Re-homing guide
Selling, donating or getting rid of a hospital bed or wheelchair on Vancouver Island
A working full-electric hospital bed, lift chair, tilt-in-space or manual wheelchair, or patient lift has real value and is worth selling or donating rather than dumping. The fastest route with no haggling is to offer it to us; the highest private price is usually a classified listing; the Red Cross and several charities accept donations of working equipment; and anything that has reached the end of its life should go to a junk removal service or a metal recycler, not the curb, because of its electrical parts.
What it is worth
- Full-electric hospital beds — head, foot and height all powered — sell fastest and are worth the most; private listings in BC commonly run $400 to $1,200 depending on age and brand. Semi-electric and manual-crank beds have little value.
- Tilt-in-space wheelchairs and lightweight manual wheelchairs from recognised makers (PDG, Broda, Helio, Quickie, Invacare) hold value well, especially with seating and cushions.
- Lift chairs in good condition, particularly infinite-position chairs, sell readily.
- Patient lifts — floor lifts with a working battery, and ceiling lift motors — are in demand because new ones are expensive.
- Power wheelchairs and scooters are a different market: batteries and electronics need specialist testing, which is why we do not buy them, but they sell privately to buyers who can arrange their own inspection.
Selling it
To a dealer
We buy five types of equipment: patient lifts (floor and ceiling), lift chairs, full-electric hospital and adjustable beds, tilt-in-space wheelchairs and manual wheelchairs, from anywhere on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. Fill in the sell form with up to five photos, including the label or serial plate, the make and model, its age and condition. If we are interested we reply and arrange collection; if you do not hear from us, we are not, and there is no need to follow up. We do not buy power mobility, walkers, commodes, mattresses or cushions, under any circumstances.
Privately
For the highest price, or for items we do not buy, list it on Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or UsedVictoria, or in the public Facebook group "Vancouver Island BC Medical Equipment Buy & Sell". Photograph the label, state the make, model, age and any faults honestly, note the weight rating, and expect buyers to want to test it. Be ready to help load it: a hospital bed is 150–250 lb in pieces.
Donating it
- Canadian Red Cross. The Red Cross's Health Equipment Loan Program accepts donations of wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, canes, bath seats and benches, commodes and raised toilet seats, and home-use hospital beds — phone the depot first, because intake varies. Vancouver Island depots include Victoria (909 Fairfield Road, 250-382-2043), Nanaimo, Duncan, Courtenay and Campbell River.
- ALS Society of BC accepts equipment donations for its loan program (donations@alsbc.ca).
- GF Strong / VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation in Vancouver accepts equipment and can issue a tax receipt (604-737-6410).
- AssistList is a non-profit online marketplace for second-hand home health equipment, aimed at Greater Vancouver.
- Locally: community loan cupboards, seniors' and disability organisations, and the discharge planner or OT who supplied the equipment usually know who is waiting for exactly what you have.
Getting rid of it
A hospital bed, lift chair or patient lift that no longer works should not go in municipal garbage: they contain motors, transformers, batteries and electronics. Options are a junk removal service (typically $100–$250 for a bed), a scrap metal recycler for the frame, and proper battery recycling for lift and power-chair batteries. If the equipment came through a health authority or a rental company, it goes back to them.
Getting it ready
- Clean it: wipe every surface, and strip and wash any covers that can be washed.
- Find the handset, charger, rails, slings, cushions and any tools that came with it; missing parts cut the value badly.
- Photograph the label with the model and serial number, the weight rating, and the whole item from a couple of angles.
- Be honest about what does not work. A buyer or a dealer will find it, and a bed described as working that is not is a wasted trip for everyone.
Sources
Related questions
How much can I sell a used hospital bed for?
A working full-electric bed typically lists privately for $400 to $1,200 in BC, more for newer name-brand beds with a good mattress. Dealers pay less than a private buyer but collect it, and a manual-crank bed is worth very little either way. Offer it to us through the sell page for a no-haggle answer.
Does the Red Cross take used hospital beds?
The Red Cross lists home-use hospital beds among the equipment it accepts as donations, along with wheelchairs, walkers, commodes and bath equipment, but intake varies by depot and by need, so phone first. Victoria's depot is at 909 Fairfield Road, 250-382-2043.
How do I dispose of a hospital bed after a death?
If it is full-electric and working, sell it or donate it; it will help someone. If it is not working, use a junk removal service or a metal recycler rather than municipal waste, because of the motors and electronics. If it was rented or loaned, contact the provider to collect it.
Need one? Ask us.
Tell us what you need and we will check our stock and our distribution network, then reply within one business day with options and a price. No obligation.