When a parent comes home from hospital or a relative starts needing more help, the equipment list arrives fast: a hospital bed, a wheelchair, maybe oxygen. Before you spend on everything at once, it is worth asking a simple question for each item: will we need this for weeks, or for years?
A simple rule of thumb
Rent what you expect to need for less than about four to six months. Buy what you expect to use for longer, what is personal and hygienic, or what is cheap enough that renting makes little sense.
- Usually rent: hospital beds, ripple air mattresses, oxygen concentrators, suction machines and wheelchairs after surgery or a fracture.
- Usually buy: blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters, glucometers, thermometers, commode chairs, shower chairs and all consumables such as gloves, dressings and adult diapers.
- Depends on the situation: walkers, rollators and wheelchairs for long-term conditions, where buying often costs less than a year of rent.
Do the maths for your timeline
Compare the monthly rental rate with the purchase price. If a hospital bed rents for a monthly fee that adds up to the purchase price in seven or eight months, and your doctor expects recovery in six weeks, renting is the clear choice. For a parent with advanced dementia or a long-term mobility condition, buying usually wins within the year.
Remember the extras. Rentals in Nairobi normally include delivery, setup and collection, and often a refundable deposit. Purchases may include a warranty but you will handle servicing and eventual resale yourself.
What to check before delivery
- Measure the space. A standard two-crank hospital bed needs roughly a metre on each side for turning and care, and clear doorways for delivery.
- Check the power. Oxygen concentrators and air mattress pumps run continuously. Plan for KPLC outages with a backup, and ask about battery options.
- Ask about cleaning. Rented equipment should arrive cleaned and sanitised, with a record of when it was last serviced.
- Get a demonstration. Whoever delivers should show the family and the caregiver how to adjust, clean and troubleshoot the equipment.
A special word on oxygen
Only use an oxygen concentrator on a doctor’s prescription, at the flow rate prescribed. Keep it away from cooking gas, candles and smoking, and make sure the room is ventilated. A trained nurse or caregiver should check readings with a pulse oximeter and know when to call the doctor.
Paying and getting it delivered
Most families pay by M-Pesa. In our medical supplies shop you can choose to buy or rent each item, pay through our Paybill or Till number, and share your M-Pesa confirmation code so we can dispatch the same or next working day within Nairobi.
If you are unsure what you actually need, talk to us first. Our nurses and care coordinators can look at the discharge notes with you and recommend only the equipment that will make a real difference, so you do not end up paying for things that sit in the corner.
