The one thing getting a new power chair takes is a lot of time. When I had the 1999 chair for five years, I could tell it was wearing out. They are just made to wear out after that long. Even though many disabled people pay dearly to keep them running longer than that.
In 2008 I wrote letters everywhere. I wrote to my state representative and senator telling them I needed a new power chair. Medicaid was still buying them for nursing home residents, I was told. But I still think they thought it was a luxury for nursing home resident to have one. To me it was no luxury. It afforded me freedom and the ability to get around at least somewhat on my own.
I think the measurements for that chair were taken by the facility's occupational therapist in the spring. Then I waited. And I waited. I wrote more letters.
The power chair I got in 1999 had stopped running in the middle of the store in February. I had to go to the vendor who would supply the one if Medicaid ever decided to purchase it, and asked if they would put a used controller on my chair if I gave it to them my old one when the new one arrived.. They agreed and installed a used controller and I was moving again.
In November 2008 I was told I would be getting the new power chair purchased by Medicaid soon. I wondered when that would be.
They delivered it on December 8. In order to make sure it would go into my lift equipped van, I had a friend come over to watch while we tried it out. They found they had to raise the foot rests because they interfered with the lift. But after that it was okay.
The new chair was the same brand but it was center wheel driven. That was a new concept to me. The chair is more difficult to control. But it does turn and circle easily and quickly.
The next day my friend and I went shopping. There even was a little skiff of snow that I had to deal with. My arm was a bit sore. And I had used a few epithets because of frustration. But all in all, I was getting used to the new chair.
No comments:
Post a Comment