Why Quality Matters for Home Healthcare Products
The home healthcare product industry has seen a lot of change in recent years.
And much of this change is because of one reason: the online marketplace.
Previously, customers had limited options for buying home healthcare products to make their lives easier – they could buy from their local home healthcare shop or place an order from a medical catalogue.
But now, a customer looking for something brand new has the choice of ordering online, with a world of options to choose from.
These products will come in all shapes and sizes, and most importantly they will often have lower prices.
But even if it is convenient when these low-cost items come directly to your doorstep in a matter of a few days, there are still plenty of things for the conscious consumer to be aware of.
Here’s why quality matters when buying home healthcare products, and why you should visit a locally-owned shop like Davies Home Healthcare to see for yourself.
Knowing What You Need
Buying home healthcare products should be the first step towards making your everyday life comfortable, safe, and pain-free.
But this can only be accomplished if you have the right products for your needs.
Here’s a question: would you trust a family member to buy their own prescription drugs online? This doesn’t seem like a great idea.
You should think of home healthcare equipment in the same way.
This equipment is highly specialized and tailored to the person who will use it.
A trained professional knows all of your options, and more importantly what product features will be useful for you.
That comes from practical experience, which is hard to get from spending hours online doing research.
Buying Online: Common Pitfalls
One of the most common trends that we see with our customers is a willingness to buy from online stores like Amazon.
Although prices on Amazon are tough to bear, there are several key considerations that a first-time buyer may not be aware of.
Insurance Coverage
Many insurance companies do not cover products purchased from these online stores like Amazon, meaning you could end up with a hefty bill – even though you thought you would be saving money in the first place.
Always check whether your insurance provider covers products ahead of time, and buy from a respected seller to be sure.
Reputability (Unproven Claims)
It’s getting harder to tell who is legitimate online, and who isn’t.
For a home healthcare customer, who may be older and less confident with buying online anyways, this is even more of a concern.
When buying online, a product that has glowing reviews may not be as it seems. Buying reviews has become a fairly standard practice, and when a company makes claims about its products, you can’t be too sure about whether they are true unless you can verify them from a trusted source.
When you buy from a shop like Davies Home Healthcare, you are tapping into the experiences of our customers. That’s right, real, living, breathing people in your region who give us valuable feedback that we can use to find the perfect fit.
Warranties, Repairs, and Recalls
Buying a product at a deep discount can seem tempting, but many buyers neglect to consider an important part of the process: the warranty
Good warranties are hard to come by, since so many companies offer limited warranties with poor coverage or long processes when you are in need.
So whose warranty can you trust? We can fill you in on the brands we carry, and lead you towards products with a warranty that our customers trust.
Repairs and Spare Parts
Just like bad warranties, processes for getting repairs and spare parts can be very troubling for people who need their home healthcare products to make their lives comfortable.
We may be starting to sound like a broken record, but trust us – we can find you the right product the first time, or help you with repairs and replacement parts quickly!
Safety Concerns (Recalls)
Every now and then, sellers encounter safety concerns with their products that lead to product recalls.
When you buy home healthcare products online, there is no guarantee that you will even know that a product recall has occurred for the product you own.
Even if a recall is announced, it could easily get lost in your email inbox.
If recalls occur with our products (it’s rare, but it can happen), you can count on our team to contact you personally, and we will ensure that you are given options for replacement products in the meantime.
Product Longevity & Ease of Use
A well-designed home healthcare product should be durable and easy to use. There are a few important reasons for this:
- You can save money in the long run when you don’t have to buy replacement products
- Taking your product in for repairs leaves you stuck with an incompatible replacement, or without any replacement at all
- You never want to worry about total product failure, resulting in injury
Getting used to your new home healthcare product is a very important part of the process.
Let’s use an example, selecting a wheelchair. Comfort and positioning are extremely important for a medical device that you will be spending many hours in.
In fact, most wheelchairs will not suit a customer “out of the box”, and will need to be further fitted with custom modifications.
An in-person, brick and mortar healthcare shop like Davies Home Healthcare trains staff on how to ensure that you are comfortable and confident with your product before the customer even thinks about walking out the door.
You should never have to “figure it out” yourself.
And you should never have to make do with a product that isn’t right for you.
Visit Us in Person: See the Difference
Come visit us in person to see the difference that buying in-store makes.
Davies Home Healthcare has storefronts in North Vancouver and Squamish with a wide range of products to improve your quality of life.
We are 100% locally-owned and operated, so you can count on a level of personalized service that you may not get from larger chain shops.
We specialize in Durable Medical Equipment (DME), injury recovery products, age-in-place equipment, and much more!
We hope to see you in one of our locations soon.
