We all know how expensive medical and mobility equipment can be. Purchasing equipment is a financial hurdle for a lot of seniors, especially those living on a fixed income. But many don’t realize the costs don’t always end with the initial purchase of equipment; there are upkeep and repair costs when things break. This adds even more financial stress for individuals. Today we live in such a disposable world that many times people find that it is cheaper to buy a new piece of equipment than it is to have it repaired. This can lead to people using unsafe equipment resulting in injury. That is why we came up with the idea of a repair clinic and have partnered with Seven Oaks.
Four times a year Dan and I provide the clinic at Seven Oaks Senior Care Community. Dan and I both love to do these repair clinics. One or two days before we are scheduled to do the clinic we both get excited to review the list sent to us from Seven Oaks. This is a list of residents who have medical equipment that needs maintenance and/or repair and a detailed explanation of the problem. On the day of the event, Dan and I gather up the tools we think we will need along with any spare equipment that we have in the warehouse and head out to Seven Oaks.
The residents are always so happy to see us. We adjust brakes on wheelchairs and walkers, clean equipment, replace missing parts, repair equipment when we can, and perform general maintenance. Sometimes someone will have a piece of equipment that just cannot be repaired, but thanks to the generous members of the Omaha area who donate equipment we are usually able to give them a replacement. The best part about this service is that it does not cost the residence anything! We do this completely free of charge.
One resident said, “ Thank you so much, this will make my getting around so much better and I won’t worry about falling.”
The thing I love most about the clinic is that you never know when performing something as small and simple as tightening a screw will make all the difference in someone’s life.
.Kurt Bush Executive Director