Custom w/c. After getting the w/c my mother was able to go on a very special trip to Ireland. and then traveled every year around her birthday for about 20 years.
A hospital bed rented for my Mom, and a 3 wheel walker that I bought for me. And a wheelchair with arms that swing away so you can sit at a desk that we've both used.
Also love a small $20 plastic ramp/step that helps me climb into bed that I bought from Amazon.
Shower lift chair. There's only one bathroom in the house, so really did not want to lose the bathtub. This chair comes out over the side of the tub, you sit down, and it lifts you up and over the side and lowers down all the way into the tub. No more sitting in the cold air while trying to shower. No more shower water splashing outside the tub. And the soaking in a Jacuzzi bathtub gets every part of the body much cleaner.
this sounds absolutely wonderful. i wish every single client of mine had one of these. and also, most of the tub baths they have nowadays, most people have to sit there in the chair freezing (especially in wintertime) for who knows how long it takes for it to fill - one would think that by the time the tub fills up, the water would be cold!!!
For us (and my bedridden mom), it was the Purewick external catheter.
I believe Medicare has started covering that now - pretty sure they started covering it like the day after my mom passed away. But even paying out of pocket for it was worth it.
For my mother, it was a Merlin Desktop Electronic Magnifier. She had terrible macular degeneration, and that thing helped her stay sane a little longer as her vision began to deteriorate.
Prior to her vision issues, she was a librarian and an artist, and she read a book almost every day, so losing her ability to read was devastating. Once dementia kicked in, though, the machine didn't help much because her comprehension skills were decreasing as well, so it didn't get much use in the past couple of years. However, she died last month, and I was able to give the machine to an eye doctor for one of her patients, a man who also has macular degeneration and is slipping into a deep depression over it. The doctor sent me a photo of him trying it out in her office this morning, and she said he cried. (I did, too.)
A SuperPole™ with swing arm attachment allowed me to place a sturdy grab bar in front of the toilet where there was no wall, it gave my mom something to hold while I attended to her needs and could then swing around to be used as she stepped the 3" into the shower. And the tilt in place wheelchair was absolutely the best investment ever, mom spent all her waking hours in that chair for over 2 years.
Electric Hoyer Lift, which I bought & the air mattress (hospice provided) for her hospital bed in living room. Also, power recliner was wonderful. All made life easier on Mom & me!
aj6044: Imho, it was the Rollator that we purchased rather late in the game for my late mother - late in the game because it was towards the end of her life.
I bought a hospital bed, when my husband had a BTK amputation. He has back issues and is on dialysis. The bed I bought was electric for the head & knees. I soon learned, that I had to crank 35 times to get it at standing height and back again for him to slide in & out of a wheelchair. Thankfully, I was able to have a motor put on to raise the bed up & down. Just $150 more and the is definitely my best purchase. especially for my aching back!!!
The Safety Sleeper. No, this is not free advertisement, this sleeper contained safely and pleasantly a very erratic sleeper, who had turned the night into anxiety highway. Now, sleeps comfy 10 good hours securely, while the rest sleep happily.
there are soooooo many ramps built onto decks and porch BIDET...wonderful! Lift recliner,Lift bed...strange but true! motion sensor shut off for the stove (no movement, the stove turns off) hoyer lift, standing pole by the bedside, commode....etc. etc.
A portable ramp for curbs and one step into my parents’ apartment building. Actually, I didn’t buy it. My dad had the foresight - before going blind with macular degeneration and his knees becoming weaker and weaker (with his diabetes, he couldn’t get knee replacement surgery) to actually make one from two pieces of plywood, piano hinges, and drilled holes for the rope carry handles. Of course, similar portable, hinged ramps can be purchased online and they’re made with aluminum. When my dad was wheelchair bound, it was that ramp that allowed me to take him out in his wheelchair to church, the park, grocery store, family gatherings, etc. He passed away in 2009. I still have the ramp.
Gee, I can forget those great plastic liners for the bedside commode that come with kitty litter or whatever. I bought them in bulk along with soft, disposable, large square body-cleaning cloths (I called the hospital to see where they got them...ordered those in bulk, too, and hospice workers really appreciated them).
Just for the benefit of the forum readers. A hoyer lift seems to be most prominently ordered patient lift because hospitals usually have them. If your LO has some standing limb mobility look into a Invacare Get-U-UP Lift. It uses a sling which more easily wraps around the person’s back (on/off) and has color coded attachments. It is just easier to use than other lift. Medicare covers it too.
this works well if the person can stand and support their weight. This is what I was talking about when I mentioned a Sit To Stand. Once the person has limited strength a Hoyer Lift is STRONGLY recommended
For my mom, it was a shower chair that pivots and slides into the tub. My mom could transfer from her wheelchair to the shower chair with some assistance. She loved it. I'm 64 and live alone so I use it too. Before my mom passed, I couldn't risk a fall in the tub, I don't want to take that risk now.
