MEDICAL AIDS
As I indicated earlier, when my parents were sent home from the military hospital, the VA provided a shower seat and a raised toilet seat. They also sent home bars for the shower wall. They both received walking canes. Later, when Dad became w obblier, they gave him a walker.
Canes, Wheelchair, Seat Cushions
Between her arthritic knees and heart condition, it was sometimes hard for Mom to walk even with a cane. Medicare helped by providing a lightweight, folding wheelchair. It was easy to fold up and put away in the trunk of the car or a corner of our apartment.
Wheel chairs have no seat padding, making them very uncomfortable when sitting for long periods or going over bumpy pavement. So we purchased Tempur-Pedic seat cushions for both of my parents. They did the trick. In fact, we took them everywhere. The pews at church were very hard and Dad was very thin with very little padding on his bottom. The Tempur-Pedic Seat Cushion made sitting more pleasant wherever we went.
Dad had trouble breathing at times. I asked the Army doctor if oxygen could be prescribed. He said only if Dad's specific oxygen dropped below 90. It measured around 98 or 99 when he was sitting still. I said, "How about a walking test?" So they did a walking test and he flunked. But, getting oxygen prescribed by the Army hospital was not that easy. So I went to the VA clinic and told that doctor of the test results. She said, "No problem." The next day oxygen generating machine and portable bottles arrived at our apartment. MORE>
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