Finding Home Health Supplies and Medical Equipment for Seniors

As seniors age, they often require a variety of home health supplies and tools to allow them to live safely at home. These needs can range from the basic to the complex, all the way from simple bandages for dressing wounds, through to hospital beds and hoist systems.

Caregivers can sometimes feel like they are thrown into the deep end. You’re often given little information about what is needed, let alone where to find it.

This can be overwhelming – and many new caregivers make mistakes. For that matter, there often isn’t a single ‘correct’ answer to begin with. Thankfully, there are various tools and products that can help.

Working Out What You Need

An overlooked challenge is simply figuring out your needs in the first place. There is no guidebook for caregiving and every situation comes with its own unique complexities.

Additionally, the field of home health supplies is large. That’s not a bad thing. It means that you can shop around and find the best products for your needs at the best prices.

A good first step is to think about the challenging areas.

What do you struggle with right now? What about your family member?

Some areas include:

• Mobility. Many people find it hard to get up and down, especially from low seats. Moving around can be difficult too. Some seniors may need canes, walkers, or other tools to be able to move around well.
• Incontinence. Incontinence can be embarrassing and challenging, but it’s a common problem. Thankfully, basic techniques like timing bathroom breakfast can help with incontinence, while various products can minimize any problems.
• Clothing. Regular clothing can be difficult to get on and off, especially for people with arthritis in their hands or other joint problems. Adaptive clothing can help with this problem, as it has easier to use fasteners (like velcro) and tends to be more practical.
• Range of Movement. Range of movement can be limited too, which is why products like reachers, long washing sticks, and the like, can be so powerful. These all make it easier to perform regular tasks and keep senirs independent.

Good Places to Find Products

You can buy health items in many different places. Even local stores will have some. Amazon tends to have a wide selection as well.

We recommend turning to specialized companies and sites as a starting point. These can be powerful, as they offer a wide range of items in many different product categories.

Our favorite is an online store called Health Products for You.

They go far beyond the conventional health products that you’ll find locally. Instead, key product categories include:

• Wound Care
• Incontinence
• Patient Care
• Daily Aids
• COVID-19
• Urologicals
• And more

Some of the products they offer might seem typical, but they also have many that are difficult to find offline. Plus, Health Products for You often features multiple brands, which gives you the chance to shop around.

Another company is Silvert’s. This company just focuses on adaptive clothing and footwear

Some such companies are specifically focused on caregiving and senior needs. This makes them a fantastic place to get inspiration and learn about the different types of products.

You can also turn to Amazon.

Amazon mightn’t focus on aging, home health supplies, or medical items, but the site does have a larger selection of products than anywhere else. You have access to a greater variety of products and many more sellers.

This translates into better options and could mean better prices (if you shop around).

What’s more – there are plenty of reviews on Amazon. These provide a chance to see exactly what you’ll be buying and whether it’s likely to be any good. Reviews are often biased, of course, and no product will ever be perfect. Still, they’re one more piece of useful information that can help you make a decision.

Some Ideas to Get You Started

There are countless examples of home health supplies and medical equipment. This includes highly specialized items that can often be expensive, along with plenty of simpler options that can be inexpensive.

Some key examples include the following:

• Transfer aids. These tools can help seniors move from one location to another. There are many different options depending on the need, such as transfer benches that make it easier for seniors to get into and out of the shower. Similarly, there are positioning aids for seniors who are unable to move much.
• Adaptive aids. These are tools that make daily activities much easier. Many of them are relatively simple, like the Sammons Presto Ergo Reacher, which makes it easier to grab objects at a distance.
• Health supplies. There are many disposable or reusable supplies too, such as pads to go on beds or chairs for individuals who struggle with incontinence.
• Specialized seating. Getting up and sitting down can often get difficult with age. Current seats can sometimes be adapted to help in this area, but it is often worth focusing on specially designed products. For example, raised toilet seats can make toileting much easier – giving seniors more independence in the process.
• Adaptive clothing. This type of clothing is designed so that dressing is much easier. There are many variations, such as slip on shoes, velcro fasteners and clothing that fastens at the back or the sides. Some pieces are designed to make it easier for seniors to dress themselves. Others assume that the caregiver will be doing the dressing.

Where to Find the Money

Of course, finding the products is only part of the challenge. You need to be able to afford them too. This can sometimes be difficult, as many caregivers struggle financially.

In some cases, home health supplies or medical equipment may be covered under Medicaid. This is particularly relevant now, with the passage of the CHRONIC Care Act. The act does provide additional funding support in some situations. Medicaid itself tends to focus on medically necessary items – which misses out many tools that are more preventative.

Some items are covered under insurance too – especially if it is considered a medical necessity. Your doctor may be able to help in this area, perhaps by providing evidence of why a particular item is important. They may also know other places that you can look for financial support.

The site Able Data has a useful guide that provides links to financial assistance resources. Some of key recommendations include:

• Private insurance companies. Talk to insurance companies about what coverage they offer and how this relates to medical equipment and tools.
• Look for discounts. If you can’t get the item paid for, a discount is another angle to consider. Some manufacturers and sellers will offer discounts. You might even be able to contact them directly. Local non-profit organizations, senior centers and schools may also have access to discounts that you wouldn’t be able to find on your own.
• Government-sponsored resources. There are various state agencies that can help you in finding financial support. These are often focused on a specific area, such as visual disabilities. While many will not be able to provide funding directly, they may be able to point you in the right direction.
• Charities and other organizations. The same is true for non-governmental organizations. Some may be able to provide financial support, while others can help to direct you to resources.

The most important piece of advice is simple – keep digging. Don’t be afraid to get creative with the places that you go to look for financial support. You’ll often find help in unlikely areas.

If you do need to pay out of pocket, it’s worth taking the time to find the best prices. Doing so can make a huge difference to the amount that you pay.