EPISODE 34 – Mobility Equipment: What Exists & Why Professional Support Matters

Episode 34 – Mobility Equipment: What Exists & Why Professional Support Matters

In this episode, Jamie Callahan sits down with Jarrad and Tommy of Rogue Valley Mobility, a local company dedicated to helping people stay independent through safe, customized mobility equipment. What began as a passion for improving quality of life has grown into a full-service mobility provider serving homes, retirement communities, and assisted living facilities across Southern Oregon.

You’ll hear:

• The wide range of mobility tools available—from scooters and power chairs to lift chairs, ramps, and custom seating
• Why professional evaluation and fitting are essential (and why online bargain equipment often fails or becomes unsafe)
• How in-home service calls work, including repairs, battery replacements, and equipment assessments
• Budget-friendly options, including refurbished high-end units restored to “like new” condition
• Real stories of clients who regained freedom, social connection, and independence through the right mobility support

Rogue Valley Mobility believes mobility is dignity—and no one should feel stuck, isolated, or unsafe in their own home. Their hands-on, compassionate approach ensures people receive equipment that truly fits their needs.

📞 To learn more or schedule a service call: 541-660-3609
🌐 Visit: rvMobility.com

At Team Senior™, our mission is to guide you and support you through the maze of Southern Oregon Long-Term Care.

📞 For Team Senior resources, call: 541-295-8230

Or visit our website for more information: https://www.teamsenior.org/

Transcript

Episode 34- Mobility Equipment: What Exists & Why Professional Support Matters

Host: Jamie Callahan
Guests: Jarrad (Owner) and Tommy (Technician/Store Manager), Rogue Valley Mobility

JAMIE CALLAHAN: Hi, this is Jamie Callahan with the Team Senior Podcast. Our goal is to simplify aging. Society grooms us to plan for retirement, but what about life beyond retirement, where the rubber meets the road? Perhaps you've had a stroke, or you've been diagnosed with cancer, or maybe you're forgetting things and now you have dementia. That's our area of expertise, and we are here to share our insight.

And now, the Team Senior Podcast.

Hi, this is Jamie Callahan, and we are in the studio today with Rogue Valley Mobility. I have been blessed with two people from this company today, Jarrad and Tommy. Go ahead and introduce yourselves.

JARRAD: Yeah. First of all, thank you so much, Jamie, for having us today, and Team Senior. And so I'm Jarrad. I'm the owner of Rogue Valley Mobility in Grants Pass, Oregon. And we are a mobility provider for the Rogue Valley. And thank you for having us.

JAMIE: You got it. Tommy, what about you?

TOMMY: Yeah, I'm the technician and store manager over at Rogue Valley Mobility. I handle the store while he's out doing service calls and things like that a lot of the time, or sometimes I go out on service calls as well and fix up mobility equipment for folks and do repairs.

JAMIE: So let's just start right there. You actually go to people's houses.

TOMMY: Yeah. Yep.

JARRAD: Yeah. Believe it or not, we do. We go to a lot of people's houses. Yeah. House calls are very common.

JAMIE: What are you doing?

JARRAD: We're doing a lot. So we'll go to retirement facilities, we'll go to assisted living facilities sometimes. We'll go anywhere that's needed. And we do repairs on scooters. We do repairs on power chairs. Any type of mobility—

TOMMY: Oh, yeah. Like DME, lift chairs.

JARRAD: Yeah, we install ramps and stuff like that. Like all kinds of repairs. We will replace batteries. Whatever's needed.

TOMMY: Yeah. Yeah.

JAMIE: Interesting. We're going to come back to that. So let's just talk quickly about Rogue Valley Mobility. How long have you guys been around?

JARRAD: Rogue Valley Mobility was a dream of mine way back in the early 2000s. I would say 2011 was when it really started for me, but officially Rogue Valley Mobility became a business in 2020.

JAMIE: Yeah. What was the motivation? Why?

JARRAD: So when I was working as an oxygen delivery technician back then, I found that on my route, a lot of folks would—and I was actually surprised by how many people would have some sort of mobility device, like a scooter, a power chair. They'd have it stuffed in the corner of the room, and they wouldn't be using it, and they'd be holed up in whatever it was—in their apartment or house—and they weren't able to get outside because they would have these units, and they weren't working. So I took it upon myself and said, "Hey, what about fixing this up?" And so I would do some repairs, maybe replace some batteries or something, and then get them to where this unit worked and they were able to get outside and get mobile again. And so that improvement in quality of life for people really, I think, struck a chord with me. And it was just always such a blessing to see people being able to get out and get mobile and get their freedom back.

