The Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services, Office of Aging and Independence and community partners have officially reopened The Loan Closet of Howard County, which is now located at 7125 Riverwood Drive, Columbia.

Since 2004, the Loan Closet has processed more than 26,000 pieces of donated medical and therapeutic equipment such as canes, walkers and wheelchairs and provided them at no cost to more than 17,000 county residents. The average value of each loan is $225, ranging from $50 to $20,000.

“We’ve seen the use and need for these services grow significantly in the past three years, with more than 12,000 residents seeking assistive devices, saving families nearly $5 million,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “With this new space there is also an expansion of services and accessibility, allowing us to continue working towards a community that improves the quality of life for residents of all ages and abilities.”

Howard County has seen significant growth of requests for equipment from the Loan Closet. Seventy percent of residents who have requested services from Loan Closet have done so in the last three years, with 12,000 residents supported with 21,000 pieces of equipment. Many insurance companies do not cover durable medical equipment and 80% of the items provided by Loan Closet are not covered under insurance.

Photo courtesy of Howard County Government.