Feeling Valued

Before she was with Open-Aire, Rosemary M. of East Chicago, IN had an oxygen provider who was anything but interested in her as a customer. One time she ran out of oxygen tanks and they couldn’t deliver new ones. After that experience, she knew it was time to find a new oxygen provider. One that would value her as a customer, and would provide something other than tanks.

Oxygen tanks were a big hassle for Rosemary. She likes to go into downtown Chicago to meet with her friends for lunch and shopping, but the tanks made it extremely difficult. She could no longer take the train to get to town. Instead, she had to drive and ask her friends to help her carry her replacement tanks.

It only took her two months to realize this would not do. She started a quest to find a new provider. She spoke to a few different companies, but none of them seemed very interested in her. That changed when she found Open-Aire. The Case Manager she worked with was eager to help her out, and find the right portable oxygen concentrator for her.  Open-Aire was able to work with her doctor to get her a portable oxygen concentrator quickly, and made her feel valued as a customer the entire time. 

“Customer service is very important to me,” says Rosemary. “Everyone at Open-Aire has been very pleasant. Not just polite. You can hear that they are interested in their voice. They take an interest. They went beyond my expectations.”

Doing Your Job With Heart

When Genette D. of St. Paul, MN began having difficulty walking she was sent to a Falls Clinic, where physicians and physical therapists taught her how to properly use her walker and showed her other techniques that would help her maintain her balance. Unfortunately as her arthritis and fibromyalgia worsened the therapy and lessons she learned in the Falls Clinic weren’t enough, and she and her doctor both agreed that a power wheelchair would be the best for her.

Once she began looking for a power wheelchair, Genette found a local company, but it was a disaster for her. She says, “they put me through all these hurdles. Month after month and nothing happened. Eventually they told me I was denied, but when I contacted Medicare they told me the paperwork had never even been filed. They took months of mobility away from me by wasting my time.”  Genette and her doctor knew she was qualified though, so they asked Medicare directly who she could work with, and they told her Open-Aire Mobility Division.

 

Working with Open-Aire Mobility was a completely different experience for her. Case Managers responded to her and worked with her, her doctor, and Medicare to handle the process quickly and efficiently. Genette had a wonderful experience, and explains it better than we ever could.  “I used to be healthy and active. I was a waitress. I could run circles around teenagers. Deteriorating like this has been hard, but you were there for me.  It’s not that you just did your job, but you did it with heart. When you do it with heart and care that makes us appreciate things even more.”

 

Thank you for the kind words Genette. It was a pleasure to help you regain your mobility.

COPD Awareness - Did You Know?

COPD Awareness Month continues, and Open-Aire would like to share some more information with you about COPD.

• Lung damage in COPD patients is irreversible.
• Smoking is the primary risk factor for COPD.
• COPD often co-exists with chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
• Common symptoms of COPD include breathlessness even after mild exertion and chronic coughing.

COPD Awareness - The Facts

November marks the beginning of COPD Awareness Month.  Open-Aire recognizes that COPD affects millions of Americans each year, and we want to share some facts about it to help educate others.  For more information about COPD including signs and symptoms, how to manage COPD, and finding support please visit the following websites or speak to your physician.  

www.copd.com

www.copdfoundation.org
www.lung.org

 

Falls are in the Past

For many years Elvira B. of Oxford, MI had a difficult time walking. Lupus and arthritis were affecting her joints, and it got to the point where she had to use a walker. That was okay for a couple years, but recently even using the walker became a struggle, and she was starting to fall. A few months ago she suffered a bad fall, and hurt her left leg very badly. After that her doctor decided the walker wasn't right for her anymore, and that a power wheelchair would be better for her. He recommended working with Open-Aire Mobility Division. In just a few days, Open-Aire Mobility case managers were working with her doctor and Medicare, setting up appointments, and handling the paperwork. Shortly after, Elvira had her new power wheelchair.

Elvira says, "I would recommend my power wheelchair and Open-Aire Mobility to anyone. In fact, I already have!" Elvira lives in an independent living facility, and has a good friend who is having difficulty walking due to Parkinson's Disease. "We've talked about my power wheelchair a lot and how much I like it. Now her doctor is going to help her get one too." Open-Aire is happy to hear how satisfied Elvira is, and looks forward to helping out her friend.