JAMIE: That's so awesome. So that's something that Team Senior places a lot of value in—is somebody that wants to start a business because it's something they're passionate about, right? Because they genuinely love helping people. That's exactly how we got started as well. You mentioned about a minute ago that you service equipment, retirement communities, assisted livings, et cetera. How does somebody, one, know how to reach out to you? And we're going to provide all your contact information at the end of this podcast, but I would be curious to know: how does that get paid for? Is that something that insurance ever covers?

JARRAD: It can be. So right now, as of October 1st, 2025, Rogue Valley Mobility doesn't accept insurance as a form of payment. We're not set up in that fashion quite yet. So we are working toward that. And to speak to that, there are ways to get insurance to reimburse for equipment. So that's something that the customer would need to explore on their own.

JAMIE: So if they don't have insurance paying for it, what would somebody pay out of pocket to have you come fix their electric wheelchair? The service part of it, the service fees.

JARRAD: It really depends, but generally right now, if it's in our area, we're charging a service call of, I think it's $185. And that gets an hour of our time to come out and assess and do the repairs.

JAMIE: So if you have to go back, it's included in that $185?

JARRAD: Correct. If they needed a battery and that was it, and you bring the battery back, they pay for the battery. It's included in that initial $185.

JAMIE: That's a really good point. And it is—

JARRAD: Okay. So you're getting an hour of our time. Generally, if we come out, that $185 is going to cover the repairs, it's going to cover our time and our travel, even for two, maybe even three trips. So you're really getting a good value.

JAMIE: That's an excellent value.

TOMMY: Yeah, that's an excellent value.

JARRAD: We're not going to keep charging and charging for each time. Now, if the customer is able to bring the unit to us at our shop in Grants Pass over on Redwood Avenue, then we can reduce that to $135 for an hour because you don't have to do the travel.

JAMIE: So let's talk about your mission. I'm already hearing you speak from your heart about how passionate you are about helping folks. What is the mission or guiding philosophy when it comes to helping people that have mobility challenges?

JARRAD: So Rogue Valley's mission is always going to be—you know, we're a company that really cares. I can recite our mission, and we believe in a core value that we should love our neighbors and treat one another as if they were part of our very own family. So when you become a customer of Rogue Valley Mobility and you purchase from us, we tell all of our customers that you're automatically part of the RVM family. And so from here on out, we're going to take care of you. We're going to service that equipment, we're going to stand behind the sale, we're going to stand behind the service for the life of the unit. You're not just buying something from—

JAMIE: Walmart.

JARRAD: Exactly. The river in South America that everybody loves. But you are going to get this quality of service.

JAMIE: Yeah. That's really important to people. I know that. Yeah. When people come to you with mobility needs, what are the most common things people are asking for?

JARRAD: What do you think, Tommy?

TOMMY: There's a lot of different things that people come to us for. Ultimately, it is dependent on every individual situation, right? So each person is going to have their own specific requirements. They're going to need their own pads that'll hold their leg in the right way, or they'll need something that will make it so that they can reach up high into their cupboard, or they need something that lets them sit at the dining room table with their family. There's lots of different situations for everybody. Sometimes they need to go outside, sometimes they're primarily inside. Yeah. And so really, we get all kinds. There isn't really a specific, "This is the most common."

JAMIE: I feel like that's super important for people to know. They need to know that you're going to assess their needs in an initial consultation where you're going to work with them specifically to get them what they need.

JARRAD: And that is the big focus when we're working in the mobility space—is that everybody's requirements and needs and desires are all different, and we need to cater to that.

JAMIE: So when it comes to choosing equipment from you guys, you're holding their hand through the process where there's customization, there's maybe delivery, there's some follow-up service, definitely.

JARRAD: Yeah, it really is. And you mentioned holding their hand. And a lot of times, I've actually held the hands because oftentimes I've found that people are a little intimidated by going into a mobility device when they're losing their mobility, like the ability to walk sometimes. And they're going from maybe a walker to a scooter or a power chair. That can be intimidating for folks. And it's scary. So we've literally held the hands of our customers and said, "Let's see what would work best for you." And let's have that sort of approach of kindness and make this really something that's a positive experience for you.

JAMIE: And I feel like that is so important because I feel like walkers, wheelchairs, et cetera, are a stereotypical indication of someone aging, like hearing aids. We hear that from folks that work in the hearing world as well—that folks don't want to wear hearing aids because they feel like it's that stereotypical marker that I'm getting older.

JARRAD: Yeah. Yeah, we do see that a lot.

TOMMY: Yeah. Yep. For sure.

JAMIE: What are the biggest challenges or constraints when it comes to supplying mobility equipment?

