CARE Chest equips disabled to live fuller lives

I’d like to share a story with a very personal connection to the NNBW. When the son of an NNBW staff member came to CARE Chest this September, we were able to provide the family with the medical resources they needed to make his life as independent and joyful as possible.

Joe had been dealing with kidney failure for several years. Early this year, a severe stroke left him with a paralyzed left arm and leg. Thirty-eight years old and on a fixed income, Joe could not afford the medical equipment that he needed to meet his new medical challenges.

CARE Chest was able to provide Joe with a suite of deeply-needed items. Over two months, we were able to outfit Joe with a transfer bench that allows him to get in and out of his tub safely, bed rails that offer both support and security, a walker to empower him toward mobility and independence, a commode, and an arm sling. Like all of CARE Chest’s programs, these items were provided free of cost.

I ask you to pause a moment, and consider what Joe would have faced without our services. No other organization provides services like ours, and our programs are often a last-line option for our clients. For Joe, this meant trying to shower in an unsafe way and a dangerous environment. For his caregivers, it meant attempting to support more weight than is safe. It meant being unable to walk securely, making movement around his own home unsafe.

Because of our volunteers, support from the community, and tireless staff, CARE Chest is able to ensure that Nevadans like Joe have help available when they need it most. Going further, we insist that folks in such a situation not only receive the devices they need, but receive a warm welcome, a smile and loving care. Considering the financial, mental, and physical strain our clients endure, we are honored to be able to serve them.

For over 25 years we have provided medical resources to Nevadans in need. We currently operate six keystone programs, targeted to help individuals obtain the medical resources that they need. These programs include:

Durable Medical Equipment

Prescription Assistance

Diabetic Supplies

Medical Nutrition

Independent Living

Wellness Education

Our clients come from all walks of life, but share one thing in common: they cannot afford the equipment they need to live to their fullest potential. The majority of our clients are uninsured, while many simply cannot afford medical supplies excluded by their insurance or the co-pays for items that insurance does cover. Whether helping with the costs of emergency prescriptions for children, empowering a family providing care for an aging parent, or making a 40-year old’s return home from the hospital more manageable, we take pride in ensuring that our neighbors benefit from the medical equipment available today.

In 25 years, we have provided more than 120,000 individual services to clients here in northern Nevada. This holiday season, we’d like to thank the community for supporting our mission over the last quarter century. On behalf of Nevadans in need, we hope the next quarter century is every bit as strong!