Need a walker? Call Holy Trinity, Johnstown

Parish stores, lends out medical equipment

By KATHLEEN LAMANNA- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

Medical equipment can be expensive, especially if it's only needed for a short period of time or insurance isn't available. That's why Holy Trinity parish in Johnstown has a bank of durable medical equipment that is available to borrow.

"We get donations from the community," said parish secretary Jaime Kosowicz. "We have wheelchairs, crutches, canes, commodes, wheeled walkers, seated walkers. We loan them out." The parish also owns a hospital bed, bed rails and other items.

Holy Trinity has a room in the parish offices that houses all of the equipment. When a parishioner or community member has a need for an item, he or she calls to see if it's available. There's no charge, just a form to fill out to help the parish keep track of the loaned equipment.

As long as the items are in good condition after the individual is done using them, Holy Trinity will take them back so they can be loaned out again.

Parish officials aren't sure how long the practice has been in place, though they believe it started sometime in the 1980s. Currently, there are about 80 pieces of medical equipment signed out. Another 80 or so items are left, including canes, commodes, crutches and walkers.

Every week or two, a new request comes in. Individuals have borrowed walkers or bed rails for an extended period of time; Ms. Kosowicz mentioned a gentleman who came in to borrow a wheelchair just for a weekend so he could go to New York City with his family.

Brett Pavlus, an occupational therapist at the Community Health Center in the Johnstown area, has borrowed equipment from the parish for some of his patients.

"It makes my job easier," he said, noting that his job revolves around making sure people are able to perform normal daily tasks.

Mr. Pavlos remembers getting bed rails for a patient who was unable to get out of bed without them: "He would sleep in his chair."

Holy Trinity doesn't restrict the service to parishioners, but helps the larger community, as well.

The medical equipment often comes from donations to the parish after someone passes away. "There's been times when we go to pick up items," Ms. Kosowicz said.

(For more information, to donate or to borrow, call the parish at 518-762-2011.)[[In-content Ad]]