Something  to Talk  About

By Leesa Teale, LPR Publisher   

Do you have relatives coming in for the holidays that just don’t get around well? Do you know someone who has recently been injured or had surgery and in need of a wheelchair or walker? I have found the place for you. 

     Recently, my 75-year-old mother visited me from Indiana. She has a hip issue that doesn’t allow her to walk far distances. She can walk around but sometimes just going through the grocery store can be painful and tiring. 

     When she said she wanted to come visit me in Texas, I immediately knew we would have to rent a wheelchair to allow her to be able to get around and enjoy the many sites I wanted to show her. 

     After making several inquiries, I was directed by Julie Estrada, Director of Community Relations at Golden Age Home Assisted Living in Lockhart, to visit their Health Equipment Lending Closet. I had never heard of this, but as she explained it to me it was a perfect fit for me and what I can only assume for many other people. 

     The Lending Closet is a program that allows for FREE durable medical equipment to be made available to those in need at Golden Age Home Assisted Living. The equipment they offer includes wheelchairs, walkers, rollators, grab bars and canes. Other equipment such as shower chairs and bedside commodes are available when they become in stock or donated.

     Without donors, the program could not provide this service.  Your donations give some of our community’s most vulnerable citizens safety, mobility, independence, opportunity, and dignity. If you have clean “gently used” durable medical equipment, bring them to us! Every piece we make available to the community comes directly from donors like you.

     One of the biggest perks to the program, besides it is free, is the equipment is available for loan with no time limits and no eligibility requirements. Community members can pick up items every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Golden Age Home Assisted Living, 1505 S. Main St., Lockhart, TX 78644. Those interested in picking up equipment can call (830) 351-8490 or email FreeDMELockhart@gmail.com.

     When I knew the date she would be arriving,  I immediately called the phone number and emailed the address given to make sure I got on the list. I received a quick response from the facilitators, and they explained what the next steps were. The process was very simple and accommodating to us. They even called back to make sure I was still in need of it a week before so they could make sure they had one here for me. 

I went to pick it up and they were ready for me and had it set aside. They were very kind and explained how to fold it up and load it. 

     The wheelchair worked wonders as I was able to take her to so many place she had never saw before and wouldn’t have been able to see without the wheelchair. Plus the money I saved in paying to rent a chair was a major bonus. 

     Although the program is located at Golden Age Home, the program is made possible by AGE of Central Texas. Their mission statement states they are here to help older adults and their caregivers thrive as they navigate the realities and opportunities of aging and caregiving. The lending program is a perfect way to do this. 

     The AGE of Central Texas Health Equipment Lending Program (H.E.L.P) provides FREE incontinence supplies, and “gently used” durable medical equipment for older adults in need. This program is dignity restoring as it provides older adults with the tools they need to be safe in their homes, maintain mobility, and remain independent. 

     To learn more about AGE of Central Texas, go to www.AGEofCentralTX.org. To learn more about the Golden Age Home Assisted Living, go to www.goldenagehome.com.

Thank you again to Golden Age and the Lending Closet for this great program. You were a life saver for her trip here.