Matching Consumers’ Needswith Available AT and DME

What’s

Wrong

With

This

Picture?

Our Consumers:•Live in rural areas

•Have limited income and means of transportation

•Sometimes we are unable to deal directly with the consumer

Our Resources:

•Small DME room

•Staff Time 20%

•Some community donations

Our Limitations

Requests and Matches

August 07 through August 09

•We have handled requests for more than 170 items

•We have distributed more than 90 items to our consumers

ITEM # REQUESTED

Grab bars 34

Manual wheelchairs 18

Reclining lift chairs 14

Power chairs 11

Transfer tub benches 11

Computer systems 9

Hand held showers 7

Most Popular Items Requested

Reasons Requests Are Not Filled

•Consumers do not follow through with paperwork

•Consumers have no transportation to pick items up from us

•Consumer wants items that have not been donated

Expertise Required

The Match Game

What the consumer wants

What’s available

Mobility

or

Sensory

“What’s out

there?”

“Now, how do I get in the tub?”

Self Care

And Sometimes We Can’t Make It Work

A Few Necessary Procedures

•Easily understood questions and paperwork for consumer that give clear picture of need

•Liability forms

•Process Check List

Sample

Progress

Check

List

COMPLETED Y

CONSUMER Consumer A

ITEM Power chair

DETAILS Controls on left

PAPERWORK SENT 7/2/09

PAPERWORK RCD 7/10/09

CONTRIBUTION $ RCD $45

BATTERY $ RECEIVED $125

ORDERED 7/11/09

ITEM RECEIVED 8/5/09

NOTIFIED 8/6/09

PICKED UP 8/7/09

LIABILITY FAXED 8/10/09

NOTES Inactivated

Where Do We Go from Here?

•More visits to consumers in their homePLUS

•Better tracking of equipment donationsPLUS

•Simplified paperworkPLUS

•More storage space and volunteersPLUS

•More marketing and fundraising EQUALS

Consumers Living Independently Through AT and DME

The Beginning