DME Loan Closets and Medical Equipment Reuse in North Dakota

Written & Reviewed by

Analic Mata-Murray

Managing Editor

Yolanda Taylor

Senior Healthcare Editor

Last updated: 16 April 2026

Bottom line: As of April 2026, North Dakota does not publish one simple official page that lists every local medical equipment loan closet in every county. The fastest statewide starting points are NDAD’s free Healthcare Equipment Loan Program (HELP), ND Assistive’s ND AT4ALL reuse and loan system, and North Dakota Health and Human Services Adaptive Equipment Services in Grafton. If you live in a rural county, add the state Aging and Disability Resource Link (ADRL) to your first round of calls.

Emergency help now

• Call the nearest NDAD office now and ask whether it has a same-day walker, wheelchair, commode, shower chair, or ramp through the HELP program.
• Call ND Assistive at 1-800-895-4728 and ask staff to check ND AT4ALL and the free Device Reuse inventory while you are on the phone.
• If a hospital discharge or unsafe home return is happening today, ask the discharge planner or therapist to help contact Adaptive Equipment Services in Grafton or a regular DME supplier before the person goes home.

Quick-help box

• Fastest free short-term path: NDAD HELP.
• Best statewide database: ND AT4ALL.
• Best for bigger or harder-to-fit items: HHS Adaptive Equipment Services in Grafton.
• Best for age 60+ fall-prevention items: ND Assistive Senior Safety Program.
• Best statewide rural backup: ADRL at 1-855-462-5465.
• Best Fargo-area reuse store: HERO in Fargo.
• Before you drive anywhere: Confirm inventory, pickup rules, and current hours first.

What this help is, and what it is not

What it is: A durable medical equipment, or DME, loan closet or reuse program gives out donated or pre-owned items like walkers, wheelchairs, shower chairs, commodes, transfer benches, and sometimes hospital beds, lifts, or ramps.

What it is not: It is not the same as buying equipment through Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance. In North Dakota, community reuse is often the quickest answer for surgery recovery, waiting on insurance, or getting noncovered safety items. Insurance is often the better route for oxygen, CPAP or BiPAP machines, wound-vac systems, and highly customized rehab equipment.

North Dakota-specific reality: Many search results mix free reuse programs with commercial medical supply stores. That is confusing. In real life, North Dakota families usually need to combine a free reuse option, a statewide search tool, and sometimes a regular supplier.

Quick facts

• Most traditional statewide loan-closet network: NDAD HELP.
• Broadest statewide assistive-technology search route: ND Assistive and ND AT4ALL.
• Best overlooked state-connected option: Adaptive Equipment Services in Grafton.
• Strongest home-safety option for older adults: Senior Safety Program for eligible North Dakotans age 60 and older.
• Best statewide search and referral line: ADRL, 1-855-462-5465.
• Strongest Fargo-region reuse nonprofit: HERO.

Best statewide starting points

Where the fastest path changes by region

What North Dakota’s main programs do best

NDAD HELP is the closest thing North Dakota has to a classic statewide loan-closet network. The HELP program provides free equipment loans up to 90 days through six NDAD offices. NDAD says it loaned 6,005 pieces of equipment in 2025, saving borrowers more than $576,634. Common items include manual and power wheelchairs, scooters, shower chairs, transfer benches, portable ramps, commodes, toilet frames, rollators, walkers, IV poles, and leg lifters.

ND Assistive is the broadest statewide assistive-technology route. North Dakota Health and Human Services identifies ND Assistive as the state’s Assistive Technology Act program. Its device loan program lets people borrow equipment for a few weeks to see whether it works. Its Device Reuse program is different: the item is free and becomes yours. Its ND AT4ALL system is the best statewide place to search short-term loans, long-term loans, and donated or low-cost items.

Adaptive Equipment Services in Grafton is one of the most useful programs that families miss. The state program page says North Dakotans can request pre-owned adaptive equipment at no cost for any length of time, that the program can deliver items to the home or arrange pickup in Grafton, and that no doctor referral is required. It also custom-builds or modifies equipment. If a standard chair, bench, or wheelchair is unsafe or the wrong size, ask about this program early.

The Senior Safety Program is often the better answer for older adults. The program is for eligible North Dakota residents age 60 or older who do not live in a nursing facility. Its current application lists items like bed rails, grab bars, shower chairs, toilet safety frames, toilet risers, tub transfer benches, threshold ramps, medication reminders, and alerting devices. For many seniors, that is the real need.

HERO is the strongest regional reuse organization in Fargo. According to HERO’s description of its work, it operates a south Fargo storefront and warehouse and provides access to affordable equipment and supplies at low to no cost. That makes it especially useful for Fargo-area families who need something quickly and can travel to pick it up.

What equipment is commonly available

Usually easiest to find: canes, crutches, walkers, rollators, manual wheelchairs, commodes, shower chairs, transfer benches, toilet seat risers, toilet safety frames, bed rails, gait belts, and grab bars.

