I have had a spinal cord injury since 2019 and use a walker and or wheelchair to get around i understand that they simply can’t transport my chair but they won’t even let me bring my walker and keep saying to me every time that they can’t bring it because it’s the law of it CANT be strapped down and I even said if I hold it across me and then you can buckle me in to the stretcher why can’t we do that and every time it’s the same thing and I usually get upset and end up not even going and they just leave and carry on with their lives and screw me pretty much now I don’t always get them two but more often than not if I’m going in the evening shift it’ll be them and when I go during the day it’s not usually them but on occasion it is but I obviously can’t change the time that my emergency happens right so they told me that an ambulance will bring me home once I’m done at the emergency room but I found this out to actually be false because I always ask and it’s the same thing every time they just simply can’t do it cuz that’d be taking up an ambulance away that someone with an actual emergency obviously if I’m getting discharged the hospital feels it’s not a danger to my life anymore but you get it so if say someone has a heart attack and needs transport via ambulance immediately then they may have to wait longer cuz there busy taking me home so my question is that are they actually not allowed to transport a folding basic two wheel walker that I physically can’t walk without I can get in the Uber or Lyft from hospital fine but then how am I supposed to get from the car to my door yea I can always ask them to get it for me out of my house but I don’t know these people they may not want to be bothered by doing it and give me a hard time about it and by that time I just want to get in my home so yea if anyone actually knows if this is legal or not please let me know thanks!!! I’ll appreciate any feedback!!!
Also, please note that the EMS/9-1-1 ambulance that takes you to the hospital is an emergency vehicle. The ambulance/transport service taking you home most likely will be a private service and may not be part of EMS (even if they are required to have lights and sirens). When you are discharged (i.e., you receive your discharge paperwork) ask if you can have assistance to whatever vehicle is picking your up. Private/transport ambulance services may or may not have a wheelchair of some type to transfer you from their vehicle to your door.
My advice is, if you are transported to the ER, to ask the EMS crew if they can place your walker or wheelchair by the front door or outside where it can be easily retrieved when you are brought home. Sometimes, an EMS crew *may* allow you to bring a mobility device with you. In some systems, policy forbids that for the safety reasons I mentioned above and sometimes it's at the discretion of the medic or EMT. We have four different styles of ambulance in our system and only one of the interior layouts allows for the safe storage of mobility devices.
I hope that helps.
The wheelchair is strapped down with the passenger in the wheelchair.
ADA Information Line 800-514-0301 (voice) 1-833-610-1264 (TTY) ADA.gov
ADA National Network (800) 949-4232 (voice/TTY) www.adata.org
Call them
Find a pro bono attorney if needed (Call Legal Aid or Lawyer Referral/State Bar)
Gena / Touch Matters
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. That’s why you’re there. It’s the hospital’s duty to care for you.
Assume that the ambulance can’t/won’t accommodate your walker or wheelchair. Arguing with the drivers is one stressor you don’t need.
I hope this helps.
I guess I'm not understanding though why an ambulance won't take you home. Yes, you'll have to wait longer perhaps until one is available, but you still should have that option.
My late husband often had to go to the ER via ambulance, and he was never allowed to bring his hemi-walker, nor did I ever request that they do.
If my husband ended up being admitted, I would just bring it up with me when I went to visit.
And if he was brought to the ER by ambulance he was always returned home by ambulance, so I'm not sure why your hospital isn't doing the same unless they think that perhaps you are abusing the system because of your frequent visits.
Or maybe it has something to do with your health insurance. Have you tried calling them to find out what your coverage allows?
I'm sorry that you're in such poor health that you need to go to the ER so often. Perhaps it's now best that you no longer live on your own, and instead start looking into moving into an assisted living facility where you will have folks checking on you around the clock and they will also have a van that perhaps can pick you up if and when the next time you go to the ER.