JARRAD: I would say it's budget. Yeah. Cost is a big factor, but we try to make that something that's very approachable for our customers because they can come into our store and they can see a wide range, right? So we have all of these different types of mobility devices, and we have the new ones and we have the pre-owned. So we have this whole spectrum of price and availability and affordability. So we try to minimize the sort of shock of, firstly, going into a device like this and that transition, right? Like I spoke to before, which can be intimidating, but the cost—so we're trying to meet that cost.

TOMMY: Cost plays a huge factor.

JAMIE: But I can speak from experience that you guys definitely have a massive abundance of options when someone comes to visit you, right? I know that's really important for people. You talked a little bit about used items, so when you bring something into your store, you refurbish it and then you offer it for sale at a discounted rate.

JARRAD: Absolutely. Definitely.

TOMMY: Some of these units, right? Like some of these units are really extremely expensive. Yeah. We have a couple of Permobil chairs in our store right now that, brand new, they're like $35,000, $40,000.

JARRAD: Even more than that.

TOMMY: Yeah. Sometimes up to $60,000, $70,000. Yeah. They've got every feature that you can imagine, with the different actuators and motors and stuff. Yeah. And we get those in and take them apart sometimes. I had to recently replace the entire lift actuator on a piece of equipment, and that requires taking it down to the frame, with just the motors and wheels. Yeah. And then building it back up from there, reassembling the seat even. Yeah. And we go through it with a fine-tooth comb like that. We make sure that it is like new when you're buying a refurbished piece of equipment from us.

JARRAD: Yeah. And replacing those batteries with brand-new batteries.

TOMMY: Of course.

JARRAD: And that's really a big sort of thing, too. That's the batteries. And a lot of people think that if you buy from the river in South America, that you can get this quality product and maybe put that in your device, and it's going to work as well as spending that extra dollar or two or several hundred on a really good-quality battery that you're going to get from us or a local vendor who sells those. You're really putting yourself at risk for losing out.

JAMIE: I've heard from several different types of companies that the batteries in these electric scooters and so forth are really important.

JARRAD: Yeah. Yeah.

TOMMY: You want to make sure that you have a high-quality battery, because if you don't, it will just stop on you one day. We recently went out to a veteran's house, and he was concerned about it because it stopped on him in a crosswalk.

JAMIE: Oh my gosh.

TOMMY: Yeah. And so that's one of those things where the quality of your battery is incredibly important because that is what drives the entire machine. You want to make sure that you have the highest-quality power that you can afford. Yeah. You want to be able to rely on that.

JAMIE: So I know that people sometimes talk about some misconceptions or myths around, like, durable equipment or mobility equipment. What are some myths that you guys are aware of?

JARRAD: That's a good question. I think that brand awareness is important. So myth—something like that would be, like, I guess, that if you can go online and you can find these units for sale for a couple hundred dollars, $200 or $300, and that that's going to meet your need. I would really advise against that. Because I feel like, in my experience, that every time that happens, I hear about how that unit didn't last for about maybe a month or two, and then it broke. And then parts are nearly impossible to get because it's from other countries.

JAMIE: This is exactly what I was hoping that you would touch on. So we are in the homes of so many people all the time. My staff is—our caregivers are. And that's really through the caregiver group, but there are so many homes where we hear from folks that their wheelchair is falling apart or their walker is falling apart. Yeah. Or their scooter isn't working anymore. And because of that, we're easily able to recognize what is a quality brand versus what is not. Yeah. And it is all too often—in fact, maybe every single time—that those brands that were purchased from another country. Yeah. And are shipped to them in a crate that they sometimes then have to assemble. Yeah. Are falling apart almost overnight.

JARRAD: Yeah, exactly. And that's something that when you come to RVM, you're not going to have to worry about because we're going to take care of the assembly of that product. If you do decide to get something that's brand new, it'll come to us in that crate. And we go and we take the care because we're a factory-certified company.

JAMIE: And then you customize it to fit them.

JARRAD: Exactly. Seating, all of that. When we deliver and we set up this unit for you, we're going to make sure that it's fit to you. We're going to adjust those armrests. We're going to widen that seat pan. We're going to do all of those things to make sure that you're comfortable in this device and that it's not just something that maybe the staff at the facility put together and threw together because, frankly, they just—they don't know how to really do that. Oftentimes, it's—

TOMMY: Right. It's something that you do have to receive direct training for. They're not super complicated to put together when they ship them to you, but it's a huge box. You've got to open it up, you've got to cut the box and get that out of there. There's a lot of packing material, too. Yeah. There's a lot of garbage that comes with it.

JARRAD: Yeah, there is. Unfortunately. Yeah.

JAMIE: So as we start to wrap things up here, I'm super interested in hearing about a client whose life was meaningfully changed because of you guys.

