What do others do?

[PrayingforGrace]

I am a CALS for a friend. I am seeking info to see what people do that have little to no money to pay for equipment, home modification, wheelchair vans, and hands on help.
Yes medicare is available, even waiver programs but those take a long time to access.

Ex. Showering... what if there isn't money for a handicap accessible bath
Ex. What about Toileting. Do others help the person or do they "find" a way to pay for the toileting system that will take care of clean ups
As I mentioned other home modifications, vehicles, etc.

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

 

[Al]

Is your friend registered with ALSA, and MDA ? They have programs to help out. I'm sure some of the others in the US will have more ideas.
AL.

 

[Rae]

Options

Al had a good suggestion - we received almost everything we needed from our ALS Chapter. Also, we have a local Visiting Nurses Assoc. that has an extensive loner closet. After my husband passed, I donated some brand new equipment to them that he had never used. Our ALS loner closed provided him with a power wheelchair, but unfortunately he never got to use it. Rae in NJ

 

[raggedymary]

We have received help with donated used equipment from the PT department at our local hospital (small town). We received a chair that rides up and down stairs, but luckily my mechanic husband can repair. It goes to a landing with more steps, which now my mom cannot manuveor. So she hand bathes with sink on first floor.

She has moved to wheel chair which cannot fit in bath with donated toilet seat with handle bars, so she is using a comode chair (medicare provided) which is sitting in her dining room.

We are very grateful for the donations, just recieved use of a wheelchair from VFW with a removable arm so she can scoot on comode chair, which has a removable arm, with use of a board (medicare).

It is a maze with no good answers.