Available, but much less predictable: portable ramps, knee walkers, scooters, power wheelchairs, standers, mechanical lifts, hospital beds, stair lifts, bath lifts, and specialized seating.

Usually better handled through a supplier instead of a community closet: oxygen equipment, CPAP or BiPAP machines, ventilators, feeding pumps, wound-vac systems, and highly customized rehab equipment. On the North Dakota Medicaid DME member page, the state says members can choose an enrolled supplier for covered DME and also notes that adaptive equipment is not covered under the regular DME benefit.

How loans usually work in North Dakota

• Short-term recovery loan: NDAD HELP is usually the first choice, with loans up to 90 days.
• Try-before-you-buy loan: ND Assistive device loans are usually for a few weeks.
• Free reuse item you keep: ND Assistive Device Reuse gives out free items that become yours.
• Longer no-cost pre-owned equipment: Adaptive Equipment Services in Grafton says items can be requested for any length of time at no cost.
• Low-cost regional reuse: HERO is more like a community reuse store than a formal loan closet.

What to ask before pickup

1. Is the item still available, and can you hold it for me?
2. What are the height, width, and weight limits?
3. Does it include footrests, charger, cushion, mattress, hand control, or missing parts?
4. Is a doctor’s note required? This matters most for power equipment.
5. Who may pick it up? Ask whether a caregiver can sign for the user.
6. Do you deliver? If yes, ask where, when, and whether there is any fee.
7. How was it cleaned and inspected?
8. What is the return date, cleaning rule, or extension rule?

What to do first

1. Write down the exact item needed and when it is needed.
2. Call the nearest NDAD office first for a basic mobility or bathroom item.
3. Call ND Assistive next and ask staff to check ND AT4ALL and Device Reuse.
4. Ask Grafton Adaptive Equipment Services if the item is larger, specialized, or needs better fitting.
5. If the older adult is age 60 or older and the need is mainly home safety, apply for Senior Safety.
6. If there is still no match, call ADRL and ask for local public-health, hospital, tribal, transportation, senior, and nonprofit backup options.
7. If discharge is today or the need is medically urgent, ask the doctor or therapist to start the regular DME supplier route too.

What to gather or know first

• ☐ Exact item name and how soon it is needed
• ☐ User’s height and weight
• ☐ Wheelchair seat width, walker height, or tub width if relevant
• ☐ Bathroom doorway, step, threshold, and bed measurements
• ☐ Whether someone can pick up and return the item
• ☐ Whether the person can safely use the item without training
• ☐ Doctor’s note if power equipment may be involved
• ☐ Medicaid, Medicare, or insurance information in case free options fail

Transportation, delivery, sanitation, and rural backup

Pickup is often the hardest part in North Dakota. NDAD says borrowers must arrange pickup and return. ND Assistive says its Device Reuse program prefers pickup because it does not have a designated shipping budget. The biggest exception is Adaptive Equipment Services in Grafton, which says it can deliver items to the home or arrange pickup in Grafton.

Ask about cleaning before the item comes into the house. NDAD’s cleaning and disinfecting guide tells borrowers to clean equipment with soap and water and then disinfect it with bleach wipes before return. Even if a program already cleaned the item, ask whether brakes, tips, batteries, straps, cushions, and missing parts were checked.

Use the right travel backup. If you are getting covered equipment from an enrolled supplier, the state Medicaid DME page says Non-Emergency Medical Transportation can help members get to their DME provider. If the problem is wheelchair-accessible transportation itself, NDAD also offers accessible van loans from Fargo, Grand Forks, and Minot for full-time wheelchair users and their drivers.

If you live far from a reuse hub: use ADRL, the local public health unit directory, and the Tribal Nation Human Services Directory. Many small rural resources are known locally before they show up well online.

Reality checks

• Inventory changes fast. A hospital bed, lift, or ramp may be gone by the time you call back.

• Free does not always mean fitted. A wrong-size wheelchair or unsafe bench can create a new fall problem.

• The nearest program is not always the fastest. A farther office with delivery or the right item may save days.

• Some needs should go straight to a supplier. Oxygen, CPAP or BiPAP, wound-vac, and highly customized rehab equipment usually need the regular medical route.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Calling only one program and stopping there
• Waiting until discharge day to start looking
• Asking only for “a wheelchair” without measurements
• Forgetting to measure the bathroom, doorway, or tub first
• Assuming Medicaid or Medicare will cover grab bars or other adaptive safety items
• Taking a power device without confirming charger, battery condition, or safe fit

What to do if the first path does not work

• Call another NDAD office. North Dakota is rural, and the closest office is not always the one with the item.
• Use ND AT4ALL more aggressively. Search statewide, not just locally, and post a want ad through ND AT4ALL.
• Ask Grafton about pre-owned equipment or modification. A poor fit is a real safety problem.
• Ask ADRL for county-level options. Request local senior, public-health, hospital, tribal, home-health, hospice, and transportation leads.
• If you must buy instead of borrow, ask ND Assistive about funding. The Possibilities Grant says review usually takes 3 to 4 weeks and awards are generally expected not to exceed $2,000. For bigger purchases or copays, the Financial Loan Program offers a 2% fixed interest rate and can finance assistive technology and DME-related costs up to $50,000.
• If you live near a border, use national backup tools. The AT3 state Assistive Technology program directory can help you find nearby state programs, and the Eldercare Locator can help you find aging-network help.

