Since the start of 2018, you might have noticed us using the phrase ‘medical equipment showroom.’ Sounds like a buzzword, but what does it really mean?
Home Medical Equipment Industry
The Home Medical Equipment (HME) industry is huge. The number of manufacturers producing the same product is astonishing. This is because many HME products are simple to make—one or two pieces of metal and some welding. These products, including items like bathroom safety equipment and cushions, can be almost indistinguishable from brand to brand. Why have a showroom for products like this?
Well, more complex HME products, like walkers and wheelchairs, can actually differ a lot when it comes to construction, quality and, most importantly, feel. There are budget options and luxury options available in most of the ‘complex product’ HME fields. Other options exist to fit the needs of every patient—height ranges, weight ranges, cushioning—so everyone can find what they are looking for.
But what are you looking for?
Finding the Right Piece of Equipment
A lot of times customers find themselves looking for medical equipment, they know the general product they need, but not the specific version. For instance, if you need to buy a walker, do you buy a standard walker or a rollator? Bariatric or lightweight? 6” wheels or 8” wheels?
There are so many options in today’s HME industry that finding the best product for your needs can be extremely difficult. Enter the Medical Equipment Showroom.
Products on Display
As convenient as buying products online is, if you don’t know exactly what you need, you can run into some problems. Not being able to test medical equipment before you buy it, especially mobility equipment, can lead to a string of order and return from online vendors.
We opened our showroom in the summer of 2015 to combat people not being able to try before they buy. Our old medical equipment section had a decent selection, but what really stood out was that people always tested most of the products we had before they decided on one.
Our new HME section has a huge selection, allowing customers to not just get the product they need, but also the version of that product they want. Being able to feel the difference between two styles of rollator handgrips or two types of wheelchair seats can make a world of difference when it comes to decision time.
With over 5,000 square feet of products on display, it can be a bit overwhelming to find the product you need. Thankfully, we have a great team, including manufacturer certified technicians, experienced compression fitters, and industry experts.
The Right Team Members
It would be extremely difficult for a first-time customer. to walk into a medical equipment showroom and find what they need. A very important ingredient for a successful showroom is knowledgeable team members. Having experts in specific fields is optimal.
Our team members have certifications from lift chair manufacturers, compression hosiery brands, stair lift companies, home inspection programs and more to make it easy to help our customers. If one team member is unsure of what you need, another will certainly be able to help.
The team members here are also trained to give you the best options for your needs. Sometimes this means recommending rentals over purchases.
Trying Before You Rent
On a good medical equipment showroom floor, it’s not just try-before-you-buy, it’s also try-before-you-rent. Some situations (post-op and minor injuries) are better handled by a rental product. Why buy a wheelchair when you can rent one for a few weeks at a fraction of the price?
Full disclosure; our rentals are not the most-expensive units available. That being said, they are all quality products that are able to comfortably handle the needs of any patient in a short-term scenario. If you require a specific or luxury item, purchasing may be in your best interests (especially if it’s going to be used for recurring short periods).
Sometimes the ‘nicest’ unit or the most expensive unit is not the best choice for a patient’s needs. Being able to test before you rent (or buy) is a huge advantage for any customer.
The Sum of the Parts
So, what exactly is a medical equipment showroom? Summing up everything would go something like this: A Medical equipment showroom is a retail space staffed by experts and stocked with medical equipment ready to be tested and sold to customers. Team members working on the showroom floor are experts on what they are selling, able to direct the customer to the best product(s) for their needs.
The best part about our showroom? You can drop in whenever you want, 7 days a week! No appointments are required, if you stop by you will be helped by a trained team member. We are here to get customers what they need in a version they want.
If you have any questions or want to know more about our showroom, drop us an email or call the store and speak to one of our HME employees.
