By Dan May
Rotary Club of Orange
Dan May
The Rotary Club of Orange works with the Orange Senior Center and the town’s Community Services Department to provide loaner equipment for those needing temporary use of mobility aids, including crutches, canes, walkers and wheelchairs.
Most people have needed such assistance at one time or another, often due to injury or recovery from surgery or another debilitating event. Medicare, Medicaid and/or health insurance providers typically provide such durable medical equipment for chronic and long-term disability challenges, and the loaner pool is intended to assist with short-term recovery needs and serves people of all ages.
The loaner pool currently stocks standard walkers, crutches and canes. We are seeking donations of front-wheel, three-wheel and four-wheel walkers (rollators), knee walkers or scooters and transport wheelchairs. Foldable rollators and lightweight wheelchairs of all sizes are in particular demand.
If you have one of these unused devices at home and would like to donate it for others to use, please contact either the Orange Senior Center or the Rotary Club at rotarycluboforange.org.
The US has made good progress in making parking lots, buildings and restrooms more accessible, but assistance is sometimes needed to move an individual from a vehicle into the building or out again. Not everyone has a readily transportable walker or wheelchair, and they are challenging to transport in buses or even in taxi or Uber/Lyft services.
Rotary was recently asked if it could provide a transport wheelchair to be stored indefinitely at a not-for-profit service organization to help visitors when those intermittent needs arise. Our club would therefore like to learn if this is a general need among community service groups where members and/or the public convene for meetings or presentations. Please let me know.
Mobility aids improve balance and movement for individuals with injuries, disabilities or age-related limitations and foster independence. They expand opportunities for group participation. One of the most important services a community can promote is avenues for social interactions, and mobility aids help bring all of us together. Let us know if you can help with an equipment donation.
Dan May is the president of the Rotary Club of Orange.