How to donate an elbow brace?
December 11, 2010 10:06 PM   Subscribe

How can I donate a Mayo Clinic elbow brace to someone who might need it?

A few years ago, I broke my elbow. I spent a couple of months in a an elbow brace. It cost $800 and I had to pay for it out of pocket. Now it's sitting in a drawer in my house. Is there any kind of clearinghouse where I can donate medical equipment so that someone else could use it? I asked at the orthopedic surgery wing of my local hospital, and they said they don't accept used medical devices and don't know anyone who does. But it seems such a waste for an expensive and useful item to be gathering dust in my house! Any ideas?
posted by escabeche to Health & Fitness (5 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
fwiw, they are sod on ebay (used even), that might be a route.

You could also try Freecyle in your area, making note in your posting you want it to go to someone who needs it (which may or may not work out as someone could claim it and then sell it). If you have a Free-clinic or sme such you could walk in and ask there as well.
posted by edgeways at 10:18 PM on December 11, 2010


Here's an article that lists five organizations that accept used medical equipment.
posted by amyms at 10:19 PM on December 11, 2010


You might want to call your local VA; they generally accept used clothing (in good condition), so they might also accept your brace.
posted by TedW at 4:39 AM on December 12, 2010


I would think that if you wore an elbow brace for two months it would have molded to your body and would be stretched in ways that are perhaps imperceptible. It is likely not of use to another person, and perhaps even dangerous if someone else used it as part of their recovery. That's just a guess.
posted by vincele at 6:04 AM on December 12, 2010


Googling for "durable medical equipment"|dme donate|recycle returns some results that might be useful.
posted by Lexica at 10:33 AM on December 12, 2010


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