. I got a bill last week from Liberty Rehab, an outfit that rents medical equipment like the wheelchair my mother used during her stay at the 2nd assisted living place.
The bill was for about $76 for a wheelchair and leg rests for a period of time AFTER my mother died in December.
I got them on the phone and they informed me that Masonicare never returned the wheelchair, hence the bill.
The woman on the phone was very customer-unfriendly, and she seemed unwilling to pick up the phone herself to call Masonicare. I've had to do that myself several times becus, as the Liberty Rehab woman informed me repeatedly, "You are responsible for the bill." Okay, fine, but can you help me out here? She knew Masonicare has the chair. What am I supposed to do, go over to Masonicare and start searching for the chair? She told me to have Masonicare call her and she could give them the chair's serial number to help them locate it more easily.
When I spoke to Masonicare, she said they wouldn't have needed to rent the chair because they have their own, and she wanted proof of the rental in the form of the name of the Masonicare person who placed the order. I called Liberty back, they gave me a name even I recognized, and then I called Masonicare back with that info.
Apparently when Liberty came to collect both the wheelchair and a bed last fall, the wheelchair was not there to be picked up, and someone, or several someones, at Masonicare dropped the ball and never bothered to find it.
I've informed them I don't plan to pay for this bill -- a recurring monthly rental bill until they return the chair -- because this was 100% their responsibility to return the rented items. Heck, I didn't even know the chair was rented.
I guess I'll have to keep on top of them to make sure they (hopefully) find the chair becus legally I probably am responsible for the chair, even though mom did not use the chair during the time period they're charging me for and I'm not in possession.
Masonicare contact did indicate they would help me out with the bill, although I'm not sure what that means. They should pay the entire bill, not a portion of it. I think anyone would assume that an assisted living facility has procedures for such commonplace things as returning rented items in a timely manner. If they don't, they can't make me pick up the tab. Can they?
Monkey in the middle and a "lost" wheelchair
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