Dear DME: A Letter to Durable Medical Equipment Companies

Two years ago I began a journey filled with meds and things, supplies and vents – the term “DME” was a stranger to me, I had no idea what it stood for. Now, DME is in my daily life – it’s making a difference in my life.

This post is for you – the durable medical equipment supply companies. You’re often criticized and unseen – but I want to help you realize how important you are in building a medical bridge for parents.

There is a gap – a gap I’m sure you all are too familiar with. There’s a gap between the special needs community and what people would call “normal”. That’s a natural gap. Then there’s a gap between the doctors or medical staff, and the families themselves. That’s a different type of gap. Both of these gaps require effort, patience, and selflessness to cross and hopefully one day, to fix. 

What is your role in bridging the gap? You actually fall into both categories – you’re the ‘normal’ person that deals with special needs families on a daily basis, but you’re also part of the medical world. You have a little bit of both! That means, you have a big role to play. My goal in writing this is to show you what impact you create on this gap and on special needs families as a whole. 

Your Voice is Important

Your voice is important! What do I mean by voice? I mean the literal and emotional aspect. You make a bigger difference in a family’s life than you expect.

When I answer phone calls as a medical mom, the first thing that makes an impact is the tone – do they sound like they’re just crossing off a list, or do they actually care about their job? Be one of those people that genuinely cares about how my day is going. For example, a DME company is required to ask the patients DOB and normally even the home address. If you can ask those things, you can ask how the patient is doing. Make it personal, not just a task.

How to Respond to a “Mama Bear”

Now, let’s talk for a minute about how sometimes medical parents can be a very difficult part of your job. We cry over the phone, we get stressed, and for myself personally I turn into mama bear FAST. That is on me – that’s not on you. It is my job to remain calm and not get defensive. But I know I fail, so just a couple tips to help you deal with me: 

• Realize a medical mom has a lot of PTSD – something you say or even a word you use can be a trigger and you may not even realize it. The best thing to do in that scenario is realize it’s not necessarily about you – it was simply a catalyst for something deeper in a mama’s heart/mind. In my opinion, the best thing you can do is listen and not react. If you think the mom is open to suggestions, talk about the resources you can know about that can help her. 
• Think out of the box – if insurance is denying the child what him/her needs, that’s when it’s important to know your stuff – help a mom know how to wash supplies or how to ask other parents for help 

The Little Things Make a Big Difference 

One of the biggest things for me that becomes a hassle is when medical parents and suppliers talk in two different “languages” – they look at things differently and they call supplies different names. When speaking to a parent, its important to know your supplies and also realize how the parent may know those supplies in a different way.

Here are a few things that came to my mind of how you all can “know your stuff”:

Tips & Medical Hacks

• Many times a mama or father comes home from the hospital with no idea how to handle the supplies. Little tips like putting mouthwash in a suction canister can spare the parents a headache of rotten smells. Or, how to unclog and infinity pump and wash the tubing – little things can go a long way. 
• Resources for a parent that don’t involve insurance, such as facebook groups or support groups where parents can trade supplies and offer the tips like the above I mentioned. If you’re helpless in regards to insurance, at least you can have resources on hand for a struggling mama. 

What you do matters

As a DME company, you may often feel as though your work is meaningless – marking numbers, running diagnostic codes, waiting on doctors for approval. Yet, in the home, what you do allows children to be fed – children to breathe. You’re not just an equipment company – you are part of bridging the gap and therefore you are part of making a special needs child’s life better.