JARRAD: I would say, yeah, for me it was—her name was Frida, and she's one of my very first customers. When I first met Frida, she was living in a care facility, like an independent care facility. We all knew it too well, but she was holed up in her apartment. And I remember going to her—she had called RVM for a service call to come out and just give her some ideas about mobility devices, and that she didn't want to be stuck in her apartment anymore. So I came out, and she was literally just in the dark, sitting in the corner of her little apartment. And this happens all the time. I've seen this so many times. It is just mind-boggling. She didn't have any way to get around because she was relying on her manual wheelchair, which was actually broken, so she was stuck. And she tells the story of how she was living with—she had her husband who had recently passed, and they had this great big farm up on a hill, and they had—everything was just gone all of a sudden, practically overnight. And she finds herself in this facility by herself. And so what I did was I helped her get into a scooter. It was actually just a little Jazzy power chair. That's what it was. And she was in tears. It was—it was like that was so moving for me to see how it could affect. And she had a little dog, and so I came back and I visited her a few times, and she's just doing so well. And that really, I think, was a moving experience for me, to help her in that way.

JAMIE: Yeah. Being holed up in your house isn't fun for anybody. And actually, mobility is something that's really important in the bigger picture because when we look at social isolation and the impact that it has on the overall health of someone—I went to a conference a couple of years ago that compared social isolation to smoking something like a couple of packs of cigarettes every day in terms of a detriment on your health.

JARRAD: Yeah.

JAMIE: Giving people the ability to get out and go see people is really important.

JARRAD: It's huge.

TOMMY: Yeah. Super huge.

JARRAD: It's huge. Yeah.

JAMIE: So looking ahead, let's say five to ten years. Where do you see Rogue Valley Mobility?

JARRAD: Yeah, that's a great question. Five to ten years, I would say even in the shorter term than five years, we want to be obviously expanding and growing. I could see we're going to be planning to open up another store.

TOMMY: This might be news to you. Yeah, I hadn't heard that actually.

JARRAD: Yeah. I've been trying to convince him to get somebody to answer the phone for him. Yeah. He's always taken phone calls.

TOMMY: Yeah. I field a lot of calls, but—

JARRAD: And that's a great one, too. Yeah. An answering service. Yeah. A secretary? No. No. But we have a really—it's like just a small team right now. Family. My wife runs the office for RVM, and Tom is practically family at this point.

JAMIE: Now, it's like we can't really get better service than that.

JARRAD: But that is part of the reason why my business is so successful also. Yeah. I still am the person that answers the phone, because I'm very invested in the quality of how that goes down every single time.

JAMIE: Exactly.

TOMMY: And that can be the difference between having a customer and not having a customer, is that personal sort of touch on it. Where other companies, maybe they have a call center that people call into, and you lose that personal touch.

JAMIE: Absolutely.

JARRAD: But short-term, yeah. Just being—and touching on the insurance aspect of it a little bit—that's where I would really say that's like the biggest sort of hurdle for RVM is going to be gaining the ability to bill insurance. And then from there, even having an ATP, which is an assistive technology professional. And that's really going to open up other doors for us as far as like advanced seating and your complex rehab power chairs and things like that, that we could really start doing more of.

JAMIE: Got it. I want to say thank you to Jarrad and Tommy for being here today. You guys, tell us how somebody would get in touch with you if they wanted to reach out.

JARRAD: The best way to do it would be to go on our website, rvmobility.com. That is—that's a great way. We've got products listed up there. The phone number to contact us with. You can also submit like a ticket straight through the website, and we'll reply to you as quick as we can. We've got scheduling on there, everything like that. The website's definitely going to be the best repository for how to get in touch.

JAMIE: That's good to know. Yeah. And we know that when you call, you're going to get Jarrad on the phone, right?

JARRAD: Yeah. You're going to get Jarrad.

TOMMY: Yeah, same for me.

JAMIE: Same for me. So their phone number, so that you have it, is 541-660-3609. Again, 541-660-3609. And that website again is rvmobility.com. Yeah. I'll close by letting everybody know this—same thing I do every time—that if you have any questions or you forget about this mobility company that was on the podcast and you fast-forward a year, but oh my gosh, your scooter is broken, give us a call. We will definitely get you in touch with them. Awesome. Thank you guys so much for being here.

JARRAD: Yeah, thank you.

TOMMY: Appreciate it.

JAMIE: You got it.

Thank you for listening to the Team Senior Podcast. We're here every week sharing new and relevant information. Remember that we're just a phone call away. Team Senior can be reached at 541-295-8230. Again, 541-295-8230. Until next time, this is Jamie Callahan.

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