Stay-at-home cancer patients who require medical equipment can borrow what they need for free from the Cayman Islands Cancer Society.
The society provides a full line of home medical equipment, including wheelchairs, hospital beds, commodes, bath stools and oxygen concentrators, according to Joanne Diaz-Berry of the CICS.
‘We recognise and do our best to meet the need in our community for home medical equipment because people value being independent in their own home.
‘I would like to encourage people to contact us for additional information about what is available. We are here to help,’ she said.
Hope Stephenson, Director of Patient Services at the society, explained the benefits of the program.
‘This equipment not only benefits the patients but also the caregivers. Having a patient comfortable helps all concerned cope with the illness,’ she said.
When cancer patients do not require the equipment, others can rent what they need for a nominal monthly fee, Mrs. Diaz-Berry explained.
Bernadette Scott rents a hospital bed from the society, which has made life easier for both her and her mother.
‘It’s a very good thing that the society is doing. The bed is so helpful, especially when it comes time to give the person a bath, and at night just having the side rails gives me a level of comfort to know that I don’t have to worry about my mother falling out of bed,’ she said.
The programme hasn’t been well publicised and the society is looking to make the public more aware of this service, according to Mrs. Diaz-Berry.
‘We are in a position where we can now offer this service to more people due to the increased availability of inventory,’ she said.
Anyone wishing to borrow or rent equipment needs to complete a loan form which is available from the cancer society’s office at 114 Maple Road, next to Cayman Islands Hospital.
Smaller items are stored at the society’s offices, but larger pieces of equipment, such as hospital beds, are kept in a warehouse and special arrangements need to be made for delivery.
The society keeps an inventory comprising about CI$10,000 worth of equipment. Any funds collected through rentals are used for maintaining equipment or buying new items, according to Mrs. Diaz-Berry.
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