Since Mom's been using a wheelchair she complains that her hands hurt from using the wheels to guide herself around. Her hands are also dry and her skin is smooth, it's actually "slick" and hard to hold the wheels on the chair. She's asked for "kid" leather driving gloves over and over but I'm hard pressed to find those. She remembers them from the 40's and 50's when she still drove.
I finally found the remedy in the Christmas department of my local Fred Meyer store - grey knit gloves with rubber gripping "snowflakes on them. The snow flakes are supposed to be decorations on the back of the gloves but putting them on the palms made all the sense for my mom. Now she has something that protects her hands AND helps her grip the wheels much better. I had to make one alteration. I cut the fingers off so she can still feel things easily and hold her pends for her crossword puzzle.
What can I use to help mom's grip on her wheel chair.
Showing posts with label wheelchairs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wheelchairs. Show all posts
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Medicare takes a while to "buy" wheelchair -
Mom's "free" wheelchair wasn't so free after all and no one knew it - apparently, she had to pay for some of it even though deductibles and co-payments on her part had been met. The whole situation has me frustrated and demonstrates that people just don't know all the rules and regulations about payments when dealing with Medicare and Medicaide. I believe there may be some confusion over billing and with the three parties involved but I'm so frustrated with the matter, that I'll end up paying the $58 myself.
When Mom got her wheelchair we were told "Medicare will buy it.." "Outright, completely, 100% paid for by Medicare?", I asked the assisted living facility? "ABSOLUTELY", the staff at the ALF assured me several times... Well, that's absolutely WRONG! Medicare pays for the rental of a wheelchair for 16 months or so. If the patient still needs the wheelchair by then it's considered paid for, so it's a rent to own program. When Mom transferred from assisted living to the nursing home, we didn't know the wheelchair had to go back to the medical equipment rental company so it went into storage. After two months they reached me and I took the chair back immediately. At that time, I was disgusted with the whole process and asked for some kind of receipt; they were reluctant to provide it but I insisted. Good thing I listened to my gut, because 2 days later I got a call asking when I planned to return the wheelchair!!! At that time, I asked about outstanding bills, payments, co-pays ANYTHING and was told it was paid in full....
They're FULL OF IT alright..... yesterday an angry accounts receivable clerk from the rental company called wanting the $58. It seems she's been sending invoices to Mom at the assisted living center. The ALF gave a forwarding address at the nursing home but they've received no money. The nursing home finally told her to call me as the Power of Attorney (PoA). Medicare has taken back two months worth of rent from the medical rental company because Mom was in a nursing home where wheelchairs are provided. Medicare wouldn't pay for the two months that the chair was in storage. Thinking the chair was Mom's property, we put it in storage and that will cost us $58. It's not a HUGE amount of money but it's money I'll have to take from her savings. It's inconvenient. It's frustrating to talk to people who assume you're trying to run-out on a bill. It's frustrating that the "experts" don't know the process yet speak with certainty. I've found this same situation over and over, things are so complex with billing Medicare, Medicaide, supplemental insurance, Medicare for health care, Medicare for prescriptions, Part B, Part D - never mind what happened to Part A and C!!- payments made, payments rescinded... It's all just too complicated. I wish they'd put people to work figuring out how to make it easier, or put in some regional offices with case workers. UGH!!
Will medicare buy mom dad a wheel chair? How can I get medicare to buy mom dad a wheelchair? Wheelchair rental for the elderly.
When Mom got her wheelchair we were told "Medicare will buy it.." "Outright, completely, 100% paid for by Medicare?", I asked the assisted living facility? "ABSOLUTELY", the staff at the ALF assured me several times... Well, that's absolutely WRONG! Medicare pays for the rental of a wheelchair for 16 months or so. If the patient still needs the wheelchair by then it's considered paid for, so it's a rent to own program. When Mom transferred from assisted living to the nursing home, we didn't know the wheelchair had to go back to the medical equipment rental company so it went into storage. After two months they reached me and I took the chair back immediately. At that time, I was disgusted with the whole process and asked for some kind of receipt; they were reluctant to provide it but I insisted. Good thing I listened to my gut, because 2 days later I got a call asking when I planned to return the wheelchair!!! At that time, I asked about outstanding bills, payments, co-pays ANYTHING and was told it was paid in full....
