Richard, Thomas and Trevor in the ALS Society of Alberta’s Equipment Warehouse
The ALS Society of Alberta’s Equipment Warehouse can be overwhelming when you first see it, in part due to the size and scope of the space itself. But also overwhelming to see in one place the massive amount of equipment required for someone living with ALS. As a family navigates the diagnosis and progression of ALS, our equipment team is here to support them in any way that they can, often going above and beyond to ensure our families have exactly what they need.
The Equipment Loan Program, with the support of Client Services, is the heart of our supports and services. Our families quickly learn how daunting the amount of equipment needed for someone living with ALS is, and the potential cost associated. Our program is here to fill in the gaps that exist in other programs in order to meet the needs of our families in Alberta. Working with members of the Allied Health Team such as Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists and Speech Language Pathologists ensures we can provide safe, reliable equipment that is appropriate for the client’s situation. Our team provides mobility and communication equipment at every step of the ALS journey, lifting the stress of sourcing equipment while also removing the financial burden.
The Society provides everything from small equipment including adapted cutlery and button hooks, to boogie boards and iPads for communication with loved ones, all the way to power wheelchairs and lifts for safe mobility in the home and community. Our small but mighty team of Trevor, Thomas and Richard manages the hundreds of requests as they recycle the equipment in and out of the warehouse.
Turnaround time can be as quick as one day, and up to a week for more complicated requests that might require one of our valued vendor partners for delivery and installation.
The team has a “can do” approach to their work, all having such a positive impact on the ALS Society team with their attitudes and care for our clients. The families come first - our team will hear about an emergency facing a family - someone needing to get to respite care for a day but not having a power chair, or suddenly being unable to have a shower without a new lift or mobility device - and they will go above and beyond to get the equipment out quickly to the client.
We know too that the community is certainly appreciative - in 2021, the Equipment Loan Program supplied over 1500 pieces of equipment to families in Alberta living with ALS, all at no cost. Busy days in the warehouse can see upward of 20 pieces of equipment going out the door, all managed by our small and dedicated team. The cost of equipment needed during ALS can easily exceed $100,000, so our program truly is a vital and valued form of assistance to our families.
The Society is also incredibly appreciative of equipment that is generously donated. Sometimes we aren’t able to accept donations because of inventory levels or space, so please check our website to see the items that we are currently in need of. We also have an Amazon Wishlist of items that are in short supply.
Our Equipment Team is such a critical part of our mission at the ALS Society and our community as a whole, working to ensure that our families can maintain their quality of life, safe mobility, and communication with loved ones. It can be a busy and complicated process that our team handles so well. As Trevor says: “Getting to see, on a daily basis, the impact the Society can have is what keeps me waking up in the morning and coming to work. I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing.”
