How to get free grab bars and safety equipment

The five routes worth trying, in order

1. Your Area Agency on Aging. Call the Eldercare Locator on 1-800-677-1116. Many agencies run home modification or fall-prevention programs that supply and fit grab bars at no cost to older homeowners.
2. Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services waivers. If the person has Medicaid, these waivers often cover home modifications specifically intended to keep someone living at home rather than in a facility. Ask the state Medicaid office about HCBS waiver home modification benefits.
3. Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits. Original Medicare does not cover grab bars, but many Medicare Advantage plans now include home safety benefits. Ring the number on the back of the card and ask directly.
4. VA benefits, for veterans. The VA's HISA grant and related programs fund home improvements and structural alterations for service-connected and some non-service-connected conditions. Start with the VA social worker or the local VA medical center.
5. HUD and local housing programs. Weatherization and home-repair grants in many counties include safety modifications for older homeowners. Ask the local housing authority or community action agency.

What to say when you call

Be specific and factual. "My mother is 82, lives alone, has fallen twice this year, and needs grab bars in the bathroom. Are there programs that help with that?" gets a far better answer than a general inquiry about help for seniors.

Ask three things every time: is there a program, what are the income or eligibility rules, and is there a waiting list. Waiting lists are common and often long, which is an argument for calling now and buying a bar in the meantime rather than waiting.

Write down who you spoke to and when. These programs often involve several calls, and a name shortens the second one considerably.

Other routes people overlook

• Medical equipment lending closets. Many churches, Lions Clubs, senior centers and local charities keep a stock of donated shower chairs, commodes, walkers and bath benches to lend free of charge.
• Hospital discharge planners. When someone is leaving hospital, the discharge planner can often arrange equipment and sometimes fitting. Ask before discharge, not after.
• Occupational therapy home assessments. If one is ordered by a doctor, Medicare may cover the assessment itself even where it does not cover the equipment, and the OT's report strengthens later applications.
• Fall-prevention programs. Many Area Agencies on Aging run evidence-based classes such as A Matter of Balance, often free, which also tend to come with practical home advice.
• Local fire departments. Some run free home safety visits that include smoke alarm fitting and basic hazard checks.

What usually is not covered

Original Medicare does not pay for grab bars, raised toilet seats, shower chairs or bath benches. It classifies them as convenience or home-modification items rather than durable medical equipment, which is why so many families are surprised at the pharmacy counter.

Durable medical equipment that Medicare Part B does often cover, with a doctor's order, includes walkers, wheelchairs, hospital beds and commodes. If you need both kinds of item, sort the covered ones through the doctor and pursue the rest through the programs above.

Coverage rules change and vary by plan and state. Treat this page as a map of where to ask, not as a statement about your own entitlement.

If nothing comes through

Buy the bathroom equipment anyway. A grab bar and a shower chair together cost less than one emergency room visit's parking, and the waiting lists for free fitting programs are measured in months.

If fitting is the obstacle rather than the cost, ask the Area Agency on Aging specifically about volunteer handyman programs — several areas have them, and they are rarely advertised.