News & Stories
Spotlight on the Medical Equipment Program
Through our Medical Equipment Program, ALS Northwest fills in the gaps and reduces costs for people living with ALS. This article is from the 2023 Annual Report.
Since 2002, ALS Northwest has supported people living with ALS with loaned medical equipment. There are often gaps in what insurance covers and many commonly needed items (like shower chairs) are not supported. Through this program, people with ALS are empowered to maintain both mobility and independence.
Today, the program has grown to include five regional warehouses thanks to partnerships with Numotion and Norco. The equipment that is requested is quickly delivered to a person’s home (at no cost) and custom fit for their current needs. There is no limitation on how much equipment a person can ‘check out’ and they can keep it for as long as they need it. Once they no longer need the supplies, they are picked up again by our partners.
Care Services Coordinator Mary Rebar says, “My goals for a person living with ALS are for them to be safe and actively involved in their life – no matter their current physical limitations. This means having the proper equipment to enjoy things like a grandchild’s school concert, a stroll in their neighborhood, or visits with friends. We want to help people living with ALS stay active and this program assists them in living their lives to the fullest.”
Jeffry Hunter shared how the program impacted his life. “As my wife, Nancy, and I say all the time, ‘Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.’ We learned that from Susan Pennock, [Care Services Coordinator] and boy, is it true! We had the loaned Hoyer lift for about four months before we needed it, and now we use it several times a day. Nancy would not be able to get me to and from the toilet or the bed without it. The electric wheelchair is a Godsend, also.”
Jerry Landreth, a person living with ALS told us, “The impact of the loaned medical equipment has been dramatic for me. I can shower with my shower chair. I can walk around the house with my walker. I’m able to get around the community with my wheelchair.”
Our equipment warehouses offer many different kinds of items. Examples include power wheelchairs, rolling shower commodes, lift seats, slide benches and motorized Hoyer lifts. All of these items make a huge difference in the lives of people with ALS and their caregivers.
Thank you to our donors and partners for making this life-changing program possible!
