As they say, truth is stranger than fiction.
Since I could not possibly have made these scenarios up,. I want to share it with you. Although, it will take a few installments. I will try to break them up so you won't feel like you're reading my version of a book.
I've lived in nursing homes for over 20 years. Since I have moved to nursing homes, I've gotten three power chairs. The first two were supplied when I lived in a nursing home in southeastern Ohio.
My first ever power chair was purchased by the Ohio Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) when I was working a full-time job. Since I already had a job, BVR wanted me to be more mobile and a power chair would assist me with that. The process did not seem scary to me. I went to Columbus to be fitted for the chair at a medical supply store. I thought they had everything right. Back then, I was 37 and living in the community with private caregivers to assist me.
When the chair was delivered to my work office, it was too high off the floor for me to get in it. So I refused it. I knew I had to have that I could use.
My voc rehab counselor called me that same afternoon to ask what the problem was. When I told him, he told me he would get back to me. It wasn't long until I went to the supplier back to Columbus and was refitted for the chair I was supposed to have.
The next power chair I got was purchased by Medicare in 1991. I had just been the part-time manager of a disability conference in Columbus. I had met a vendor. I explained I needed a new power chair and asked if he had any that had been made for a customer and then did not work out for them. I also asked if he would take for payment the $3700 Medicare paid for power chairs back then. He said he would.
It wasn't very long until he found me a chair I could use. Was it the optimum? No, it wasn't. Did it meet my needs? Yes it did. I use that chair from 1991 until 1999. By then, I was living in a nursing home.
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