter@mdausa.org.

State-Based Organizations

Several states have organizations that specifically accept home hospital beds. If you don’t see an organization in your state, refer to the “Other Places to Ask” list at the end of this section.

ALS Association – Florida

The Florida chapter of the ALS Association accepts fully electric hospital beds that can be broken down into three parts for storage. Large hospital beds or those that don’t break down into three parts aren’t accepted.

Kansas Equipment Exchange – Kansas

The Kansas Equipment Exchange is run by the University of Kansas and accepts donations of “high-quality, lightly used durable medical equipment,” including medical beds. 

To donate hospital beds to the ATK-KEE, interested individuals should call 800-KAN DO IT (800-526-3648) and ask to talk to an Assistive Technology Specialist. After accepting your donation, the bed will be sanitized, refurbished, and given to a Kansan in need.

Maryland Department of Aging – Maryland

The Maryland Department of Aging provides durable medical equipment at no cost to Marylanders with “any illness, injury, or disability, regardless of age.” Donated items are sanitized and repaired before they are distributed to community members who need them.

To donate a hospital bed, you can take it to one of the department’s collection sites or transport it directly to the reuse center at 11701 Crain Highway, Cheltenham, MD 20623, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Call the department at 240-230-8000 before you drop off your donation.

Goodwill Home Medical Equipment – New Jersey and Pennsylvania

Goodwill Home Medical Equipment accepts donations of single-size medical beds as well as wheelchairs, patient lifts, canes, crutches, and walkers in Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia. Hospital beds should be fully electric with side rails. They don’t accept hospital bed mattresses.

Pennsylvania

There are several local organizations that accept lightly used hospital beds in Pennsylvania and donate them to people in the local community who need them:

• Abilatools Inc.
• Avon Grove Lions Club
• Chosen Inc.
• Hope Center of Nescopeck, Good Neighbor Project
• Lancaster County Office of Aging – Loan Closets
• Mission Central
• Through These Hands
• UPMC Horizon Community Health Foundation – Medical Equipment Recycling Program (MERP)

Before donating, contact the relevant organization to find out which kinds of hospital beds they accept and whether you will need to take the bed or whether they can pick it up.

Project MEND – Texas

Project MEND short for “Medical Equipment Network for those with Disabilities”), is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that refurbishes donated equipment and gives it to community members who need it. 

In addition to hospital beds, Project MEND accepts:

• Wheelchairs
• Rollators
• Tub transfer benches
• Power chairs

If you live in San Antonio Texas or one of the surrounding counties, you can contact Project MEND and they’ll pick up your hospital bed from your home.

Other Places to Ask about Donating Hospital Beds

If you don’t find your state on the list, try searching online for related organizations in your state. You can also contact the following resources in your area:

• Salvation Army and Goodwill
• Veterans Affairs offices
• Your local department on aging
• Places of worship
• Nursing homes

Step 2: Clean and Sanitize the Bed

Used medical beds come with a risk of bacteria and contagion, especially if the previous person who used the bed had a transmissible disease. Before donating a medical bed, make sure that it’s thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, and in good working condition.

Step 3: Have the Bed Valued

Donations of medical equipment to registered charities are tax-deductible. Before donating your bed, find out if the charity will value the bed for you and issue a receipt. If not, you may need to have the market value of the bed assessed so that you can itemize and claim the amount on your annual tax return.

Step 4: Drop Off the Bed or Arrange for Pickup

Hospital beds can be difficult to ship simply because of their size, which is why many models come apart for easier transportation. Our hospital bed rentals in Denver, CO come apart into sections for easy transportation and storage.

If you can, it can be convenient to arrange for your donation to be picked up from your home. Otherwise, you can transport it in the back of a van or pickup truck or package it securely and ship it via a shipping company that specializes in medical equipment. 

Donating Your Hospital Bed: A Gift That Keeps Giving

For someone who is newly disabled or ill, the gift of a free, high-quality home hospital bed can make a huge difference. Not only are hospital beds more comfortable and practical for ill and disabled patients, but they’re easier on their caregivers as well.

The most important things to keep in mind before donating a hospital bed are:

1. Make sure it’s in excellent condition and not broken or rusted.
2. Sanitize it thoroughly before donating it (or have a medical cleaning company sanitize it for you).
3. Call ahead to make sure the organization can accept your donation.
4. Talk to your accountant about having the bed valued for tax purposes.

After donating your home hospital bed, you can rest assured that your donation will make a real difference in someone’s life, just as it did the first time around. And at the same time, you’ll be helping the environment and potentially getting something back at tax time. Donating a medical bed is a fantastic solution all around.