Children’s Medical Equipment Recycling and Loan Services CMERLS – Lower Mainland Region Serving British Columbia

What is CMERLS? CMERLS is a recycle and loan service that provides equipment and equipment repair services for children on the AT HOME PROGRAM and CHILDREN IN CARE of the B.C. Government. Medical, biomedical and therapeutic equipment is picked up when children in these programs no longer need the item. Equipment is cleaned and assessed and made ready for use by other clients. Loaned out equipment, and existing equipment used by clients is serviced and repaired by Red Cross technicians or through contracted service arrangements.

Clients Served by CMERLS Children who are clients of the BC Ministry of Children and Family Development: At Home Program ( ages ) Children In Care Program ( ages 0 – 19 ) Children in the community.

Application Procedure for Equipment Trial/Loan Equipment trials / loans are arranged in cooperation with a prescribing therapists. A letter of justification is required by the Ministry of Children and Family Development for equipment loans to be approved, however equipment trials can be done in advance of this. Therapists may check the Red Cross Web site to determine availability of suitable equipment, however it is recommended that they contact program staff. Easy to use trial request forms are an option, however we must have the request in writing. We are not an emergency service, however if your request is urgent please indicate this and we will do our best to send it out ASAP.

To find the best equipment match for the child Red Cross staff work with: Ministry of Children and Family Development Staff. Therapists, Nurses and other health care professionals. Parents, Guardians and children.

Equipment Provided: Specialized medical equipment Walkers, wheelchairs Standers Positioning aids, for sleep, therapy, toileting and bathing And more Biomedical Equipment Nebulizers Oximeters CPAP, BIPAP Cough Assist Suction Machines And more......

Equipment Maintenance To keep equipment in A-1 condition the Red Cross provides clients with operating and maintenance instructions. Families are expected to call when repairs are needed. All biomedical equipment has a brightly coloured maintenance due sticker to alert client as to when preventative maintenance is required. We accept client/therapist requests for repair Monday to Friday 9:00 to 4:00 pm. CALL or ask for CMERLS

Support to Community Health Care Professionals. Equipment is made available for trial with clients. Trial periods using equipment provide opportunity to do an in depth assessment of the suitability of the equipment. Equipment is transported to and from the trial or loan site. Therapist are directed to source equipment from other programs if we do not have required equipment available. Many regional health nurses have been provided with feeding pumps for emergency care for clients who have pumps that require repair. We are communicating with health care professionals to determine other ways we can support community care.

Support to Children and Their Families. Clients have opportunity to call our technicians with equipment problems. Knowledgeable CMERLS staff can provide both equipment information and information about equipment related community services. Repairs are handled in a timely manner. Families can usually expect a call back from a member of our service team within 2 working days. Biomedical equipment exchange provides on going availability of most equipment. Equipment repaired is put back into available inventory.

Need extra equipment? Need items not funded by child’s resources? If an item is available in the CMERLS inventory and it is not identical to another item the child already has, this item may be requested. Recycling transactions are non monetary transactions. For example if positioning fund allocation is used up on a stander and you would still be able to get something like a feeding seat if it was available in recycling inventory

CMERLS AND BEYOND To be on the AT HOME Program children must meet a set criteria. For application criteria Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) web site: Toll free: Fax Many families have children with special needs in BC. According to STATS CANADA 25,040 children under 15 in BC have disabilities. MCFD programs service about 3000 of these children.

SHORT TERM LOANS There is a small inventory of Short Term Loan items available for At Home and Children in Care clients for urgent needs. This inventory includes beds, pressure relief mattresses, ROHO’s, cushions, wheelchair with reclining backs and elevating foot rests. Any equipment in the CMERLS inventory may be accessed for short term loan.

CMERLS AND BEYOND The Children’s Community Equipment Inventory (CCEI) provides medical, therapeutic and recreational equipment to children and youth who are ineligible for other equipment programs and have limited insurance or financial resources. This may include items such as adapted bikes, ramps, IV poles, and basic medical equipment. This is a small program and is supported by equipment donations from CMERLS surplus, and equipment and funding donations from the community. It is also supported by volunteers and partner organizations in the community.

OTHER COMMUNITY BENEFITS Translation of some equipment instructions into other languages.. Red Cross also has several staff members that speak a variety of languages. Community loans and recycling of surplus medical and therapeutic equipment to facilities, schools, other not for profit agencies and individuals.

We look forward to working with you to help children in British Columbia.

Contact us: CMERLS Staff As of October 2010: Coordinator -- Patricia Barrett Program Assistants: Yolanda Tan & Joy Tuazon Admin. Assistant: Margareta Rapiova Lead Technician: Rob Richards Technicians: Qing Wu Mike O’Donnell