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Watching for medical resources
It can sometimes (often) be difficult to find specialized medical resources and healthcare products for our aging parents. I am always on the lookout for good offline and online sites that carry T.E.D. compression stockings and other medical supplies.
Check local options
I look for places that are safe to buy from, with a good selection of medical resources, good prices, hopefully some discounts, and reasonable or free shipping costs. Many times I buy locally so I can see what I’m getting and so that I can return it easily.
Two online options
Other times, especially if I know what I’m getting, OR if I can’t find it locally, I’ll buy online. One place I have used in the past is MedPlusUSA. They are now called MedexUSA. According to their home page, they “carry 62,889 Medical, Surgical, Durable Supplies and Equipment from 1,241 Brands in 992 Categories.” I can’t tell you if they have the best prices but we were very pleased with their service and their products. They came in a timely manner and were just what we needed.
Another favorite resource is Amazon. They often have what I need but not always. That’s why a large medical supply company is a handy number to have in my contacts as well.
More great medical resources
While updating this post and perusing both sites, I was very interested to spot electric “hospital” beds. Having wished for those for a while for one senior relative and seriously considering it for another, this is great info. And yes, Amazon also has electric “hospital” beds. Comparing their two pages, it looks like they both have decent prices. (I always thought those beds would be much more expensive!
Another item I checked for was Castile Soap Towelettes. These are needed often by some of my sweet seniors when getting tested for a UTI (urinary tract infection). Our medical lab is great about giving us extras to keep on hand but not all are. Plus a couple of times we used them all up but I didn’t have a chance to get more. Having extras on hand would definitely help. I was happy to see that both MedexUSA and Amazon carry those as well.
Long distance caregiving smiles
This is not only a great place to look for those hard-to-find items for someone living with or near you, it’s very handy for long distance caregiving as well. I am in the throes of that now and can tell you, it ain’t easy! Resources like these are a huge help for a long distance caregiver! All in all, an excellent resource for the Sandwich Generation.
Kaye