Assistive Devices and Adaptive Equipment
CurePSP has collected the following suggestions for assistive devices and adaptive equipment from patients and families experiencing neurodegenerative diseases. While we hope you find these suggestions useful in your journey, none of CurePSP, its employees, officers or directors, has made any investigation of the suggestions made or products mentioned below. Accordingly, none of such persons can make any representation as to their effectiveness or safety. As always, you should consult with your health care provider before changing your patient care routine or with any question as to the efficacy of any of the products mentioned below.
To add device suggestions to this list, please email woods@curepsp.org.
Smart Patients Forum
CurePSP is proud to partner with Smart Patients to bring you this forum. We hope to create an online community where patients and families can learn and connect over symptoms and effects, learn practical tips from similar experiences, and share your hard-earned knowledge with those who need it most. Many of the suggestions above were shared on Smart Patients and we encourage you to join the community. Visit our Smart Patient forum here.
Smart Patient Participant Testimonials
- “The Smart Patient forum provides me with practical information on how to deal with my condition that I’d never heard of before my diagnosis and knowledge that I’m not alone. The stories and support from others are very soothing and helpful.” – CBD Patient & Smart Patient Participant
- “I was not aware of the Forum until after my wife died, however it has helped me in two ways – first, I regularly learn something new from the Forum responses, which in turn helps me answer questions that come up in my volunteer role as a Peer Supporter and Support Group facilitator. Second, I find if I can give a suggestion to one who has posted a question on the Forum, it not only gives me satisfaction that I have helped someone, it also has helped me with my grief as I am being of service others, who’s loved one is on this difficult brain disease journey.” – CurePSP volunteer, Former PSP caregiver, & Smart Patient Participant
Lending Closets
Medical Lending Closets are donation sites that give or lend medical products, equipment, and devices. Lending Closets provide a much-needed alternative to purchasing such supplies outright. Many people who use a Lending Closet do not have insurance, or have already maxed out on their insurance coverage for these types of items. In addition, certain medical supplies are not covered by insurance at all. In addition to loaning out products, Medical Lending Closets also readily accept contributions of used equipment.
At Lending Closets, the items are clean and in good working condition. In some cases, they can be returned after use. Supplies are distributed on a first-come, first-servedbasis. Because of the frequent change in availability of goods, we suggest that you call ahead to ask if particular articles are in stock. Please note that Lending Closet sites and their respective auspices vary from locality to locality, city to city, state to state. Therefore, we are providing you a broad list of suggestions, with the understanding that resources will differ from place to place. Among the first places we recommend contacting are: your local Area Agency on Aging and senior center. Also, for those people who have an occupational therapist, you might ask if they have information on local lending closets.
Finally, we suggest that you consult with your medical team – physician, physical therapist, or occupational therapist – before selecting a specific kind of adaptive or mobility equipment. There are a wide variety of products on the market, and you want to find out which one is right for you and your individual symptoms or needs.
The types of organizations that may lend medical supplies and assistive devices:
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Adult Day Centers
- Area Agencies on Aging
- Churches, Synagogues, and other faith/worship congregations
- Departments/Councils on Aging
- Disability Services
- Fire Departments
- Human Services Departments
- Lions’ Clubs
- Parishes
- Parkinson’s Disease Chapters
- Parkinson’s disease Exercise Classes
- Parkinson’s disease and PSP/MSA/CBD Support Groups
- Senior Centers
- Senior Services Departments of local townships
- Senior Volunteer Networks
- Township Offices
- Village Halls
Using an online search engine, patients and families may locate a local lending closet to access or borrow equipment listed above. Helpful keywords to include when doing a general computer search for lending closets are:
- Durable Medical Equipment
- Federal agencies, e.g. Disability Services: usa.gov; Social Security: ssa.gov; National Association of Area Agencies on Aging: www.n4a.org; Administration on Aging: acl.gov
- Health Equipment Loan Programs
- Medical Equipment Loan Closets/Town/State
- Medical Lending Organizations
- National, Not-for-Profit, Disease-specific Organizations, such as Muscular Dystrophy Association: mda.org; ALS