Patient Lifts

Do you know what the most dangerous room in your home is?

You may be surprised. Even considering the hot stove and sharp knives in the kitchen, bathrooms are statistically the most accident-prone room in your home.

 One report by the CDC in 2008 found that an estimated 234,094 accidents occurred in residential bathrooms every year. These accidents can range from broken bones to serious head injuries. 

For elderly individuals or those who struggle with mobility, bathrooms can be particularly tricky to navigate safely due to slippery floors, hard tile, and frequent transfers. 

Don’t let you or a loved one become a statistic. Here are some of our top tips to improve the safety and mobility of your home bathroom. 

Consider a shower wheelchair 

Shower chairs can take the headache out of tricky transfers from a wheelchair to shower or tub. These non-corrosive waterproof chairs are designed to be wheeled directly into and used in the shower– no transfer required. 

Many shower chairs, such as the Wings Shower Wheelchair, also include a detachable commode to remove the need to transition to and from the toilet. 

https://medmartonline.com/medacure-rolling-shower-wheelchair-with-commode

Choose safe materials for shower walls

Shower walls are an often-overlooked area of bathroom safety. Purchasing weighted shower curtains can help reduce the amount of water splashed on the floor, lowering the risk of slipping. Is your shower wall made of breakable glass? Consider replacing it with safety glass, which shatters into harmless pieces if broken. 

Invest in a handheld showerhead 

For individuals who struggle with mobility, moving a showerhead can be much easier than moving their body. Handheld showerheads allow a patient or caregiver to easily rinse from just about any angle without added physical strain. Look for showerheads that come with an extra long hose for added flexibility. 

https://medmartonline.com/vive-handheld-shower-head

Install safety handles and grab bars
Making your bathroom safe doesn’t have to mean expensive equipment or home renovations. Grab rails are easy to install and provide much-needed support for individuals who need help transferring to/from the toilet or shower or who want to navigate the bathroom more confidently. 

Mount grab bars next to the toilet, in the shower, or just about anywhere else some extra stability is needed– the possibilities are endless. 

Consider a walk-in bathtub

Enjoy the comfort of relaxing in a warm bath, without the fall risk. Simply open the door, walk into the tub, and seal the door behind you before turning on the faucet. These tubs include built-in seats and grab bars for extra stability.

Don’t forget about lighting

Few things are more critical to the safety of a room than quality lighting. With age, eyesight begins to deteriorate. We recommend installing nightlights or motion-activated lights leading up to and inside the bathroom. Doing so prevents unnecessary trips and falls during nighttime bathroom trips. 

While these tips are helpful, they are just the tip of the iceberg. There are dozens of solutions that help improve the safety of your home bathroom. Some additional recommendations include (but are not limited to): 

Non-slip mats on the floor and shower
A raised toilet seat with handles to easily sit down and stand up
Transfer benches to make standard tubs safer to navigate 
And more…

Ultimately, the perfect bathroom solutions will be custom-tailored to your bathroom layout, preferences, and mobility needs.

We encourage you to browse our collection of hundreds of bath safety products or get in touch with one of our product specialists to find the best fit for your needs. 

https://medmartonline.com/bath-safety?p=1

When purchasing medical devices for personal or family use, your state may impact the overall cost of your items. While most states provide some form of sales tax exemption for medical devices, the details vary from state to state.

In general, most states provide a blanket exemption for all medical devices, or a tax exemption for medical devices prescribed by a licensed provider. However, there are some exceptions.

In this blog, we'll provide an overview of medical device taxes in each state.

To meet the tax exemption, these states require that a medical device be either prescribed or dispensed by a physician.

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington D.C., and West Virginia.

These devices do not require a prescription from a physician in order to meet tax exempt status.

Wyoming, Nevada, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey

In the following states, medical devices may be exempt from tax within certain situations. It's important to note the specifics, as exemptions often apply based on prescription, usage, or type of device.

If you live in one of the following states, we recommend researching the specific sales tax code to see if it applies to your situation.

• Georgia: Exceptions apply to DME sold or prescribed by a physician
• Minnesota: Subject to tax unless sold for home use or qualified under Medicare/Medicaid
• Mississippi: Exemptions for certain equipment like prosthetics, orthotics, hearing devices, etc.
• Montana: Subject to tax, with the exception of certain therapeutic and prosthetic devices.
• Nebraska: Prescription required for mobility devices. For DME equipment, a prescription and eligibility for the medical assistance program must be established.
• New Mexico: Exempt only if delivered by a licensed practitioner and the value of the device is included in the cost of service.
• Ohio: Prescription required to meet exemption, except medical oxygen equipment sold for facility use.
• South Carolina: Subject to tax, with the exception of devices paid for by South Carolina or Medicare/Medicare programs. These items must also be sold by a licensed South Carolina provider.
• Washington: Subject to tax, with the exemption of certain items like prosthetic devices, oxygen systems, and others.

The following states do not have any statewide sales tax on any products, including medical devices.

Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon

Understanding the tax landscape of medical devices is a single step in making an informed medical device purchase.

If you are looking for ways to cut costs when purchasing a medical device for you or a loved one, we also recommend:

Reviewing your insurance coverage: Most insurances provide at least partial coverage for prescribed medical devices.

Contacting a product expert here at Med Mart: With decades of experience, our experts can help you identify the most cost-effective equipment that fits both your needs and budget.

The most common reason that our customers choose to purchase a patient lift is to reduce the risk of injury to both caretakers and patients during transfers. Helping a loved one from their bed into a wheelchair or helping them up from the floor after a fall may seem perfectly safe. However, when these transfers happen frequently they can cause back problems in caretakers and extreme discomfort for patients.