It was for my 97 yr old father and it was an automatic Recliner that he ended up choosing to sleep in too. He felt more comfortable in it and staying in the reclined position mostly, Helped him to keep his feet elevated so as not to have his feet swell and being reclined helped him not get bed sores.
It was also much easier for him to get in and out of then his bed.
I bought portable ramps on Amazon. No, they are not “code” and have no railing, but for $600 I got an 8” which folds up and can be brought inside when it snows, plus a threshold ramp plus a 3” fold up ramp for the inside door. Now that dad can use the walker and handrail, we have brought them in for storage until we need them again. And, they arrived in 2 days!
Wheelchair ramps are a must for the mobility challenged. I bought 3, 1 for my house, 1 for my sisters, and a mistake that was too short (all from Amazon like you). I'm keeping mine, I love it when something gets delivered to my house, and all I have to do is grab a hand truck and go. The third I donated to the local grocery store, they do home deliveries for the elderly. The shorter ramp worked perfectly for a customer they have. It was Christmas time too. Sometimes giving makes you feel better than receiving.
Not really medical equipment, but for us it was a video camera in my moms apartment while she was still in IL. We were able to witness a bad fall out of bed, call 911 and in-house staff, saw and assisted EMTs with pertinent medical and general info and learned they were taking her to the trauma center. She received 120 stitches to her forehead. After that the best piece of DME were bed rails. She’s now 95 and in residential assisted living. She loves it there.
I was lucky. When I moved into this house, it was built by the previous owner as Handicap accessible. So I guess the best "piece of medical equipment" was the house. Bonus was he left the shower wheelchair! I got the Sit-to-Stand from Hospice so that I did not buy. Later I got the Hoyer Lift through Hospice. And the "State of the art" alternating pressure mattress was Hospice as well. It is amazing how a piece of equipment can make all the difference when caring for someone. It make the job easier and SAFER.
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And a wheelchair with arms that swing away so you can sit at a desk that we've both used.
Also love a small $20 plastic ramp/step that helps me climb into bed that I bought from Amazon.
so YES, this sounds awesome (-:
I believe Medicare has started covering that now - pretty sure they started covering it like the day after my mom passed away. But even paying out of pocket for it was worth it.
Prior to her vision issues, she was a librarian and an artist, and she read a book almost every day, so losing her ability to read was devastating. Once dementia kicked in, though, the machine didn't help much because her comprehension skills were decreasing as well, so it didn't get much use in the past couple of years. However, she died last month, and I was able to give the machine to an eye doctor for one of her patients, a man who also has macular degeneration and is slipping into a deep depression over it. The doctor sent me a photo of him trying it out in her office this morning, and she said he cried. (I did, too.)
Best purchase ever, and it keeps on giving.
And the tilt in place wheelchair was absolutely the best investment ever, mom spent all her waking hours in that chair for over 2 years.
Thankfully, I was able to have a motor put on to raise the bed up & down. Just $150 more and the is definitely my best purchase. especially for my aching back!!!
ramps built onto decks and porch
BIDET...wonderful! Lift recliner,Lift bed...strange but true!
motion sensor shut off for the stove (no movement, the stove turns off)
hoyer lift, standing pole by the bedside, commode....etc. etc.
Gee, I can forget those great plastic liners for the bedside commode that come with kitty litter or whatever. I bought them in bulk along with soft, disposable, large square body-cleaning cloths (I called the hospital to see where they got them...ordered those in bulk, too, and hospice workers really appreciated them).
He felt more comfortable in it and staying in the reclined position mostly, Helped him to keep his feet elevated so as not to have his feet swell and being reclined helped him not get bed sores.
It was also much easier for him to get in and out of then his bed.
Ear plugs for mine!
Moms air mattress ( it has protected her from bedsores) - her Purewick (external catheter has also prevented sores).
Then her accessible van. Blessed she was able to purchase that.
What I strive for next is as you both stated - we need a fully accessible bathroom - that is my next goal.
When I moved into this house, it was built by the previous owner as Handicap accessible. So I guess the best "piece of medical equipment" was the house.
Bonus was he left the shower wheelchair!
I got the Sit-to-Stand from Hospice so that I did not buy. Later I got the Hoyer Lift through Hospice. And the "State of the art" alternating pressure mattress was Hospice as well.
It is amazing how a piece of equipment can make all the difference when caring for someone. It make the job easier and SAFER.