Equipment and technology
Equipment and assistive technology service
Whoever actually supplies, delivers, funds and repairs your equipment, which in every country is a different organisation from the one that assesses you.
A service you are referred to, rather than one person you meet.
In all four systems, the person who decides what equipment you need and the organisation that provides it are separate. That split is the single most common reason equipment takes longer than anyone expected. Knowing which of the two is holding things up is usually the difference between waiting and getting somewhere.
How you reach this person, and who pays, depends on where you live. Set your country in Location and Compass will show what applies there.
What they can help with
- Supplying wheelchairs, hoists, beds, bathroom equipment and communication devices
- Delivery, fitting and adjustment
- Repairs and servicing, which matters more than people expect once you depend on something
- Loan schemes, so you can try equipment rather than buy it
- Returning and exchanging equipment as needs change
When you might meet them
- After an assessment, which almost always has to come first
- When something has been ordered and has not arrived
- When equipment breaks, which is an urgent problem if you depend on it
- When something no longer suits you
Things you could ask about
- Who is the supplier, and who is my contact there?
- How long does this usually take, and what is it waiting on?
- Can I trial this before it is ordered?
- What is the repair arrangement, and how fast is it if I cannot transfer without it?
- What happens to this equipment if my needs change?
Not to be confused with
Not the person who assesses you. An occupational therapist or a seating specialist decides what you need; the equipment service provides it. Two organisations, two waiting times.