I was left in my manual chair with a power chair whose joystick wire had been broken who knows how. But there was no doubt that it was broken. It was summarily removed and taken off for rejuvenation or replacement by John the older tech. I waited to hear when it would be working again.
The following Wednesday I had planned to go out. I thought the chair would be working by then. But I was wrong.
So I had my friend Mike come up even though my power chair was not running. We went through all the files in my filing cabinet and got rid of lots of old ones. We ordered out for pizza and salad for lunch..
I thought about being pushed in the manual chair. But Mike is in his 70s and the weather was hot. So we just stayed in. He commiserated about my new, larger, joystick woes.I was left in my manual chair with a power chair whose joystick wire had been broken who knows how. But there was no doubt that it was broken. It was summarily removed and taken off for rejuvenation or replacement by John the older tech. I waited to hear when it would be working again.
The following Wednesday I had planned to go out. I thought the chair would be working by then. But I was wrong.
So I had my friend Mike come up even though my power chair was not running. We went through all the files in my filing cabinet and got rid of lots of old ones. We ordered out for pizza and salad for lunch..
I thought about being pushed in the manual chair. But Mike is in his 70s and the weather was hot. So we just stayed in. He commiserated about my new, larger, joystick woes.
I got a lot done but I needed an outing.
Then, I was told two days later on Friday after the fact that John, the older tech, had come and put a new joystick on my power wheelchair. When he was not here by Friday afternoon at around 3 PM, we left the power chair in the hallway just in case. I knew of it was in my room and plugged into the charger it would be difficult to move it out again. But I thought the tech would call me or tell me when he got here. Instead, he neither called to say he was coming, nor told me he was here.
I ended up hearing about it from my nurse. Since John, the tech, had talked about putting on a larger joystick, I wondered what he did. I knew I had an operational joystick and that's all..
The next morning I transferred with assistance into my power chair. When I saw the joystick, it was larger, taller, and in a different position. I could not reach it. My aide tried to prop my arm with a rolled up towel but I could not reach to use it. I wonder how John could possibly have felt I could just use the joystick in that position.
I had a meltdown and started crying. My aide left me. I cried and cried. I didn't get to go to the dining room for breakfast. Instead, they brought me bread with peanut butter on it and cereal to eat.
I just got quiet and did not say anything. I do think I told my nurse that no one should have worked on the chair without informing me. I'm pleased they wanted to fix it.. But I felt they did not want my input about the joystick's placement. I was also told that the tech who had set up the power chair was on vacation for three weeks. So, John the older tech was the only one available to fix it. The vendor never mentioned the younger tech and suggested I wait until he could fix it..
I emailed the vendor and told him with the way the new joystick was set up, I could not reach it.
I emailed the regional long-term care ombudsman who had been assisting me through this new power chair process. She said the joystick needed to be put where I could use it.
Two weeks later and the power chair was operational but not usable by me.
The vendor said he would be there. But it would be after another weekend of sitting in my manual chair.I was left in my manual chair with a power chair whose joystick wire had been broken who knows how. But there was no doubt that it was broken. It was summarily removed and taken off for rejuvenation or replacement by John the older tech. I waited to hear when it would be working again.
The following Wednesday I had planned to go out. I thought the chair would be working by then. But I was wrong.
So I had my friend Mike come up even though my power chair was not running. We went through all the files in my filing cabinet and got rid of lots of old ones. We ordered out for pizza and salad for lunch..
I thought about being pushed in the manual chair. But Mike is in his 70s and the weather was hot. So we just stayed in. He commiserated about my new, larger, joystick woes.
I got a lot done but I needed an outing.
Then, I was told two days later on Friday after the fact that John, the older tech, had come and put a new joystick on my power wheelchair. When he was not here by Friday afternoon at around 3 PM, we left the power chair in the hallway just in case. I knew of it was in my room and plugged into the charger it would be difficult to move it out again. But I thought the tech would call me or tell me when he got here. Instead, he neither called to say he was coming, nor told me he was here.
I ended up hearing about it from my nurse. Since John, the tech, had talked about putting on a larger joystick, I wondered what he did. I knew I had an operational joystick and that's all..
The next morning I transferred with assistance into my power chair. When I saw the joystick, it was larger, taller, and in a different position. I could not reach it. My aide tried to prop my arm with a rolled up towel but I could not reach to use it. I wonder how John could possibly have felt I could just use the joystick in that position.
I had a meltdown and started crying. My aide left me. I cried and cried. I didn't get to go to the dining room for breakfast. Instead, they brought me bread with peanut butter on it and cereal to eat.
I just got quiet and did not say anything. I do think I told my nurse that no one should have worked on the chair without informing me. I'm pleased they wanted to fix it. But I felt they did not want my input about the joystick's placement. I was also told that the tech who had set up the power chair was on vacation for three weeks. So, John the older tech was the only one available to fix it. The vendor never mentioned the younger tech and suggested I wait until he could fix it..
I emailed the vendor and told him with the way the new joystick was set up, I could not reach it.
I emailed the regional long-term care ombudsman who had been assisting me through this new power chair process. She said the joystick needed to be put where I could use it.
Two weeks later and the power chair was operational but not usable by me.
The vendor said he would be there. But it would be after another weekend of sitting in my manual chair.
I got a lot done but I needed an outing.
Then, I was told two days later on Friday after the fact that John, the older tech, had come and put a new joystick on my power wheelchair. When he was not here by Friday afternoon at around 3 PM, we left the power chair in the hallway just in case. I knew of it was in my room and plugged into the charger it would be difficult to move it out again. But I thought the tech would call me or tell me when he got here. Instead, he neither called to say he was coming, nor told me he was here.
I ended up hearing about it from my nurse. Since John, the tech, had talked about putting on a larger joystick, I wondered what he did. I knew I had an operational joystick and that's all..
The next morning I transferred with assistance into my power chair. When I saw the joystick, it was larger, taller, and in a different position. I could not reach it. My aide tried to prop my arm with a rolled up towel but I could not reach to use it. I wonder how John could possibly have felt I could just use the joystick in that position.
I had a meltdown and started crying. My aide left me. I cried and cried. I didn't get to go to the dining room for breakfast. Instead, they brought me bread with peanut butter on it and cereal to eat.
I just got quiet and did not say anything. I do think I told my nurse that no one should have worked on the chair without informing me. I'm pleased they wanted to fix it.. But I felt they did not want my input about the joystick's placement. I was also told that the tech who had set up the power chair was on vacation for three weeks. So, John the older tech was the only one available to fix it. The vendor never mentioned the younger tech and suggested I wait until he could fix it..
I emailed the vendor and told him with the way the new joystick was set up, I could not reach it.
I emailed the regional long-term care ombudsman who had been assisting me through this new power chair process. She said the joystick needed to be put where I could use it.
Two weeks later and the power chair was operational but not usable by me.
The vendor said he would be there. But it would be after another weekend of sitting in my manual chair.
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