Why Can’t You Keep Medical Equipment in Another Part of the House?

If you are requesting an additional room for medical equipment, your housing worker may visit your house to view the equipment and make sure there are no other suitable spaces where it can be stored or used.

If there are any reasons why storing equipment elsewhere would not be workable, it can help if both you and your doctor include this reason in your written accommodation request. Below are example of needs for space for:

• Physical and Occupational Therapy
• Medical Equipment
• Medical Supplies
• Medical Paperwork
• Medical Devices

Physical and Occupational Therapy 

🌸 Needs suitable space to operate equipment and perform physical therapy activities.

🌸 Doctor has prescribed at-home physical therapy sessions on a daily or frequent basis to help person maintain mobility and independence to live in the community.

🌸 The living room and other common spaces are frequently used by multiple other family members and physical therapist has determined that a dedicated space is needed for properly performing exercises

🌸 Therapist has prescribed specific in-home rehabilitation activities that require a x feet of uncluttered space to be able to safely and adequately perform.

Storage of Medical Equipment

🌸 Prescribed medical equipment is large and won’t fit in common spaces (may be helpful to include dimensions)

🌸 Prescribed equipment is small, but there is a lot of it (include list)

🌸 Items cannot be safely stored in common areas. Person is mobility impaired and they require less furniture and objects in halls, common areas, and bedrooms in order to safely operate mobility equipment.

🌸 Person has a disability that causes problems with balance, coordination or a history of falls. Excess items in common areas of the house increase fall risk and presents a safety hazard.

🌸 Due to disability, person is unable to fold, lift, or store equipment, and does not have a live-in aide or full-time support person who can do this for them. Equipment needs to be left open and unfolded in an easily-accessible space

🌸 Equipment cannot be stored in other areas of house, because these areas are too far from bedroom. Equipment must be easily accessible to disabled person and doctor has written the equipment must be kept within xx feet of person’s bedroom.

🌸 Person’s bedroom already contains other medical equipment (hospital bed, oxygen machine, etc) and adding more equipment into the space would hinder mobility/functioning.

Storage of Medical Supplies

🌸 Medical supplies are delivered monthly or ordered in bulk. Need adequate space to store a bulk supply.

🌸 Medical supplies need to be kept together and organized in a clutter-free space. Allowing them to be easily sorted and found. (For example: A person with cognitive impairments who needs supplies organized and color coded, or a person who has multiple home aides who need to all be able to easily see/find/use the same equipment).

🌸 Due to disability, person is unable to reach/bend/lift. Equipment and supplies cannot be stored in high or low closet shelves and must be placed at counter level.

Maintaining Medical Paperwork

🌸 Person has complex medical needs and utilizes numerous disability and medical services. In addition to space for equipment, also requires space for organization and use of medical paperwork, insurance and billing paperwork, and disability services applications (computer, printer, fax, filing cabinet, etc).

Use of Medical Devices

🌸 Equipment requires a dedicated space because house has pets, young children, or other people or circumstances that might touch or damage equipment.

🌸 Equipment must be stored and used in a separate, sanitary environment. (For example, trach, iv supplies, dialysis).

🌸 Person needs a separate room as a dedicated space for sensitive electronic medical devices (for example: ones that need to maintain accurate calibration to function properly and to prevent damage).

🌸 Medical supplies must be guaranteed to be maintained as sterile in their original sealed coverings, until ready for use by a licensed medical professional. (for example: expensive medical devices, intravenous medications, IV supplies, medication injections, and specialty medical equipment)

🌸 Medical devices need to be kept set up for daily use under sanitary conditions, and protected from contamination from other people. (For example: nebulizer breathing treatment machines).

Learn More

🌸 This page is part of the online guide: Epic Master List of Disability Accommodation Letters

🌸 Facebook Group: HUD and Section 8 Disabled Residents & Family Members

🌸 Art on this page by Robin Mead and Elizabeth D’Angelo.

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