They're FULL OF IT alright..... yesterday an angry accounts receivable clerk from the rental company called wanting the $58. It seems she's been sending invoices to Mom at the assisted living center. The ALF gave a forwarding address at the nursing home but they've received no money. The nursing home finally told her to call me as the Power of Attorney (PoA). Medicare has taken back two months worth of rent from the medical rental company because Mom was in a nursing home where wheelchairs are provided. Medicare wouldn't pay for the two months that the chair was in storage. Thinking the chair was Mom's property, we put it in storage and that will cost us $58. It's not a HUGE amount of money but it's money I'll have to take from her savings. It's inconvenient. It's frustrating to talk to people who assume you're trying to run-out on a bill. It's frustrating that the "experts" don't know the process yet speak with certainty. I've found this same situation over and over, things are so complex with billing Medicare, Medicaide, supplemental insurance, Medicare for health care, Medicare for prescriptions, Part B, Part D - never mind what happened to Part A and C!!- payments made, payments rescinded... It's all just too complicated. I wish they'd put people to work figuring out how to make it easier, or put in some regional offices with case workers. UGH!!
Will medicare buy mom dad a wheel chair? How can I get medicare to buy mom dad a wheelchair? Wheelchair rental for the elderly.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Wrong wheelchair leaves Mom in pain and uncomfortable...ARGH!!!
I had not seen Mom in two months due to travel and a visit to my home out of state. When I finally got to her I was angered all over again because of the way Mom was left sitting in a wheelchair that's obviously too big for her. The size means she slipped around and was unable to sit up. She slid so far forward that she could not use the arm rests. Without the ability to use her arms AND her legs at the same time, she could not push herself back up in the seat. The moment I saw her it was obvious to me that the wheelchair was a poor fit. She was slumped down so that she was "sitting" on the back of her hips and some of her weight was on her shoulders. This position will aggravate the arthritis pain in her lower back and hurt her upper back where she's stooped with a "dowagers" hump. I was immediately INCENSED that she would be left sitting in a position like this.
I didn't rush to judgement or yell at anyone but I sure wanted to!!! It took all of my will power NOT to come unglued on these people. I spent two hours with her, watching her move about in the chair and helping her get "adjusted" to a more comfortable position. It became clear, as I watched her, that the pad in the chair was the problem. It was thick and spongy, it felt like a bag full of wet noodles. When Mom slid forward, the bulk of the pad bunched up behind her preventing her from pushing herself back to a more comfortable position. So - two days later I took a smaller wheel chair to the nursing home and MADE the therapists put Mom in it to compare the "fit". They DID NOT want to do this comparison. They bull-headedly argued that she needed a pad, that she had poor posture and was "just bent this way now". They said she wouldn't TRY to push herself up. I had to yell at them to listen and to take a good look at her in the chair and pad.
With the original "noodle" pad, it was not a good fit, the seat was not deep enough. I complained about the pad and an "aide" - NOT ONE OF THE THERAPISTS - suggested using a different pad - it made all the difference!!! With a firmer pad she was able to use her arms and legs to push herself back when she slid forward. The new pad also had a slight rise in the front that prevented her from sliding so far forward that she was able to push herself back BEFORE getting so far down in the chair. So - she ended up in the same chair - tho it's still a bit too big - and a new pad. Now she's comfortable but I wonder what damage was done in the two months she spent "bent" in the large chair and bad pad. For a weak 89-year old, two months like that can do lots of harm - she could loose what little strength she had to help herself.
Next - a meeting with the social workers and administrator to discuss Mom's overall comfort and this damned "Chair situation"!
wheelchair pads
I didn't rush to judgement or yell at anyone but I sure wanted to!!! It took all of my will power NOT to come unglued on these people. I spent two hours with her, watching her move about in the chair and helping her get "adjusted" to a more comfortable position. It became clear, as I watched her, that the pad in the chair was the problem. It was thick and spongy, it felt like a bag full of wet noodles. When Mom slid forward, the bulk of the pad bunched up behind her preventing her from pushing herself back to a more comfortable position. So - two days later I took a smaller wheel chair to the nursing home and MADE the therapists put Mom in it to compare the "fit". They DID NOT want to do this comparison. They bull-headedly argued that she needed a pad, that she had poor posture and was "just bent this way now". They said she wouldn't TRY to push herself up. I had to yell at them to listen and to take a good look at her in the chair and pad.
With the original "noodle" pad, it was not a good fit, the seat was not deep enough. I complained about the pad and an "aide" - NOT ONE OF THE THERAPISTS - suggested using a different pad - it made all the difference!!! With a firmer pad she was able to use her arms and legs to push herself back when she slid forward. The new pad also had a slight rise in the front that prevented her from sliding so far forward that she was able to push herself back BEFORE getting so far down in the chair. So - she ended up in the same chair - tho it's still a bit too big - and a new pad. Now she's comfortable but I wonder what damage was done in the two months she spent "bent" in the large chair and bad pad. For a weak 89-year old, two months like that can do lots of harm - she could loose what little strength she had to help herself.
Next - a meeting with the social workers and administrator to discuss Mom's overall comfort and this damned "Chair situation"!
wheelchair pads
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