Where to dispose of medical equipment

[Oldeagle66]

I agree. I've had them at the house since he passed away in February and no luck since then getting rid of them. I was straightening up my supply room today and was going to throw the items away, and a friend of mine suggested trying to give the items away again. I've had a few suggestions on here. One person gave some addresses of agency's that forwards medical items to third world countries. That sounded like that might be an option. Our neighbor lady knows the person in the County Health Department and she's going to check with them for me. If all else fails, I will pitch them.

While I was going through treatments my doctors empathetically told me to throw everything away.

 

[Fritz]

My husband passed away a while back. He was on tube feedings via feeding pump. I have got feeding bags, syringes, suction cannisters coming out of my ying yang and can't find anyone who will take them. I'm not wanting to sell them; I'd like to give them to someone who needs them since some insurances will not pay for these supplies. My question is, do you know of any agency that will take them for free? I've called all over and haven't found anyone. I've tried hospitals, nursing homes, Goodwill, etc.. I've put so much money into them; I hate to throw them in the trash if someone can use them. Thanks for any info that might help

If the syringes have needles please do not throw them in the trash. They are a sharps hazard.

 

[Oldeagle66]

While I was going through treatments my doctors empathetically told me to throw everything away. I won't even trust one these non profit organizations. They aren't medical equipment professionals.

 

[TeePee]

If the syringes have needles please do not throw them in the trash. They are a sharps hazard.

Thanks for the warning but they are syringes that you tube feed patients through.

 

[Fritz]

Thanks for the warning but they are syringes that you tube feed patients through.

Please use a search engine on your computer. There are places that accept donations of feeding tube supplies.

 

[Kaila]

A random thought to add.....
In addition to the importance of being unopened, to any possibility of donating them;
There would also be an expiration date on the packages.

 

[TeePee]

A random thought to add.....
In addition to the importance of being unopened, to any possibility of donating them;
There would also be an expiration date on the packages.

I forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me!

 

[Fritz]

Yes if they're expired or more than a year old I would just toss them. I work in a hospital and I've seen the nurses toss stuff that looks ok but it's expired.

The materials also break down after a certain point.

Good luck.

 

[jujube]

Here's what I went through with my Mom's pacemaker and monitoring equipment after she died:

The crematorium removed the pacemaker because "it might explode in the cremation vault" and it might have radioactive materials(Oh, joy...).

They said they had to give it to me; they couldn't dispose of it. I asked how to dispose of it. They said, call the cardiologist office.

I called the cardiologist office and asked if it had radioactive material and they said they couldn't tell me because of confidentiality laws. I told them that they had my mother's Power of Attorney and Health Care Surrogate form and everything else showing that I was authorized to know everything.

They then said it had no radioactive material and just to throw it away. But, but, but, I said, isn't it like biological waste? Hem and haw....throw it away.

What about the state-of-the-art monitoring device that you billed Medicare the equivalent of the GNP of a small developing nation for? Can't you give it to someone who needs it?

Oh, no, can't do! Just throw it away.

 

[Teacher Terry]

You are definitely doing the right thing by looking to donate those unopened and unused supplies. I would definitely not throw them away either. I would take pictures of them and offer them on the next-door site for free.

I had a CPAP machine that I used for Five years and when I offered it for free on next-door, I had 10 people that wanted it as well as an organization. It wasn’t even new like your supplies are.

 

[Blessed]

I loaded up a bunch of things, diapers, bandages, wraps, oxygen tubing, etc and took to my vet.

They kept what they could use and disposed of the rest. Note not feeding supplies of any kind of needles in my case.