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Last updated: 27 May 2026
Bottom line: South Carolina does not have one simple senior-only list of every durable medical equipment (DME) loan closet. Start with the statewide SCATP reuse service first, then use GetCareSC and your regional aging office for county referrals. If you need a walker, wheelchair, bedside commode, shower chair, transfer bench, or similar item, call more than one place the same day. Inventory changes fast.
Emergency help if discharge or power is urgent
- If someone is leaving a hospital or rehab soon: ask the discharge planner, social worker, or home health nurse to help you call equipment programs before discharge day. Say the exact item needed and when the person is going home.
- If the item is needed for basic safety: call SCATP at 803-935-5273 and ask about the reuse request form before you drive anywhere.
- If a storm, outage, or heat event could affect powered medical equipment: South Carolina DPH says people who need uninterrupted power for medical devices, medicine cooling, or special beds can use the power shelter line at 1-833-351-9990 during an emergency.
- If you do not know who serves your county: call 1-800-868-9095 or use SC 211 for local referrals.
- If there is danger right now: call 911. Loan closets and reuse programs are not emergency medical services.
Quick help table
| Need | Best first call | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Free used DME | SCATP, 803-935-5273 | Ask if the exact item is in stock, whether pickup is needed, and whether you can be added to the waitlist. |
| County referral for an older adult | GetCareSC or 1-800-868-9095 | Ask which Area Agency on Aging or Aging and Disability Resource Center serves your county. |
| Used-item listings | SC AT Exchange | Ask whether you can post a need, check free listings, or look for low-cost equipment. |
| Hearing or speech equipment | SCEDP hearing program | Ask about free phones, alert devices, and eligibility for people with hearing or speech challenges. |
| Medicare-covered DME | Medicare supplier finder | Ask if a doctor order is needed, if the supplier accepts assignment, and if the item is rented or bought. |
| Medicaid-covered DME | Medicaid DME manual | Ask the plan or provider about prior approval, covered items, and appeal rights. |
Contents
- Emergency help
- Quick help table
- What this help is
- Statewide starting points
- Aging region contacts
- Local equipment options
- How to start
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Delayed or overwhelmed
- FAQs
What this help is in South Carolina
DME reuse means a program takes donated medical or assistive equipment, checks it, and lends, gives, or sells it at low cost. Common items include walkers, canes, rollators, manual wheelchairs, shower chairs, transfer benches, raised toilet seats, and bedside commodes.
This is not the same as Medicare, Medicaid, or a commercial rental. It is also not the same as a storm shelter. Reuse programs are best when the need is basic, short-term, urgent, or low-cost. Insurance is usually the better route for oxygen, repairs, pressure-relief items, custom seating, hospital beds, power chairs, and long-term equipment.
South Carolina routes this help through three systems. The first is SCATP, which handles statewide assistive technology reuse and device loans. The second is the aging network, which connects older adults to local services. The third is local disability and nonprofit groups. For broader benefit help, see our South Carolina benefits guide, but use this page for the equipment path.
Statewide starting points that matter most
Start statewide and local at the same time. Do not wait for one program to call back before you try the next one.
South Carolina Assistive Technology Program
SCATP is the clearest statewide reuse starting point. Its reuse service says it accepts new and gently used medical equipment, cleans and sanitizes donations, and gives items to people who need them. If the item is not in stock, ask about the waiting list.
Best for: free used assistive technology and basic DME. This may include walkers, wheelchairs, commodes, shower items, vision aids, or other assistive items when available.
Who may qualify: South Carolina residents who need assistive technology or DME. The program still must review the request and inventory.
Where to apply: Call 803-935-5273 or submit the SCATP request form. For try-before-you-buy items, the separate SCATP device loans program can loan some assistive devices for up to four weeks.
Reality check: Reuse inventory is not a store shelf. A wheelchair, hospital bed, or bariatric item may not be available when you call.
GetCareSC and the aging network
The South Carolina Department on Aging runs GetCareSC to help older adults, caregivers, and adults with disabilities find local services. The state aging office says it works with 10 regional Area Agencies on Aging and local organizations that help older adults remain independent.
