Relief and Freedom
Posted July 13, 2023 by Beth in Assistive Technology, Independent Living
Mary contacted RCIL for help to get a new lift chair. She uses a wheelchair due to having both legs amputated, along with other health issues. She had a recliner that was not very usable because it would often be stuck in the air, and then it would suddenly release and drop down causing her pain. She said, “It is a horrible feeling to be stuck in the chair.” In addition, “It is hard to explain how it feels to sit in a wheelchair 100% of the time and not have the freedom of transferring to a recliner.” She worked with Peer Specialist, Regina, to get a doctors order and a bid for the lift chair. This entire process started slow due to Mary being in the hospital a few times, including an extended stay. Mary told Regina, “Medically I need the recliner to offer a softer chair for the sores I have on the back side.” Moreover, “I can’t even describe the relief I get physically.”
After getting the bid, Regina and Mary began working on funding applications and were able to secure funding from Friends of Man (FOM) and Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation (CPRF) to cover a large portion of the lift chair. Mary would still need to come up with the remaining funds. Before she was able to secure the remaining funds, the bid expired and Regina contacted the vendor for a current bid. The new bid came with the discovery that Medicare was not going to pay for the lift mechanism. Mary and Regina requested an extension and additional funding from FOM and CPRF. Both funders granted the extension and FOM was able to increase their funding to offset the portion Medicare was not covering. Mary was excited to have everything coming together. Regina faxed all the documentation to the vendor and Mary called the vendor to arrange payment of the $136 that she had to cover and to get the delivery of the lift chair scheduled.
Since Mary received the chair she has been able to use it to get out of the wheelchair. She told Regina, “I am very thankful for all the help provided to get me the lift chair that I can stretch out in, and that I feel safe getting in and out of.”
Picture above: Mary is smiling while sitting in her new lift chair.