Where to donate equipment in North Dakota

• ND Assistive: Use Device Reuse or ND AT4ALL for donated assistive technology and reused items.
• HHS Adaptive Equipment Services: The state page includes an adaptive equipment donation list and invites people to ask about other items.
• HERO Fargo: HERO accepts clean, gently used healthcare equipment and supplies from individuals and facilities.

Frequently asked questions

Does North Dakota have one statewide DME loan-closet directory?

No. As of April 2026, North Dakota does not publish one simple official page that lists every local loan closet in every county. The most useful statewide starting points are NDAD HELP, ND Assistive and ND AT4ALL, Adaptive Equipment Services in Grafton, and ADRL.

What is the fastest free option for a walker, wheelchair, or commode?

In many cases, NDAD HELP is the fastest first call for common mobility and bathroom items. If NDAD does not have it, call ND Assistive Device Reuse and ask staff to search ND AT4ALL while you are on the phone.

Can I keep the equipment?

It depends on the program. NDAD HELP is usually a loan of up to 90 days. ND Assistive device loans are usually a few weeks. ND Assistive’s Device Reuse items are free and become yours. Grafton Adaptive Equipment Services says pre-owned items may be requested for any length of time at no cost.

What if I live in a rural county and cannot find help nearby?

Call ADRL at 1-855-462-5465 and the nearest NDAD office on the same day. Ask Adaptive Equipment Services whether delivery is possible. Use ND AT4ALL statewide, not just locally, and ask your local hospital, public health unit, tribal office, or senior center for backup leads.

Does North Dakota Medicaid pay for loan-closet or reused equipment?

Not directly. North Dakota Medicaid covers medically necessary DME through enrolled suppliers, not through a charitable loan closet. The same page also says adaptive equipment is not covered under the regular DME benefit, although some waiver programs may help in specific cases.

Are hospital beds, lifts, and ramps available?

Sometimes, yes, but these items are harder to match and often go fast. Adaptive Equipment Services specifically lists mechanical lifts and hospital beds. NDAD and ND AT4ALL may also have larger items, but call early and ask about pickup, delivery, and fit.

Where can I donate equipment after a loved one improves or dies?

Good statewide and regional options include ND Assistive Device Reuse, Adaptive Equipment Services in Grafton, and HERO Fargo. Always call first to confirm what they can accept and how clean the item must be.

What if the item does not fit or seems unsafe?

Stop using it until you get advice. A poor fit can cause falls, skin problems, or failed transfers. Ask your therapist, doctor, or Adaptive Equipment Services whether a different size, a modification, or a custom solution is needed.

Resumen breve en español

En Dakota del Norte, no existe un solo directorio estatal sencillo para todos los clósets de préstamo de equipo médico. Los mejores puntos de inicio son el programa HELP de NDAD, ND Assistive con ND AT4ALL, y el Aging and Disability Resource Link del estado. Si la persona vive en una zona rural, conviene llamar a ADRL y también a la oficina regional de NDAD el mismo día. Para equipo más grande o más difícil de ajustar, el programa estatal de Adaptive Equipment Services en Grafton puede ser una opción muy importante.

Para adultos mayores de 60 años que necesitan barras de apoyo, sillas para ducha, rieles para baño o recordatorios de medicamentos, revise el Senior Safety Program. Si vive cerca de Fargo, HERO puede ayudar con equipo y suministros a bajo costo o sin costo. Antes de recoger cualquier artículo, pregunte si está limpio, si tiene todas sus piezas, si cabe en la casa y cuánto tiempo dura el préstamo. Si no encuentra ayuda en la primera llamada, use ND AT4ALL para buscar en todo el estado.

About This Guide

This guide uses official federal, state, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources mentioned in the article.

Editorial note: This guide is produced based on our Editorial Standards using official and other high-trust sources, regularly updated and monitored, but not affiliated with any government agency and not a substitute for official agency, office, utility, facility, or program guidance. Individual outcomes cannot be guaranteed.

Verification: Last verified 16 April 2026, next review 16 August 2026.

Corrections: Please note that despite our careful verification process, errors may still occur. Email info@grantsforseniors.org with corrections and we respond within 72 hours.

Disclaimer

This article is informational only. It is not legal, financial, medical, or government-agency advice. Inventory, office procedures, transportation rules, facility policies, and program requirements can change. Always confirm current details directly with the official office, provider, or program before acting.