Best for: county referrals, senior services, in-home help, transportation leads, and local nonprofit contacts. If you need a county map, use our AAA directory for South Carolina.
Who may qualify: older adults, caregivers, and adults with disabilities. Some services depend on age, county, income, disability, need, or funding.
Where to apply: Search GetCareSC by ZIP code, or call the state aging line at 1-800-868-9095.
Reality check: Aging offices do not always have equipment on site. They often give referrals and help you find the right local office.
SC 211 and national backup
SC 211 is useful when you need a live referral after normal office hours or you are not sure which local charity, church, or nonprofit may help. It is a free information and referral service, not a loan closet.
For help outside South Carolina’s systems, the Eldercare Locator can connect older adults and family caregivers to local aging services by phone at 1-800-677-1116.
South Carolina aging region contacts
The Senior P.R.E.P. brochure lists 10 Area Agencies on Aging and Aging and Disability Resource Centers. These offices are often the best county referral path for seniors. Ask for medical equipment leads, transportation help, home-delivered meals, in-home care options, and local disability contacts.
| Region | Counties | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Appalachia | Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg | 864-242-9733 or 1-800-434-4036 |
| Upper Savannah | Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Saluda | 864-941-8050 or 1-800-922-7729 |
| Catawba | Chester, Lancaster, Union, York | 803-329-9670 or 1-800-662-8330 |
| Central Midlands | Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Richland | 803-376-5390 or 1-866-394-4166 |
| Lower Savannah | Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Orangeburg | 803-649-7981 or 1-866-845-1550 |
| Santee Lynches | Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee, Sumter | 803-775-7381 |
| Pee Dee | Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Marion, Marlboro | 843-383-8632 or 1-866-505-3331 |
| Waccamaw | Georgetown, Horry, Williamsburg | 843-546-8502 or 1-888-302-7550 |
| Trident | Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester | 843-554-2275 or 1-800-894-0415 |
| Lowcountry | Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, Jasper | 843-473-3991 or 1-877-846-8148 |
Important: aging regions do not always match disability-service regions. That is normal. If one office says your county belongs somewhere else, ask for the name and phone number of the correct office.
Regional and local equipment options
South Carolina local programs can be faster when you live in the right county, but they can also have strict rules. Call before you go. Ask about hours, county limits, fees, delivery, and exact inventory.
| Program | Best for | Practical reality check |
|---|---|---|
| Able SC reuse | Free adaptive equipment in much of the Midlands and Upstate, including high-demand items such as wheelchairs, rollators, shower benches, transfer benches, and some supplies. | Large items can be hard. Able SC says storage is limited for hospital beds and electric wheelchairs. |
| AccessAbility equipment | Equipment loan help for members and low-cost fee-for-service equipment in the lower part of the state. | Call 843-225-5080 before pickup. Availability and pricing can change. |
| Walton Options STAR | Used DME through the STAR network, especially for people with disabilities near its service areas. | The program says equipment is cleaned, inspected, and may require a minimal contribution fee. |
| Spartanburg Shares | Short-term free loans for Spartanburg County residents. | Loans are up to 90 days. The group says there is no income or insurance test, but photo ID proving county residence is needed. |
| Lakelands closet | Free donated items in the Greenwood area, including commodes, walkers, canes, transfer benches, wheelchairs, and adult pull-ups when available. | Call 864-229-4103 and confirm current inventory before driving to Greenwood. |
| Hilton Head closet | Medical mobility, personal, and exercise equipment for Sun City Hilton Head neighbors. | This is a narrow local program. It asks for at least a $1 donation per item and has its own request process. |
For other counties, use your aging office, local hospital social worker, disability nonprofit, county senior center, church outreach office, and church and charity help in South Carolina. Smaller closets may not have strong websites, but local staff often know who has equipment this week.
How to start without wasting time
The fastest plan is simple: name the item, call statewide, call local, and keep the insurance path open if the need may last.
- Write the exact item: Use words like rolling walker, rollator, manual wheelchair, transport chair, bedside commode, shower chair, transfer bench, raised toilet seat, or cane.
