A helping hand Donora nonprofit provides free devices to promote independence
Michelle Loar, compliance manager assistant at DON Services in Donora, is surrounded by equipment that was donated to the Disability Option Network’s Assistive Technology Reuse Program.
Michelle Loar
DONORA – Michelle Loar gets plenty of phone calls from people with disabilities and seniors who don’t know where else to turn, and she is OK with that.
“I’m here for the people,” Loar said. “I want to help people who need help.”
And through the Disability Option Network’s Assistive Technology Reuse Program, Loar is able to do just that, providing for free devices that help those callers maintain their independence.
Loar is an assistive technology professional certified through the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America, and she has been working at DON for two years, coming on board about a year after the consumer-oriented nonprofit organization established itself in the Mon Valley.
It was shortly after her arrival that she wrote the grant proposal for the reuse program. At the time, she was working one-on-one with clients to promote independent living and offering peer support. She now serves as compliance manager assistant with DON Services, auditing consumer files and visiting homes to make recommendations.
The original reuse program grant was received in October 2015 and is funded by Pennsylvania’s Initiative on Assistive Technology, the Commonwealth’s Assistive Technology Act Program at the Institute on Disabilities, Temple University, funded through a grant from the Administration on Community Living and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It also is part of the Reused and Exchanged Equipment Partnership Network.
“I love assistive technology and seeing the progress,” said Loar, a mother of two who uses a motorized wheelchair and drives a customized van.
“This is a wonderful program. This program sees results,” she said, before citing a litany of daily chores her clients can now perform independently, such as making a meal, going to the grocery store or taking a shower.
The reuse program relies on donations of assistive devices, which include, but aren’t limited to, wheelchairs, canes, walkers, potty chairs and benches. DON then refurbishes the equipment. Although there are two employees on staff, Bill Myers and Fred Hess, who complete the manual labor of sanitizing and repairing donated equipment, Loar is always looking for volunteers to help refurbish them.
“I try to take things that are usable,” Loar said. “If the motor is bad in a wheelchair, I can’t take it. We can’t afford to take it.”
Loar said she receives the most requests for wheelchairs, potty chairs and benches, and all information and requests are completed within five business days.
No medical referrals are needed. Consumers just call Loar and explain the issues they are having. If DON has the equipment in stock, the consumer will receive it.
“If they can pick it up, great. If not, we will deliver,” she said. “If they’re calling me, they need it.”
However, DON has a limited amount of space to store equipment in its Donora office, so there are instances where Loar has to turn people away.
“I hate telling people we don’t have it,” Loar said.
But if DON is unable to process the request, Loar will explain what consumers can do to obtain what they need.
“Some people don’t even know where to start,” she said.
The resuse program is available to residents of all ages in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Mercer, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties, regardless of nature or degree of disability. In 2015 through August 2016, DON distributed 45 items to 38 individuals. The organization’s goal this year is to reach a minimum of 60 individuals, and based on requests through February, Loar expects to meet that goal – and possibly exceed it.
“We do it to fill in those gaps that insurance doesn’t cover,” said Loar, noting, for example, that if someone outgrows a wheelchair within two years, insurance will not cover a replacement for at least another year.
DON Services also empowers people with disabilities and seniors to live as independently as possible, providing, among other services, attendant care; help with daily living activities, such as cleaning and laundry; skills training; peer support; and advocacy.
“I really like it here,” Loar said. “People really care about the people we work with. We’re here to make a difference.”
Those who need assistive equipment through the Disability Options Network’s Assistive Technology Program should call Michelle Loar at 724-856-4978 or visit DON at 568 Galiffa Drive, Donora.