The costs if necessary are parts. There are a few options for parts like many other forms of equipment. First, name brand parts are available; however, they are often highly priced. The second choice is generic parts which are often made to fit many types of wheelchairs and walkers and often come at a lower cost. These parts are often ordered so the shipping cost is often added greatly onto the final price. The third option is a good used part or parts. This option is often the least expensive, but you must consider the fact that these parts have already been half way through their useful life. However, the positive note is if they are not used (recycled), they will end up in a landfill which may not be the best option either.
The next cost is the taxes on the final bill. Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have provincial or state taxes on parts and work done on the wheelchair. Finally, the last cost would be the time to pick up the chair and bring it back to the end user. There are also legal considerations when repairing chairs that can lead to a liability issue if a poor repair causes harm.
Therefore, the best option for repairs of this nature would be to find a reliable mobile repair shop that would fix an entire facility. This business model often takes care of many problems due to the transportation cost time and mileage of bringing and retrieving the chair. In addition, the necessary parts are usually on hand which saves time and shipping! The mobile repair technician can offer the most cost effective approach by fixing all the chairs and walkers in the facility at once. This will also save the staff at the care facility a lot of extra work in a time when budgets are tightening and demands are rising. Thus, it’s a perfect solution. These are all things to consider when repairing a wheelchair or a walker.