Arms Wide Open Community Development Corporation

   The mission of Arms Wide Open is to provide the neediest members of the in-home aged, chronically ill and disabled communities with support services. Arms Wide Open provides free walkers, crutches, canes, safeguard commodes, transfer benches, shower chair, rails, strollers and other durable medical equipment and supplies. Such devices make it possible for individual with disabilities to remain in their homes and avoid institutional placement. Every donation helps us to immediately improve the life of a person with a physical disability, and changes the lives of every member of their family.                                                Our services are designed to help families and individuals through the full span of issues that people face during the course of a lifetime whether that involves making a transition out of a nursing home and back into the community, or preventing an institutional placement. When people become frail due to age, accident, birth defect, serious illness, injury or sickness, Arms Wide Open can help them live at home with dignity.                                                                                                                                                                                                         People with healthcare-related issues who live at home often need the use of durable medical equipment that assists them in meeting their daily hygiene needs. The cost of purchasing or renting durable medical equipment can be far beyond the means of those who need it the most. Many people struggle with the tremendous burden that illness or injury brings.                                                                                               Financing of services, both in the home and in facilities, is a major concern for older people and their families. Consumers are often startled when learning how limited and specifically medical are the provisions for Medicare-covered services. While most of long-term nursing home care is paid for by Medicaid, (the State program) for frail, low-income/low-asset elderly, the bulk of in-home care is paid for out-of-pocket, and is generally not covered by any insurance program.                                                                                        Arms Wide Open captures existing resources, capitalizing on the extended life capacity of durable medical equipment by means of collecting equipment no longer in use, and placing it with individuals in need. Durable Medical Equipment is essential to helping people with disabilities continue with their daily activities.