George Reed campaign shines light on financial aid for mobility equipment

As the public contributes to a GoFundMe campaign to help Saskatchewan Roughriders legend George Reed pay for mobility equipment, he’s not the only senior looking for financial aid.

Jason Kelln, sales manager at Prairie Heart Mobility, said seniors come into his store every day, looking for extra help to afford mobility products.

He said insurance groups like Blue Cross and Great-West Life usually have benefits for most of the equipment that people will need like basic mobility walkers, wheelchairs and bathroom safety equipment to prevent falls.

Kelln said while a lot of seniors are good at knowing if they have extended health insurance, there are others in different situations who may need to find alternative funding sources to pay for equipment.

Equipment like lift and reclining chairs may seem like a luxury item, Kelln said they become a need for people with gastro reflux disease or heart conditions who need to sleep elevated. That’s not always covered.

“If people don’t have any insurance or can’t afford it, their health-care provider and our staff are able to help them in those directions,” said Kelln. “There’s lots of funding out there and unfortunately the tough thing is navigating the system and knowing where to go to find it.”

Depending on their needs and eligibility, people with mobility challenges can find financial aid through social assistance programs like the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) program, the Special Needs Equipment program through SaskAbilities, the Saskatchewan Home Repair Program through the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation. Those plans are in addition to those offered by Veteran Affairs, workers compensation or SGI.

Kelln spoke highly of the Kinsmen Foundation’s Telemiracle program.

“It’s renowned in our province for assisting people and they pay for equipment, as little as a walker to a bathtub bench to high-end pieces of equipment,” said Kelln.

If he could improve the system, Kelln would opt for more choice for people with disabilities.

“I’m not saying our program is behind by any stretch,” said Kelln. “But there’s expansion that could always happen.”

Kelln gave the example of someone looking for a power chair.

“There is one of two choices. You get A or B and if you meet (the eligibility requirements for) one of the two, then that’s great. But if you don’t, then you have to start to look for a third-party funding, so the Kinsmen or GoFundMe pages. We’ve had a few of those,” said Kelln.