Traveling, Hoyer Lifts, Etc.

[Guest guest]

Hey,

My family just got back from our first vacation in several years. I had

reserved our rooms ahead of time and once we got there, I had to start all over.

It was a total...um...adventure?

The handicap/wheelchair accessible rooms were fine size-wise and bathroom wise.

However, the problem was an accessible bed. I use a hoyer lift, and while it's

bulky to travel with, it's not too bad. But you have to have clearance under

the best. The newer beds at hotels/motels apparently have the platform supports

on the bottom so they're solid around the sides and end with no clearance. So I

ended up having to cancel reservations at two separate places and find rooms at

two others (different towns). The first town didn't have a single bed w/

clearance at a motel that was also pet friendly. So I slept on a really rickety

pull-out sleeper sofa. It was miserable. The other place in the next town had

told me I could come look at the rooms to see if I could use them and sleep on

another sleeper sofa. In the meantime, I found a nice privately-owned place

that had the regular bed frames w/ clearance and a nice pet policy. So when I

called to cancel the other, the guy informed me I had waited too late and due to

the 24-hr cancellation policy, I'd still be charged for the first of the two

nights (for a room I wasn't going to be able to use...) so I'll be writing a

letter to someone this week to see if I can get a refund. If I can't (since it

was late), I'll live, but I just want to make sure they understand my

frustration. I also want to write letters to motel/hotel chains to explain why

underbed clearance is an important factor in the accessible rooms at least, if

not all rooms.

Anyway, how do those of you who use a hoyer lift manage? Did I miss something

obvious? What should I have done differently?

Blessings,

Holly

" For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you

and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. "

~ 29:11 ~