Getting around

The Good

I live in Tempe, AZ, a lovely well kept, relatively new suburb of Phoenix. Two years ago, when I determined that it was no longer safe for me to drive, I began to look for other options of getting around without always having to depend on my husband, Phil to drive me.

First obstacle.. Getting out of the house. Ok, not a big problem. Phil made ramps for the front and back door so I could take my Jazzy Power Chair out of the house.
That was the easy part. I got down my driveway to find that all of the sidewalks in our neighborhood did not have the usual 45 degree curbs with ramp cut outs at the driveway. Instead they had what is call rolled curbs. How best to describe this?
The curbs are all sloped with no difference between the curb and the driveway. The angle is pretty steep and when I tried to get from the sidewalk to the street, and back, I would loose my balance and almost tipped my chair on several occasions.
If I were going to be independent I would have to find a better way.

I did some searching on line, called the city, got referred to several departments before finally finding the right office. I explained my situation and the gentlemen knew immediately what I needed.... cut out ramps. YES! He said they had done that for another women a few months ago and he would look into it. His answer came back the next day that the people who do that are backed up and it could take 6 months or more. :-(

Then he surprised me... off the record, he suggested that I send an email to the Mayor of Tempe and the City Council explaining my situation. It was a matter of Health and Safety for me. I did that.

That day I had 4 replies saying that they would looking into the matter.
The NEXT day I got an email from the person in charge of this type of work saying that the were holding a special meeting and that The Supervisor of Minor Cement (really) would be at my home to look over the situation and that they may be able to get it done in perhaps 2 weeks. I was also told at that time that the ramp could not be put in front of my house, only at the corner. This was fine with me since I am only one house away from the corner.


Sure enough Jim (supervisor of Minor Cement) showed up the next day and asked what I needed. He asked if I wanted a ramp in front of my house (??) I said I was told that could not happen. He smiled and said HE was the supervisor and he could put the ramp wherever he needed it. He also said he would put one across the street, one on the opposite corner and 2 up the road so that I could have access from my house to the main road where I could pick up the bus. This was a Thursday, he said they would be there on the next Tuesday to start work. They were there at 7 am on Monday, put in a total of 5 ramps and were finished and gone by 2 pm.

It is all a matter of getting to the right person. Don’t give up!


Getting Around

The Bad

I have a Jazzy Power Chair purchased for me through Medicare. This is the only way I can get around. My arms are too weak to push a manual chair and I cannot walk. Beware. Medicare guidelines are very specific. You need to prove that you need the chair for “Activities of Daily Living” (ADL). This means getting around your home. Not taking out the trash, not walking the dog , and certainly not going to a movie or to visit a friend, not even going to the doctor. It means that the chair is a medical necessity to getting around your home, period. A friend of mine was turned down because she made the mistake of telling her doctor she uses the chair to take out her trash and walk her dog. Be careful what you say to your doctor and if possible, have the paperwork done by your specialist, not your PCP, he /she will be more aware of the Insurance/Medicare requirements.
Good Luck.



Getting Around

The Ugly

So now you have your chair or scooter. If you ever plan to get out of the house, you will need a van with some kind of lift or ramp to transport the chair.
This is NOT a medical necessity and will NOT be covered by your insurance or Medicare. But first, you will need a ramp to get out of your front door.. also not a medical necessity so not covered by Insurance... are you getting the drift here.
( that is why my husband built them for me). So apparently the thinking goes, you are disabled and therefore not entitled to lead a full or productive life outside the home.

This of course is nonsense, but that is how it works. In some areas you can use the bus or mass transportation. In more rural areas this may not be a possibility.
In Tempe, they do have a “Dial a ride” with a wheelchair lift, that, if you qualify, will pick you up and take you to appointments ...or even (whisper) to the Mall! They are not always as reliable as you would hope so you must allow extra time and be patient, but it is a way to get around.

We purchased a 1999 mini van ($23,000) and a used lift ($2500) and so far it has served me well.