No Excuse Not to Exercise

When Michael M. of West Valley City, Utah was diagnosed with COPD his doctor stressed to him the importance of exercise for maintaining good health. "That’s a nice idea, but it’s too hard and awkward to exercise with heavy oxygen equipment," he says. Fortunately he did not have to deal with oxygen tanks or other heavy equipment for too long before he saw a commercial for Open-Aire. He found Open-Aire quick and easy to deal with, and it wasn’t too long before he had a new portable oxygen concentrator.

Michael really appreciates the mobility his portable oxygen concentrator allows him. Now he’s able to be more active and do the exercise that he’s supposed to do. He also discovered that one of the additional accessories has allowed him even greater freedom. Michael says, "The backpack* is really handy. I put it on and my hands are free. It makes it easier to exercise. I can use the treadmill or ride the stationary bike without any problems."

Besides the gym, Michael also stays active by using his portable oxygen concentrator while he works around the house and in his backyard. While doing some yard work a few other people have noticed him using it. His neighbor was recently diagnosed with COPD and when he saw Michael using his, he had a lot of questions about it.  "After he saw mine he was sold. Now he’s getting one too!"

*Backpacks are not part of the portable oxygen concentrators insurance set up package, but are available for purchase along with other accessories.

A Nurse Who Knows What She Wants

Janet M. of Tampa, FL worked as a nurse for many years, and was well aware of the difficulties oxygen patients had to deal with from their equipment. When she was prescribed oxygen she knew right away that she did not want to use oxygen tanks. After she was prescribed, Janet tells us, "a local oxygen provider that works with my doctor's office brought tanks over to my home and I rejected them!" The provider wasn't able to get her a portable oxygen concentrator, so she went out and found Open-Aire.

That was over four years ago. Janet has been a long time customer and is using the OxyGo by Applied Home Healthcare Equipment. "It's by far the most convenient," says Janet. She takes it wherever she goes, including on her summer trips to New England where she visits her children in Massachusetts and Vermont. Open-Aire looks forward to being Janet's preferred oxygen provider for four more years, and many more after that.

Impressing Everyone

Frances J. of Parma, MI lost part of a lung back in 2004 during a surgery for her cancer. Since then she had been using oxygen off and on, until last year when she was prescribed full-time use. At that point she had enough experience using tanks to know she did not want to use them full-time. “I used to go out a lot and do some traveling. I couldn’t do that any longer with oxygen tanks. With a tank, I can only be out for a couple hours at a time.”

A life with oxygen tanks wasn’t going to work for Frances. Fortunately she learned about Open-Aire’s portable oxygen concentrators, and with some help from her doctors and Open-Aire case managers it wasn’t long before she was able to have one of her own. Frances’ doctors are very impressed with her portable oxygen concentrator. Her primary physician recommended Open-Aire to another of his patients who wants to continue playing golf. Her pulmonologist has started to recommend portable concentrators to some of his other patients as well.

Even her previous oxygen provider seems impressed. Once Frances was comfortable with her portable oxygen concentrator, she called her previous provider to pick up her old equipment. He insisted that it wouldn’t work, and asked if he could see it. Frances happily showed it to him. Frances says, “While he was looking at it I told him I have up to 12 hours of use at a time with it. After that he said ‘okay I give up’ and left with my old equipment.”

"It's Made Things so Much Better"

After a few months of using liquid oxygen and tanks, Robert L. of Florence, South Carolina began to get frustrated with all the inconveniences of traditional oxygen equipment. Simple trips out of the house were difficult. "It felt like I was handicapped with the regular oxygen equipment. I couldn’t do anything," says Robert.

His daughter and grandchildren live 100 miles away from him. Robert likes to visit them on occasion and spend a few days at their home. In order to do that he would have to load up his car with oxygen tanks. Not only was that dangerous, but that would barely last him a weekend. Shorter day trips to Myrtle Beach, which is only 45 minutes away, weren’t much easier either.

