Local site for used medical equipment

FODAC Establishes DME Collection and Access Site in Rockdale County

J.P. Carr Services Center will serve as collection point for donated wheelchairs, walkers and other medical equipment

Tucker GA – (6 April 2018) – Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC), a non-profit organization providing durable medical equipment (DME) and services to those living with a disability, has partnered with Rockdale County’s J.P. Carr Services Center to provide a collection and access point for used equipment. The center, which houses the Rockdale County Health Department, Georgia Veterans Services, the Olivia Haydel Senior Center, Oakhurst Medical Center and other agencies, joins FODAC’s network of DME access partners that make equipment available to those who cannot make the drive to the FODAC headquarters in Tucker. The Carr Services Center also joins FODAC’s thirty-plus Atlanta metro donation sites, where DME is collected for pick up, refurbishment and then redistribution to those in need, at little or no cost to the recipient.

“Getting the right equipment into the hands of seniors, veterans and those with disabilities is vital to helping them improve mobility, to engage in work and socialization, and improve their quality of life,” said Susan Morgan, senior services division manager for Rockdale County. “Previously, individual agencies tried to assist persons by providing some periodically donated equipment. With this location here, we can help Conyers residents connect with FODAC to obtain a wider variety of equipment that is truly specific for the individual needs. We are also pleased to have a community drop-off site that will help FODAC collect more equipment that can be refurbished and redistributed to those in need.”

Rockdale County has provided the physical space in the Community Meeting Hall in the Carr Services Center where residents can drop off gently used DME. Collected equipment will include hospital beds, wheelchairs, power chairs, oxygen equipment, patient lifts, all mobility aids, all bathroom aids, all pediatric aids, along with other assistive technology (adaptive eating, speech/hearing, etc). FODAC will pick-up donated equipment, clean and refurbish it, then donate to those with short- or long-term disabilities.

The Carr Services Center partnership extends FODAC’s reach into Rockdale and neighboring counties. The organization was awarded funds in 2017 by Health Trust Rockdale, the grant-making division of the Hospital Authority of Rockdale County (HARC), that established FODAC as a source of equipment for children and adults in Rockdale with disabilities, illnesses or injuries. The DME FODAC provides has the ability to significantly impact the quality of life experienced by these people, creating a safe home environment and improving their mobility and productivity to the greatest extent possible.

“The physical and emotional benefit of our services for those with disabilities cannot be overstated,” said Chris Brand, president and CEO of FODAC. “Something as simple as a wheelchair or a shower bench can totally change a person’s life by unlocking their independent spirit.”

The J.P. Carr Services Center is located at 981 Taylor Street in Conyers. Donations are accepted at the building that houses the Community Meeting Hall and Veteran Services on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m., with the office closed for lunch between noon and 1.00 p.m. Equipment must be brought inside and dropped off on the days and times listed.

WHERE TO REQUEST EQUIPMENT IN ROCKDALE

Local residents can request equipment from one of several agencies at the complex; requests must be made by appointment at Oakhurst Medical, Olivia Haydel Senior Center, Georgia Department of Veterans Service, or the Rockdale Health Department. In addition, residents may also contact the Adaptive Inclusive Recreation of Rockdale (AIRR) program supervisor at Johnson Park. Once the requests are filled by FODAC, the agency will notify the resident to pick up the items at the complex.

Questions about the drop-off site should be directed to 770.388.5075.

Questions on donations or the program should be directed to FODAC at 770.491.9014 x114.

About FODAC

Now celebrating its 31st anniversary, Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC) continues to help people with injuries and disabilities of all ages regain their mobility, independence and quality of life. The non-profit organization provides more than $10 million annually in refurbished durable medical equipment (DME) and home modifications in Georgia and across the United States, all at little or no cost to the recipients. A pioneer in re-use, FODAC keeps 350 tons of materials out of landfills each year by refurbishing and reissuing over 700 DME items every month, and is recognized nationally for best practices. In 2014, FODAC was named to Charities Under 5% Overhead, an organization of charities that have operating overhead of five percent or less.

“This wheelchair will allow me to be more independent and allow for me to go to work and be more efficient. It will allow me to be more dependable.”

In 2013, Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) appointed FODAC to serve as the statewide distributor of DME and assistive technology in the event of a large population-affecting emergency situation. In this role, FODAC will warehouse the DME and other equipment, then, working with GEMA and the American Red Cross (ARC) of Georgia, will coordinate the delivery and distribution to emergency shelters around the state.

In 2016, Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation (HQAA) fully accredited FODAC as a durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) provider, thus confirming the organization’s compliance with quality standards established in the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act.

For more information on FODAC and its programs, visit fodac.org.

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