NorCal Kayak Anglers
General => General Talk => Topic started by: Mojo Jojo on April 19, 2017, 11:35:47 AM
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Some of the NWKA members have met my father in law Richard, the old fart with one short foot from a toe amputation a few years ago. He's in the hospital again for a foot wound infection and recently lost a tie on his good foot. We're trying to raise money to help get him a mobility scooter to help him get around without having to worry about another sore that gets infected. We're hoping to raise $8000 to buy a scooter and build a rack for it on his truck as well as get him a decent deck for his Rv I built a cheesy one from $10 worth of recycled wood ( looks better cleaned up). He qualified for a scooter on Medicare but since they say there " in home mobility " and he lives on an Rv he got disqualified. He don't need it in the house he needs it to get around outside. We started a gofund me page for him if anyone can help out.
gofundme.com/3o2mse0
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I just got my dad a gogo 4 wheel electric scooter for under $1200 new. What kind of scooter is going to cost up near $8000? He takes his on anything that's paved and range is at least 2 miles. (That's how far it is to the local store where I walk, he rides his scooter and we get a beer to drink on the way home! 1mile each way)
Is your dad a vet? VA might help in some way. They got my dad hearing aides because he was stationed on an aircraft carrier during Korean war.
Here's a pic of his scoot;
(http://www.spinlife.com/images/product/25489.jpg)
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I just got my dad a gogo 4 wheel electric scooter for under $1200 new. What kind of scooter is going to cost up near $8000? He takes his on anything that's paved and range is at least 2 miles. (That's how far it is to the local store where I walk, he rides his scooter and we get a beer to drink on the way home! 1mile each way)
Is your dad a vet? VA might help in some way. They got my dad hearing aides because he was stationed on an aircraft carrier during Korean war.
Here's a pic of his scoot;
(http://www.spinlife.com/images/product/25489.jpg)
+1 on getting a help from VA, just make sure that you keep on it, the VA staff are either busy or overwhelmed with complex cases. And in some very minor cases, terribly mismanaged ... Make sure to shout loud if you dont hear back, my wife used to work for VAs ...
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The one he's looking at and needing is $3500 and has a 56 mile range 24 volt he rides the bus from seaside to Lincoln City and occasionally to Portland. and the rear cargo carrier for his truck with a tall canopy he wants to ride it inside. Then a decent 5x5 deck and AFA ramp.
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Good to know about the range on that one y'all are looking at. Also the wheel size.
I discovered that, while the VA takes it's sweet time to get things approved, it's back dated to the date you file. So file soon as you can, even if the paper work isn't all there. It helps too, if you have a doctor who knows the specific language to get approval. For my hearing, the doc needed to say, "as likely as not" hearing loss was due to military service. BAM! approved. Not only that, I got a 10% disability for it and now my doc says my shoulder and back pain are due to military as well. I fell from the roof of a radar shelter while in Alaska back in the 70's. I never thought about it back then, I was 20. But the VA guy told me that 'likely as not" it was an old injury from back then, now catching up to me now that I'm over 60. No one ever thought about long term when their 20. No OSHA back then, so no occupational safety rules. I also wrecked a snowmobile when a rocket used for weather gathering augered into the ground in front of me when it failed to jettison it's fins and, instead of tumbling into the ocean, arrowed straight down on a taxi way I was patrolling. Some solid fuel residue blew up on impact and the shock wave threw me off the snow mobile.
Any old timer vets really should make a VA appointment and get interviewed to see if they have any injuries that might qualify them for disabilities. I figured all I was good for was a free burial and funeral. Still may be, but who knows?
Best of luck with your dad's efforts and getting back in the saddle with a new ride.
Cheers!
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Good to know about the range on that one y'all are looking at. Also the wheel size.
I discovered that, while the VA takes it's sweet time to get things approved, it's back dated to the date you file. So file soon as you can, even if the paper work isn't all there. It helps too, if you have a doctor who knows the specific language to get approval. For my hearing, the doc needed to say, "as likely as not" hearing loss was due to military service. BAM! approved. Not only that, I got a 10% disability for it and now my doc says my shoulder and back pain are due to military as well. I fell from the roof of a radar shelter while in Alaska back in the 70's. I never thought about it back then, I was 20. But the VA guy told me that 'likely as not" it was an old injury from back then, now catching up to me now that I'm over 60. No one ever thought about long term when their 20. No OSHA back then, so no occupational safety rules. I also wrecked a snowmobile when a rocket used for weather gathering augered into the ground in front of me when it failed to jettison it's fins and, instead of tumbling into the ocean, arrowed straight down on a taxi way I was patrolling. Some solid fuel residue blew up on impact and the shock wave threw me off the snow mobile.
Any old timer vets really should make a VA appointment and get interviewed to see if they have any injuries that might qualify them for disabilities. I figured all I was good for was a free burial and funeral. Still may be, but who knows?
Best of luck with your dad's efforts and getting back in the saddle with a new ride.
Cheers!
