There are moments when a wheelchair is urgently needed for parents who have difficulty moving due to a sudden injury or old age.
That’s what I did.
My father fell down while he was out in the cold of winter.
I suddenly needed a wheelchair, and at first I thought about purchasing one, but after a quick search, I found out that there is a free rental service, and I was able to rent it conveniently near my house. 휠체어 무료 대여
For those of you who are in a hurry to search, I’ll summarize the information I’ve found on free rentals of wheelchairs as concisely as possible. 좋은뉴스
1. Where can I rent it?
Free rental is available from more institutions and local governments than you think.
Let’s organize them in order of ease of access.
1) Residential community center
The nearest place is probably the local community center where you live. If there is a stock of wheelchairs available for rental, you can borrow them right away, so it is number one in terms of convenience.
However, the number of wheelchairs owned by the community center is small.
In the case of the community service center in Seobinggo-dong, Yongsan-gu, where I live, I had one, and unfortunately, someone else was renting it first.
Yongsan-gu-by community center-wheelchair-rental information-screen
This is the result of a search for Yongsan-gu Community Center
You can do this by calling the community center where you live.
If there is a number available for rental, you can go and borrow it right away.
You can make inquiries from the nearest community center to the next neighborhood community center, but in my case, I went straight to number 2). Because number 2) is possible to search for stock quantity on the Internet.
2) National Health Insurance Corporation
The next place I looked after the community center was the National Health Insurance Corporation.
You can check the number of assistive devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches that can be rented free of charge on the website.
https://www.nhis.or.kr/nhis/minwon/retrieveCaaRsvtMthList.do
Remaining Assistive Device Status by Branch < Assistive Device Rental Business Guide < Medical Expense Application < Insurance Benefits < National Health Insurance <
This is a service to inquire the status of remaining assistive devices by branch. If you click on the item, you can check the photo image of the assistive device. View types of assistive devices available for rental Table of types of assistive devices available for rental
www.nhis.or.kr
If you visit the homepage above, you can check the number of assistive devices owned by insurance corporation by region and branch through a well-arranged table as shown in the figure below. The wheelchairs we need are classified into two types: basic type and children’s. In the case of general adults, you can search for the basic type.
Insurance Corporation-Homepage-By Branch-Wheelchair-Possessed Quantity-Search-Screen
You can inquire the number of wheelchairs owned by each branch of the Insurance Corporation.
If the stock quantity is confirmed at the nearest branch, it is recommended to contact the branch by phone.
National Insurance Corporation representative call center 1577-1000
There may be a difference between the website and the actual number of holdings.
In addition, it is easier than making a reservation through the corporation’s homepage because it makes a reservation right away when the stock quantity is confirmed.
After making a reservation, you can come and pick up the wheelchair.
Be sure to bring your ID at this time. You need to fill out a simple verification document and verify your ID.
The rental period is 2 months and can be extended for another month.
3) Public health center, welfare center for the disabled, ward office
Public health centers and welfare centers for the disabled also operate wheelchair rental services.
In the same way as the community center, you can inquire by phone at the public health center or welfare center for the disabled located near your residence.
The ward office, the parent organization of the community service center, also has a place to rent it, so it would be nice to check it out.
2. Is it really free?
yes. It’s really free.
The community center is a project that is carried out for the welfare of residents, and the National Health Insurance Service is a service for the insurance payer. The same applies to health centers and welfare centers for the disabled.
Since it is a service that is made on a welfare level, it is deservedly free.
I am saying this out of annoyance, as there may be some people who, in a hurry, search for wheelchair rental, etc., and rent it through a company paying for it.
If you need a wheelchair for a long time, it is best to purchase it, but if you need it for a short period of 2 to 3 months, we recommend renting it free of cost.
3. Is the wheelchair clean?
yes. It was very clean.
It’s a pity that I didn’t take any pictures.
The wheelchair I rented from the Yongsan branch of the National Insurance Corporation was really clean and nice, like new. The tires were immaculate as new, and the artificial leather of the chair was clean with no scratches.
“Since it’s free rental, you’ll lend me something in poor condition, right?”
It would be nice to put an end to the doubt.
However, in my experience, it is.
Above, we briefly looked at information about free wheelchair access.
If you are reading this article, you are probably not in a hurry due to a sudden injury, so please take a look at it calmly and hope that you can rent it quickly.