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A Wheelchair for Dialysis?


By eanderson

June 10, 2019

Readers! Thank you for sharing with us how REquipment improves your quality of life and health. Recently we received a letter from Paul Provencher that taught us something new.

A man seated in wheelchair gives a thumbs up. His wife stands behind him smiling. They are in a hospital hallway. He holds a cane.

“I am at the hospital sometimes 5 days a week for dialysis and doctors appointments,” Paul writes. “Before receiving the wheelchair, my wife would have to park, get out and hopefully find a wheelchair, nevermind one that works. Not to mention when was the last time it was disinfected? […] Now I arrive for dialysis on time [….] and the threat of cross-contamination from a hospital wheelchair has been eliminated.”

And here we thought we knew everything there is to know about uses for wheelchairs. But we’d never considered the risk of cross-contamination from DME serving hospital lobbies and parking lots.

People who rely on dialysis think about the risk of infection all the time, of course. Obtaining a wheelchair from insurance for this transport purpose is not easy. Our program makes a difference, can extend lives, and your letters help with that project.

Do you have a story to share with us? Help us make the case for supporting our DME reuse program. Soon we will be fundraising with your testimonials and while not everyone in our community can make a financial contribution, many can and do send us words of thanks and wisdom on how REquipment DME improves their wellbeing.

Thank you. We love hearing from you. We learn from you. Keep it coming.