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Lisa, I would definitely stick with a NMEDA
(www.nmeda.org) dealer. This is a
very
specialized piece of equipment, and you don’t want your patient
getting
suck or injured. Also, you don’t want an unqualified person
tinkering with it and possibly damaging it. The price that you got actually seems
reasonable to me. The installation is pretty involved, from what I
understand. You have to attach it to the frame of the vehicle so that
it
will correctly support the weight, and it has to be tied into the
vehicle’s
wiring. Maybe you could ask for a breakdown of the cost of the
installation – how much time is needed for wiring, etc.
I don’t know that you would be
able
to find an outside person to install this. But, you could definitely
get
prices from multiple dealers to see what they charge. Also, I do
think
you have some haggle room, since most of the cost is in labor. But,
in
the end, you get what you pay for. Good
luck. Antoinette Verdone, MSBME,
ATP Assistive Technology
Specialist The ALS Association, Greater
42 Broadway, Phone: 212-720-3054 Fax: 212-619-7409 Email: xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx "One cannot consent to creep when
one
has the impulse to soar" -- Helen
Keller From:
xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of lisa Hi All, This question is related to specialized mobility
equipment
to adapt a vehicle with a Bruno turning assist
seat. We have one that was donated to the Chapter. It
was
removed from a town and country van. We have a family that needs
it. The new vehicle will be a 2002 doge Dakota pick up
truck. Problem: there are very few of these
“mobility” specialists that deal with specialized
equipment.
Therefore, it seems, little competition. The estimate that the family received was almost $500 to
attach the Bruno turning assist seat to a new base, and $650 for
installation. This seems excessive to me. Question: can another automotive dealer install
this
without needing to go through these “specialized mobility
companies”? Question: in the spirit of competition… is
there
much room to haggle with this stuff? THANKS!!! Lisa M. Bruening, M.S., CCC-SLP Patient Services Coordinator The ALS Association phone: 216-592-2572 toll free: 888-592-2572 fax: 216-592-2575 Check out our webpage:
www.alsaohio.org Become an ALSA Advocate! It's easy!
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