Medicare rents some DME equipment. Which means when done with the equipment it goes back to the provider. If Medicare is renting this power chair, then you definitely contact the provider. Any repairs should be free of charge because the provider still owns the equipment. Usually in something like this, when the rent paid totals the cost of the item, the person using it then owns it. You may want to check this with the provider.
Just in case you didn't already know, DME stand for Durable Medical Equipment. The DME provider that sold you the wheelchair should have a warranty period for their products and should do the repair/replace as necessary within that period.
My guess is they sold you a used one. That happened to my mother. The wheelchair she got had paperwork from the prior owner stuck in the back pocket of the seat.
I agree, you go back to the DME provider. They are the ones who should fix it. I worked for Visiting Nurses and I called the provider anytime we needed anything for the items we loaned out.
Call the DME company that supplied the wheelchair. That's the best source. If you don't get response from them, contact the office of the doctor who ordered the chair. If they're aware of a problem with a DME supplier, they may have more "encouraging" ways of motivating them, i.e., find another DME supplier.
Also, did you get any manual with the wheelchair? If so, see if there's any contact information or instructions for problem solving. In my experience, companies typically include a phone number for problems or advice on the product.
You can also search online to see if there's an online manual that you might refer to for immediate answers, but I still would contact the DME supplier or the doctor. They need to be aware that this model may need adjustment, or just taken back to the factory for correction, and a more functional one substituted.
Please let us know how this works out. It must be so frustrating to rely on something that's dysfunctional.
Medicare rents some DME equipment. Which means when done with the equipment it goes back to the provider. If Medicare is renting this power chair, then you definitely contact the provider. Any repairs should be free of charge because the provider still owns the equipment. Usually in something like this, when the rent paid totals the cost of the item, the person using it then owns it. You may want to check this with the provider.
My guess is they sold you a used one. That happened to my mother. The wheelchair she got had paperwork from the prior owner stuck in the back pocket of the seat.
Also, did you get any manual with the wheelchair? If so, see if there's any contact information or instructions for problem solving. In my experience, companies typically include a phone number for problems or advice on the product.
You can also search online to see if there's an online manual that you might refer to for immediate answers, but I still would contact the DME supplier or the doctor. They need to be aware that this model may need adjustment, or just taken back to the factory for correction, and a more functional one substituted.
Please let us know how this works out. It must be so frustrating to rely on something that's dysfunctional.