Thanks Jerry, he's already registered with the VA and diabetes is his main issue and since he wasn't boots on ground in Vietnam they can't "likely" link it to service but for those veterans that were boots on ground diabetes is likely due to chemicals used , you know that "specific safety colors one". Got him out today after picking the lock on his hospital cuffs. :smt044 now the fun part keeping him off his feet for 60 days, might need to get a tranquilizer gun from ODFW. :smt070
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I was active duty during Vietnam, so I'm 'in' as far as a combat window goes. It's not as 'helpful' as being in-country, but better than service outside any campaign window. My brother, 2 years older than me, just got approved for 100% disability for exposure to agent orange and PTSD. He was in 'nam for a bit over 6 months. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at age 55 and probably had it a few years before it was diagnosed. Early onset Alzheimer's is associated with exposure to Agent Orange it seems. I'm glad he got the approval because he and his wife were really hurting financially. Now a limo comes and picks him up each day and takes him to a day care center. Not anyone's idea of retirement, but at least he's not living under a bridge somewhere like a lot of vets from that era. He retired from the Air Force after 20 years and worked for the FAA for 18 (I think) years after that. He was in the Alfred P. Murrah building, Oklahoma City, when it was blown up by Timothy McVeigh. He didn't get anything for living through that, but I guess just living through it is reward enough. Ha!
anyways, he got his military disability when his wife finally contacted their Senator. He stepped in and then things moved along fairly quickly; about 2 years to get what he was due.
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BTW, I just checked on my dad's scooter eligibility from Medicare. They approved the scooter for outside the home use, a walker and cane for in-home use. We had to prove that getting out to Dr. appointments was arduous and extremely difficult. When the Doc signed off on that, he was approved.
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BTW, I just checked on my dad's scooter eligibility from Medicare. They approved the scooter for outside the home use, a walker and cane for in-home use. We had to prove that getting out to Dr. appointments was arduous and extremely difficult. When the Doc signed off on that, he was approved.
There claim to no pay is he can just drive the Rv to where he needs to go.... on a fixed income, ya right!?!?
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Well, yeah he can drive a vehicle, but once there, then what? For example; my dad needs to get a hair cut, go to church, doctor visit. The walk from the parking lot to the facility is too far for a walker, so he's been allowed the scooter.
My guess is that you need to find a doctor who knows the correct phrasing that VA is looking for to approve the scooter for your dad's situation. In my dad's case, he had a Kaiser physical therapist come to the house and determined his PT needed to be at home because it was 'arduous' for him to make trips outside the home. Oh... wait. My dad can't drive. That's what I told the Physical Therapist. My Dad has a driver's license and technically is legal to drive, but I won't let him with his dementia diagnosis. He's not bad, yet. Forgets short term stuff that's real recent. No one would know besides me and, of course, a neurologist who is testing for it.
What about any heart disease or high blood pressure? Anything that, combined with the physical loss of the appendage to enhance the cause for needing the scoot for assist?
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Ya we have been down a lot of different avenues with getting him approved but it's Social Security he's dealing with right now and we had it until they said they needed to inspect his home to make sure it was scooter ADA accessible and once he said motor home full time they said oh that's not covered..... frustrating as all hell because he's worked all his life since 12 years old in his grandparents store with the exception of his time in the army.
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You are a good son. Wishing you success on the future for your father.
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You are a good son. Wishing you success on the future for your father.
Father in law but since I was 17 ... and I never met my father since he was married.... just not to my mother.
We're off to a good start at $135
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Update on the old man, he was donated a used Jazzy electric wheel chair. He was doing good but got a sore ontop of his short foot that got infected and isn't responding to antibiotics, the infection is into his shin and they scheduled amputation for this Tuesday at the knee. He's taking it ok ... at least he says he is but we're not sure, he is a very stubborn old man.
As if that wasn't bad enough the used motor we put in his motorhome lost the bottom end and ain't worth sinking another $2000 into. The park we live at won't allow it in unless it runs. :smt009 We need to get him a new home since he likes living the full time lifestyle, we're looking to get a bumper pull with no stairs and a wide enough door to roll his chair in. Then I'll make the modifications for him as needed. He wanted to make sure I thanked the people who already helped.
Here's a gofundme my wife set up to help him out. Anything extra will go on his hospital bill that's growing fast since they have had him in there a couple weeks already.
https://www.gofundme.com/4bzdibk
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Surgery was rescheduled for this Thursday. The old fart seems to be taking it well, we'll see after Thursday. They let him Cruze around the hospital and short trips outside in his Jazzy electric wheel chair that his sister donated to him.
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Up date with no picture. He had his amputation today and had some blood pressure issues and some breathing issues so they have him in ICU and hope to have him back in his room tomorrow afternoon. They took it at the knee after discussing taking it mid shin, they needed to be sure they got ALL the infection as he has been battling this issue for 12 years since he had his first foot sore get infected and they started rommoving toes. We just pray that after this one he can regain some strength and get back to harassing game animals as well as aquatic wildlife. We weren't allowed to see him today as they have him isolated to be sure no germs get near his new incisions. We hope to see him tomorrow and get some pictures.
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I wish the best for the Old Fart!
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We got to see him today and he’s in good spirits. They left a little bit below the knee and we’re hoping it will be easier for him to get used to a prosthetic leg. They moved him out of ICU and back to his regular room. He’s back to his grumbly old self. Now if he could just keep liquids and food down. Plus, he was measured today for his prosthetic leg that will be here tomorrow. Hoping to see him “running” up and down the halls in a week.