- Write the size details: For wheelchairs and benches, have the person’s height, weight, hip width, doorway limits, and stair situation ready.
- Call SCATP first: Ask about current inventory and the waitlist.
- Call the aging office: Ask for county-specific equipment leads and transportation help.
- Call local disability groups: Try Able SC, AccessAbility, Walton Options, or a county program based on where the person lives.
- Ask the care team: If there is a hospital, rehab, home health, hospice, or therapy team, ask them to help with equipment wording and safety needs.
- Open insurance too: If the item is needed long term, ask the doctor whether Medicare or Medicaid should cover it.
What to gather before calling
- Full name, county, ZIP code, phone number, and best call-back time
- Exact equipment needed and why it is needed
- Height, weight, and safety concern
- Whether the person can pick up the item or needs delivery
- Vehicle size, helper availability, and stairs at home
- Discharge date, surgery date, or urgent deadline
- Insurance type, doctor order, denial letter, or prior approval notice if you have one
- Photo ID, proof of county residence, or membership paperwork if a program asks for it
Phone scripts you can use
| Who you call | Script |
|---|---|
| SCATP | Hello, I am helping an older adult in [county]. We need a [specific item] because [short reason]. Is one available through reuse, and can we be added to a waitlist if not? |
| Aging office | Hello, I need the Aging and Disability Resource Center for [county]. We need local medical equipment help and transportation if pickup is required. Who should we call today? |
| Hospital discharge planner | Before discharge, can you help us request a [specific item] and check Medicare, Medicaid, reuse programs, and local loan closets? We are worried about safety at home. |
| Local nonprofit | Hello, do you lend, give, or sell low-cost [specific item]? Is there a county rule, fee, ID requirement, waiver, or pickup time we should know before coming? |
Pickup, delivery, and safety checks
Do not assume delivery is available. Many South Carolina programs expect pickup. SCATP device loans have their own shipping rules, but reuse items may not ship the same way. AccessAbility tells callers to check availability and pricing before pickup. Some local programs may deliver only inside a small service area.
Ask these questions before anyone uses donated equipment:
- Is the item cleaned, sanitized, inspected, or given as-is?
- Does the weight limit fit the user?
- Are all parts included, such as footrests, cushions, leg rests, brakes, baskets, tips, chargers, or straps?
- For a wheelchair, do both wheel locks hold firmly?
- For a walker or cane, are the rubber tips safe and not worn flat?
- For a shower chair or transfer bench, are the legs even and non-slip?
- Is there a return date, renewal rule, fee, or donation request?
- Can a caregiver pick up the item, and what ID or form is needed?
Used equipment can help quickly, but it must fit the person and the home. For wheelchairs, transfer benches, hospital beds, power chairs, and complex items, ask a physical therapist, occupational therapist, nurse, or doctor to check safety when possible.
Rural South Carolina and hard-to-find items
Rural seniors often have a harder time. The nearest closet may be one or two counties away, and the item may need a truck or helper. Start with SCATP, then ask your aging office to search nearby counties. Ask local home health, hospice, rehab, and senior center staff who they call for walkers, wheelchairs, and commodes.
Some items are hard almost everywhere. Hospital beds, power wheelchairs, scooters, bariatric equipment, oxygen items, specialty mattresses, pressure-relief equipment, and custom seating may be rare in reuse programs. For these, keep looking locally, but also work with the doctor and insurer.
If the equipment need is tied to a disability, our South Carolina disability help guide may help you find broader disability services. If a storm or shutoff risk is part of the problem, use our South Carolina emergency help guide for other urgent routes.
Keep reuse separate from Medicare and Medicaid
Reuse is often faster for basic equipment. Insurance is often better for long-term medical need. Do both when the item affects fall risk, discharge, skin safety, breathing, bathing, transfers, or daily care.
Medicare may cover some durable medical equipment when it is medically necessary, ordered by a doctor, and used in the home. Medicare’s DME coverage page explains the basic coverage path. South Carolina SHIP can help with Medicare questions, plan problems, and fraud concerns through Medicare counseling at 1-800-868-9095.
