Crutches, wheelchairs, walkers in short supply due to funding cuts, supply chain problems

Mobility equipment retailers in London, Ont., say customers are experiencing longer than usual wait times due to global supply chain shortages. 

Labour shortages in shipping and manufacturing have also led to increased prices for crutches, wheelchairs and walkers. 

"Everything we need is not here and not in time," said Scott Coulter, president of Dura Med Mobility Products. "We believe our product is sitting somewhere between the manufacturer and Canada and who knows where exactly until it gets here." 

Coulter said he noticed indicators of the shortage as early as the summer, but started to feel the crunch after Labour Day. 

Before the pandemic, the average wait time for delivery of new stock would take three to four days. 

Recently, Coulter said, delivery takes eight to 12 weeks. 

"Some stuff is not coming until January right now, and we can only go by the information that we're provided with by the manufacturer at the time of ordering and upon follow up," he said.  "It's a very dynamic situation, so times change quite dramatically. We just go with what we know when we know and share that information with their clients." 

Coulter said clients who are replacing used devices are likely to notice a sizeable price increase. The increase varies per product, but there have been surcharges of up to $40 for items like walkers.

First-time buyers shopping the market will find competitors are facing similar problems across the board, as they obtain their products from the same group of global manufacturers.

Government funding doesn't match increased cost of supplier fees

When coupled with the increased costs, government cutbacks on funding for rollator walkers have been a "double whammy" for retailers, said Dawna Ward, co-owner of Precision Home Medical Equipment. 

Rollator walkers used to sell for $417, but on Oct. 1 the Ministry mandated a lower price of $328 through its Assistive Devices Program.   

Chain shortages caused by the pandemic have hiked prices for certain walkers up by $70 per item for every vendor in Ontario. Government pricing for the equipment has not been adjusted to match the cost. 

"The Ministry of Health funding has decreased funding for some items, whereas our cost has increased for those same items, which is not being taken into consideration," said Ward.

The shortages also mean clients of Precision have limited choice in the style of their equipment. Ward said Precision has been forced to bounce between suppliers to meet demand, and there have been times when items are back-ordered for up to three months. 

"Two years ago, they could walk in and look at all the walkers and pick their favourite colour and seat height. And if we didn't have it, we would have it in a couple of days. Now, that's definitely not the case," she said. 

If possible, Precision will offer the client loaner equipment at no charge while they wait for their order. Other times, clients will have to find something to borrow from a personal connection. 

Neither Ward nor Coulter were able to provide a definitive estimate of when the shortages will end. 

"It's a supply and demand issue. So if there's only so many containers and so many container ships to get the product from A to B, the companies and the people that are prepared to pay the most are going to get the best service and everything else has to wait," said Coulter. 

"That's why it's dynamic. I mean, you know what you know today, but tomorrow the message could be completely different."