Eventually he asked his oxygen provider for a portable concentrator. However, they said they could not provide him with one. Fortunately for Robert, as he did research on portable oxygen concentrators he found an ad on the internet for Open-Aire. Once he contacted Open-Aire he found the process very easy. The case managers helped him and worked with his doctor every step of the way.

Now Robert is a big fan of Open-Aire and talks about the company and his equipment whenever he gets a chance. "I go to a pulmonary rehab program at my local hospital and I show off my portable oxygen concentrator to everyone when I’m there. It's made things so much better." We appreciate the kind words and the recommendations from Robert.

A Traveling Grandmother, Mom and Sister

Betty V. of Spearfish, ND has been with Open-Aire for over four years and in that time she's experienced many of the conveniences that come with a portable oxygen concentrator. She doesn't have to schedule tank deliveries and she doesn’t worry about running out of oxygen. Her favorite thing is just being able to get up and go!

"I'm very pleased with my portable oxygen concentrator.  I have more freedom than before. I can get out and go. I don't just have to stay indoors all of the time," says Betty.  She loves spending time in the outdoors. If it’s not too warm or too cold she’ll go for a walk or a drive. She says, "I like to get in my car and go riding with my sister. Other times I go driving through the Black Hills by myself."

Her portable oxygen concentrator has made traveling much easier than with tanks. She just plugs it into her car's outlet, and she can stay out as long as she'd like. Aside from car trips, Betty’s portable oxygen concentrator also lets her fly without any hassle. Not long ago she flew to Colorado to see her daughter and granddaughter. 

Later this year she is planning a big trip with her sister. The two of them are planning to make a six hour drive to Wyoming to visit their brother. "We always stop while we cross the Big Horn Mountains and take in the views and the natural beauty." We hope to hear back from her and maybe she'll share some pictures of those mountain views.

Pushing the Tanks Aside

Richard B. of Pleasanton, TX was having difficulty getting used to life with oxygen tanks. Traveling with oxygen tanks, and having to schedule deliveries was tough enough, but dealing with how to store the many tanks he needed was a daily difficulty. "Before I switched to a portable oxygen concentrator I was going through at least 10 oxygen tanks a week," says Richard. It didn't take long before Richard grew tired of the inconvenience and clutter of oxygen tanks, and that's when he found Open-Aire.

After working with Richard and his doctor, Open-Aire case managers were able to find a portable oxygen concentrator that best suited his needs. He is very happy with the features his portable concentrator provides, especially how it eliminates so many of the problems that he was forced to put up with while using oxygen tanks. "I appreciate the fact that I can go 9 hours without a recharge," says Richard. That allows him the opportunity to travel outside the home, without the worry that he might run out of oxygen.

Now that he has a portable oxygen concentrator Richard's life is closer to how it used to be before he was prescribed oxygen. "I can't do everything I used to do, but I haven't let the failure of my lungs hold me back too much." He uses it to go to his grandkids' basketball games, attend his Masonic meetings, and any other activities that send him outside the home. Best of all, the tanks are all gone and his home is free of all that clutter.

2015 - New Year and New Goals!

When Bruna F. of Tucson, AZ received her portable oxygen concentrator from Open-Aire it did not take long for it to make a difference. “The first day I had it I went out shopping, and my daughter had to tell me to slow down,” she says. It was a pretty dramatic change from where she had been just for the past few years.

Before getting a portable oxygen concentrator Bruna had spent the previous two years struggling with oxygen tanks. They were too heavy to drag around and limited her mobility. It made it hard for her to get out, and became troubling for her.  “I didn’t realize how much of a recluse I was becoming. It was too hard to go anywhere. I hadn’t been to the mall in years. Even just getting to the mailbox was difficult.” She couldn’t live like this, and when she heard about Open-Aire portable oxygen concentrators she knew she had found the solution.

Now that she’s getting all of the oxygen she needs, she’s starting the New Year off right by getting more exercise.  “I’ve dusted off my old exercise equipment and now I’m losing weight,” says Bruna.  She’s been using her exercise bike and elliptical almost every day, and is off to an excellent start with no signs of stopping. Exercise isn’t the only change for 2015. Since she’s no longer tied down to her oxygen tanks, she’s looking into some very overdue traveling. We wish her well with her weight loss and exercise goals, as well as any other goals she has for 2015.