If the senior has trouble paying Medicare costs, our South Carolina Medicare Savings Programs guide can help with the premium-help path. If Medicaid may be involved, remember that South Carolina equipment rules still come from the state plan, the provider, and the managed care plan when one is involved.
If Medicaid or a managed care plan denies or delays equipment, save the notice. The SCDHHS appeals page explains that an appeal is a hearing request when you disagree with a decision by SCDHHS, a managed care organization, or another party acting for the agency.
What to do if delayed, denied, or overwhelmed
- Ask for the reason: Was it out of stock, outside county limits, not covered, missing a doctor order, or too large for the program?
- Ask for a waitlist: If a program cannot help today, ask if they can call when the item returns.
- Ask for a warm referral: Say, “Can you give me the name and number of the next place to call?”
- Ask the care team to reword the need: A therapist may know whether the safer wording is rollator, transport chair, transfer bench, or bedside commode.
- Use more than one path: Try reuse, aging offices, disability groups, charities, Medicare, and Medicaid at the same time.
- Keep notes: Write down the date, person you spoke with, program name, answer, and next step.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting until discharge day to start calling
- Asking for “medical equipment” instead of naming the item
- Calling only one program and stopping
- Assuming every wheelchair includes footrests or a cushion
- Driving without confirming hours, inventory, and pickup rules
- Giving Medicare or Medicaid information to a stranger who calls about free braces or free equipment
- Using a used item before checking brakes, tips, bolts, straps, and fit
Resumen en español
En Carolina del Sur, no hay una sola lista estatal para todos los lugares que prestan equipo médico usado. El primer paso suele ser llamar al programa SCATP al 803-935-5273 y pedir ayuda con el equipo exacto que necesita, como andador, silla de ruedas, silla para ducha, banco de transferencia o inodoro portátil.
También conviene buscar por código postal en GetCareSC o llamar al 1-800-868-9095 para hablar con la oficina estatal de envejecimiento. Si necesita ayuda local, pregunte por la Agencia del Área sobre el Envejecimiento, centros para personas con discapacidades, hospitales, iglesias y organizaciones comunitarias. Si la persona usa equipo que necesita electricidad y viene una tormenta, llame a la línea estatal de refugios con energía médica al 1-833-351-9990 durante una emergencia.
Antes de recoger equipo usado, pregunte si está limpio, revisado, completo y si hay una fecha de devolución. Para equipo complejo, como cama de hospital, silla eléctrica, oxígeno o equipo hecho a la medida, también pida ayuda al médico, Medicare, Medicaid o el plan de seguro.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one official South Carolina DME loan closet list?
No. South Carolina does not appear to have one senior-only statewide list of every DME loan closet. The best starting points are SCATP, GetCareSC, your regional aging office, SC 211, and local disability groups.
What is the best first place to ask for free used equipment?
Start with SCATP because it runs the clearest statewide equipment reuse service. Then call your regional aging office and local disability or nonprofit programs the same day.
Can I get a wheelchair or walker the same day?
Sometimes, but do not count on it. Inventory changes quickly. Call first, name the exact item, ask about size and parts, and ask whether pickup is required.
Do these programs deliver equipment?
Some local programs may deliver in a small service area, but many programs require pickup. Ask about delivery, pickup hours, vehicle needs, and who can sign paperwork before you go.
Should I use Medicare or Medicaid instead?
Use insurance too if the item is long-term, custom, medically complex, or expensive. Reuse can help quickly, but Medicare or Medicaid may be the better path for covered DME.
Can I donate equipment after a loved one dies or moves?
Usually yes, but call first. Programs may reject broken items, oversized items, oxygen equipment, or supplies they cannot store or sanitize.
About This Guide
This guide uses official federal, state, local, 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 guidance. Individual eligibility outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
Verification: Last verified 27 May 2026, next review 27 August 2026.
Corrections: Please note that despite our careful verification process, errors may still occur. Email info@grantsforseniors.org with corrections and we will respond within 72 hours.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal, financial, medical, tax, disability-rights, immigration, or government-agency advice. Program rules, policies, and availability can change. Readers should confirm current details directly with the official program before acting.
Last updated: 27 May 2026. Next review: 27 August 2026.
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