Free Hospital Beds For Elderly: How & Where To Get A Free Hospital Bed

Hospital beds are the most important piece of equipment in any hospital, and they can be very expensive. Hospital beds provide support for patients who need it while recovering from surgery or illness.

They also help keep patients safe by preventing them from falling out of bed.

Elderly people can often benefit from sleeping in hospital beds. The extra comfort that these beds offer helps elderly patients recover more quickly after an operation or stay in the hospital. They can also be beneficial for the elderly when they are not in the hospital. 

As mentioned before, hospital beds can be very expensive. A lot of elderly people are simply not able to afford a hospital bed. Especially since on average they cost around more than a thousand dollars for the mattress alone. 

However, there are ways to get free hospital beds for the elderly. All it takes is a bit of research, but not everyone has time to do this. So, we have created a guide on how and where you can get free hospital beds for the elderly. 

How Are Hospital Beds Different? 

Hospital beds are different from regular beds as they come with many features that make them safer and easier to use. Hospital beds have been specially designed to help with patients’ comfort as well as safety.

They are also designed for the needs of patients who have to stay in bed for a while. Since they need to be able to keep different patients as comfortable as possible, there are different kinds of hospital beds. 

Hospital beds are particularly better for the elderly as they are adjustable. This means that they can be raised up high enough so that the patient can get help sitting up. It also makes it easy for caregivers to move the patient if needed.

They also have side rails to prevent people from falling off of them. Hospital beds meet the needs of elderly people, which is why it is important for as many to have access to them when necessary. 

For those who are elderly and have certain conditions, hospital beds almost act as a type of medication for them. Regular beds do not always allow for people to sleep in the position that would help them the most. 

However, hospital beds have adjustable headrests and footrests that can allow people to sleep in certain positions.

For these people, hospital beds allow them to sleep in a position where they feel less pain, help their circulation, and everything is aligned the way it should be. 

Different Types Of Hospital Beds

It might be a bit of a surprise but there are different types of hospital beds available. As mentioned earlier, hospital beds are designed to help patients with their needs.

Since there are so many different types of patients with different needs, there is more than one design for hospital beds.

Manual Hospital Beds

Manual hospital beds are the oldest type of hospital bed that is still around. As indicated by the name, everything with these beds needs to be done manually. This means adjusting the headrest or the footrest will need to be done by the caregiver. 

Electric Hospital Beds

These are probably the most popular kind of hospital beds today. Electric hospital beds are powered by electricity and require no manual adjustments.

These types of hospital beds make it easier for the caregiver. Also, these beds are usually controlled with a remote that is accessible to the person on the bed. So, they can make the adjustments they need instead of relying on their caregiver. 

Partially Electric Hospital Beds

As the name suggests, partially electric hospital beds are powered by both electricity and manual controls. For these types of hospital beds, there are usually controls to adjust the headrest and the footrest.

However, in order to adjust the height of these beds, it must be done manually with a crank. 

Strong And Durable Hospital Beds

The last type of hospital bed we will discuss is strong and durable. Strong and durable hospital beds are made so that larger patients can fit comfortably on these beds when using them. 

In fact, there are two types of stronger hospital beds that are designed based on the person’s weight. One stronger hospital bed works for patients that weigh up to 600 pounds. The other stronger hospital bed is designed for patients who weigh more than 600 pounds. 

Free Hospital Beds For Homes

Now that we know all we need to know about why hospital beds are beneficial for the elderly and the different types, let us look at how to get free hospital beds for your home. 

State Grants

The first place to look when trying to get a hospital bed for an elderly person at home is the government. Every year the federal government provides grants to each state to ensure that the well-being of their citizens is being managed. 

Within these grants, there are medical grants. In order to receive funding from these grants, you need to contact your local government.

The difficulty with receiving these grants or trying to receive them is that the state government is likely not going to disclose specific information about these grants. This is due to the fact that there is probably not enough money from these grants to support every citizen. 

However, it is always worth reaching out to your state government to get the details of what you can do to apply for the grant. It is highly likely that you will need to submit an application with documents proving why you would need the grant.

If successful the grant might be given to you as a loan or in the form of a grant. 

Medicare 

Another way to get a free hospital bed for your elderly loved one is through Medicare. Medicare is a health insurance program offered by the government.

Although Medicare might have caused some issues for the elderly, it is a great way to get hospital beds for homes. 

Medicare Part B covers the cost of hospital beds for those that apply. However, in order to receive a free hospital bed covered by

Medicare, your doctor would need to sign off that the need for a hospital bed comes under the durable medical equipment category.

It is worth noting that Medicare is more likely to give a free hospital bed to an applicant whose doctor and the supplier are with Medicare. 

If this is not the case, you can get Medicare to cover part of the cost of the hospital bed. Medicare will cover 80% of the cost of the hospital bed.

The good news is that if you are approved for the hospital bed you can get your private insurance to cover the final 20% of the costs. Alternatively, you could cover the cost with your money. 

In order to be successful, you must apply through their website and meet all the requirements.

Charities

This option might be slightly harder to get a free hospital bed from but it is still worth a try. Certain charitable organizations will help by using funds donated by members of the community to pay for your medical needs. 

This method requires doing research into the local charitable organizations in your area. You will then have to find out which ones offer assistance to people who are in need of a hospital bed.

Once you have found the right organization, you will need to fill out paperwork and provide documentation of your situation. 

The charity might ask you to list down the reasons why you need the hospital bed. They will also want to know how long you have been living in your home without a hospital bed.

Once the charity has received all the required information they will let you know whether they can assist you. 

FODAC

FODAC has been helping the elderly for many years. FODAC has provided medical equipment for those that are in need, some of which included providing hospital beds. 

FODAC refurbishes medical equipment and makes them safe to use. They are reliable and they provide hospital beds that are strong and in good condition.

In order to get their hospital beds, it is a first-come, first-serve organization. This is due to there being potential shortages as they help people all throughout the country. 

If you do go to FODAC for a free hospital bed you need to reach out to them first. They have some requirements such as bringing a valid driver’s license, your Medicare card if you are with Medicare and your state ID. 

Hospital Beds For Veterans

There are different ways veterans can get hospital beds for free. For example, veterans can go to the Veteran-Directed Care Program.

This program often gives veterans money so they can buy the medical equipment they need. This is where veterans could get the money they would need in order to buy the hospital beds they need. 

TRICARE is also a medical insurance option that is available to veterans. TRICARE is not completely free as there is a certain amount veterans need to pay each month.

Though it can help them get a hospital bed for free as it is a supplement health insurance. So if the veteran had Medicare health insurance which pays for 80% of the bed, TRICARE would pay for the remaining 20% of the hospital bed. 

Craigslist

There are so many things you can find on Craigslist that it is no surprise there are sometimes hospital beds on there. Of course on Craigslist not everything is free, but sometimes there are items people put on there for free.

If anything, you might be able to find a hospital bed for a fraction of the price it is normally sold for. 

The only issue with Craigslist is that it is full of scammers. So if you do find a bed on Craigslist for free or at a reduced price, it is important to take the necessary precautions before purchasing the bed. 

Final Thoughts

Hospital beds are incredibly beneficial to elderly people and they should be able to have access to them when needed. There are plenty of programs and schemes that can help you to get a hospital bed for free.

It is a matter of applying for every program you are eligible for. It is important to note that it might take some time with certain programs so going to a healthcare provider such as Medicare might be a better option to get things done quicker. 

We hope this guide has helped you understand the ways you can get a hospital bed for free for the elderly. Please share our post with others who may benefit from it. Thank you for reading!