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Hi all. First time posting. I'm trying to get my 89-year-old mom from rural northern California to Portland, Oregon to live in a skilled nursing facility near where I live. She has diabetic neuropathy and uses a wheelchair. But more recently she developed severe spinal stenosis in her neck. For transport, she needs pain management, wheelchair or gurney with neck support, and other back support so she's not lying down flat. She's very scared of traveling and being in pain, but she's also very anxious to live out her remaining days near us. She long ago chose to live in a very remote, rural area and she would not move, and now she has complex needs and we're paying the price. I read reviews for the top 3 medical transportation companies near her and they're horrific. I'm very anxious about her safety and our ability to get her to Portland. Grateful for any ideas, thank you!

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Thank you all for the answers so far. We're looking into all possibilities. We're actually currently in the town where she has lived til now, so I may be able to travel to where we live in Portland with her, using medical transport, if the timing works out. But it may not.
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I have to agree with Grandma but maybe a small camper would be better. That way she can sit in a comfortable chair. Be able to nap and have a bathroom. You could stop at RV parks on the way out.
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Grandma1954 Jul 2023
The only concern with a "comfortable chair" in a camper is that they do not have seatbelts and If mom needs the back, neck support a wheelchair would provide that more than a comfy chair. And a wheelchair van will have a place to lock the wheelchair in and belt the person in so they are less apt to move.
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I just Googled renting wheelchair accessible van.
What popped up is Wheelchair Getaways and Mobility Works were the first 2 that I saw.
It might be easier for you to rent a wheelchair accessible van and transport her. You can get help either a caregiver that you will hire when she is living near you or a caregiver that she knows that is helping her now. (you would have to pay transportation back for the caregiver)
Inform her doctor that you intend on transporting her and she can be premedicated and you can have medication to give her if and when it is needed.
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Have you looked into medical transport companies near you? They all have to make a round trip anyway...? Also, I would plan to drive to where she is and follow the van/ambulance if at all possible. They might mind their Ps and Qs better if you're right there watching them the whole time.
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