Repair or not to repair ...
Joe Harvey
Description
Collection
Title:
Repair or not to repair ...
Creator:
Joe Harvey
Date:
8/12/2001
Text:
Repair or not to repair? That is the question. One day a week I see
clients/patients in a inner city environment. At least once a month I
see a person sent to this office to correct a wrong. They usually have
received a prostheis from another O&P provider many miles away. They
are tired of the travel and lack of care they have received. An
elderly, slight-of-build gentleman, blind, hard of hearing, and looking
like he had few nickels to rub together, was brought to the office the
other day. Rx in hand written by his doctor stated, repair of
prosthesis. This person is medicare insured. He states that the
prosthesis never did fit and it is only 5 months old. It did look new!
Numerous trips to the prosthetist did not help. Saying that the man who
made it told him to just go away and wear it. He continued to state
that it was also too heavy. This could have been the seed of
dissatisfaction. He was not able to tell me during this visit who made
him the prosthesis but he would have that information on the next visit.
I agree the pelite liner could not be donned. A six ply sock fit got
him into the socket. So maybe he needs a shrinker program and I'll try
that. Also just walking with the sock fit may also get him down to
size. The problem is once he leaves the office he is not getting the
home care he needs to follow through on the instructions. He only knows
that the leg does not fit. The other prosthetist may not have been a
bad guy afterall. But I do question the use of the foot selection. I
am not familiar with the look and no manufacture logo was visible. It
was a heavy single axis model I could see used on a big fella but not
this man. The foot is not broken but coupled with the aluminum pylon
and steel pyramid the prosthetic leg heft was considerable. I don't
think medicare will pay for a lighter foot and light weight components
after the fact so I am reluctant to change it. If the first prosthetist
was closer I'd suggest he return to him to change the components.
What would you do?
Joe Harvey
clients/patients in a inner city environment. At least once a month I
see a person sent to this office to correct a wrong. They usually have
received a prostheis from another O&P provider many miles away. They
are tired of the travel and lack of care they have received. An
elderly, slight-of-build gentleman, blind, hard of hearing, and looking
like he had few nickels to rub together, was brought to the office the
other day. Rx in hand written by his doctor stated, repair of
prosthesis. This person is medicare insured. He states that the
prosthesis never did fit and it is only 5 months old. It did look new!
Numerous trips to the prosthetist did not help. Saying that the man who
made it told him to just go away and wear it. He continued to state
that it was also too heavy. This could have been the seed of
dissatisfaction. He was not able to tell me during this visit who made
him the prosthesis but he would have that information on the next visit.
I agree the pelite liner could not be donned. A six ply sock fit got
him into the socket. So maybe he needs a shrinker program and I'll try
that. Also just walking with the sock fit may also get him down to
size. The problem is once he leaves the office he is not getting the
home care he needs to follow through on the instructions. He only knows
that the leg does not fit. The other prosthetist may not have been a
bad guy afterall. But I do question the use of the foot selection. I
am not familiar with the look and no manufacture logo was visible. It
was a heavy single axis model I could see used on a big fella but not
this man. The foot is not broken but coupled with the aluminum pylon
and steel pyramid the prosthetic leg heft was considerable. I don't
think medicare will pay for a lighter foot and light weight components
after the fact so I am reluctant to change it. If the first prosthetist
was closer I'd suggest he return to him to change the components.
What would you do?
Joe Harvey
Citation
Joe Harvey, “Repair or not to repair ...,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 7, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/217164.
