Calgary and area equipment providers?

bavinck · Post by **bavinck** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 12:48 pm

Just diagnosed with OSA and am currently completing a month long home sleep study to find my appropriate pressure settings. That means in January (if all goes well) I will be looking to buy a machine for my home and regular therapy. I have done a tone of reading online and would like to try and get a Philips or Resmed APAP machine that is fully data capable. I contacted insurance and am covered for 80%, they said no restrictions on type of machine or whatnot, just need a letter from my doc prescribing the therapy. If you are an experienced xPAP user in Calgary (or area) could you PM me or reply to this post? I have some questions about the best place to buy from and what to expect regarding getting an APAP machine.
Thanks a bunch in advance.

BlackSpinner · Post by **BlackSpinner** » Mon Dec 09, 2013 1:44 pm

Try to pm nanwilson . She is in Southern alberta.

I am in Edmonton but I didn't get diagnosed here. My experience with Vitalaire in Quebec left me less then impressed. With respect to home care supplies for seniors London Drugs was extremely helpful to me here in Edmonton but again I have no experience with their cpap department.

John in Calgary · Post by **John in Calgary** » Fri Dec 13, 2013 1:03 pm

I went to VitalAire in Calgary. They have their receptionist setting people up on CPAP in Calgary. Very poor care for the dollars you;re spending.

Ask anyone working in respiratory in Calgary and they will recommend RHS. They are the premium provider in Calgary. If you have insurance, this is the way to go. They will also take care of any and all followup appointments.

rhscanada.com

Good luck.
John

bavinck · Post by **bavinck** » Fri Dec 13, 2013 1:17 pm

John in Calgary wrote:I went to VitalAire in Calgary. They have their receptionist setting people up on CPAP in Calgary. Very poor care for the dollars you;re spending.

Ask anyone working in respiratory in Calgary and they will recommend RHS. They are the premium provider in Calgary. If you have insurance, this is the way to go. They will also take care of any and all followup appointments.

rhscanada.com

Good luck.
John

Thanks, John. I am currently doing a home titration study through the RHS satellite in the Sleep Centre in Sundance. I must say my tech and their office have been wonderful so far, definitely not what I have read users experience on this forum:) I am hoping to get an Auto CPAP machine once I am done with the loner, will my doc support this and do I need the auto stipulated on my prescription to get one? Will RHS try and sell me "a brick" as I read about on these forums? I will set it at whatever my doc wants me to - he is the expert, but I think an auto would be nice to have for future titrations through my docs office without needing to get a loner again. Definitely want a full data capable machine!

Any advice for a local, John, would be much appreciated.

BlackSpinner · Post by **BlackSpinner** » Fri Dec 13, 2013 1:28 pm

John in Calgary wrote:I went to VitalAire in Calgary. They have their receptionist setting people up on CPAP in Calgary. Very poor care for the dollars you;re spending.

I just had some clerk in Quebec. I spent 15 of the 25 minutes filling out forms and doing the payments stuff and 10 minutes for going over the cpap and fitting the one Full face mask they had in the office. "that is the smallest we have here, it will work fine".

CRMW · Post by **CRMW** » Fri Dec 13, 2013 2:07 pm

Welcome to the site. I'm in Calgary and can recomend a couple in the NW. I would also recomend staying away from VitalAire due to the lack of after sale followup.

Where in Town are you located?

bavinck · Post by **bavinck** » Fri Dec 13, 2013 2:39 pm

CRMW wrote:Welcome to the site. I'm in Calgary and can recomend a couple in the NW. I would also recomend staying away from VitalAire due to the lack of after sale followup.

Where in Town are you located?

Extreme south. I am currently using the South Calgary Sleep Centre, which I have been happy with. I probably have emailed my tech every other day with questions or whatnot, and he always responds. He has even been sending me pdf printouts of my data! Any other suggestions?

CRMW · Post by **CRMW** » Sun Dec 15, 2013 10:46 pm

It sounds like you hit the jackpot for Tech's. You can't ask for more than that.

Ducky2 · Post by **Ducky2** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 12:55 pm

BlackSpinner wrote:
John in Calgary wrote:I went to VitalAire in Calgary. They have their receptionist setting people up on CPAP in Calgary. Very poor care for the dollars you;re spending.

I just had some clerk in Quebec. I spent 15 of the 25 minutes filling out forms and doing the payments stuff and 10 minutes for going over the cpap and fitting the one Full face mask they had in the office. "that is the smallest we have here, it will work fine".

thats all I had too here in west of Edmonton,at VITALAIRE a 'receptionist' and most of my 30 minutes was like another poster said, just filling in paperwork and signing agreements....grrrr.
than I was given a mask, shown how to put it on and attach to the machine and asked 'do you have any questions' well any I did have she couldn't answer.....

the internist that refered me, knows nothing abt cpap therapy....he told me Vitalaire would look after me.....yeah right.

All I learned has been HERE, thank goodness for this site:)

John in Calgary · Post by **John in Calgary** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 12:18 pm

Hi Bavinck,

The interpreting doctor was the one who said whether I needed an Auto or not. I agree, Autos help if you gain or loose weight or if your pressures change over time. At least this is what the tech told me.

We're paying more for in-person support, whether or not we have insurance or not, versus online prices. I too paid the typical Calgary price through RHS, but I saw an actual clinician every time, and they don't charge for equipment downloads or any future appointments. I do feel they take my CPAP treatment serious. It's only a brick on your shelf if you don't use it. You can't just buy a cpap online, put it on your face and use it. You need a trained person to help with fitting and provide ongoing followup, this is what will ensure you actually wear the equipment. This is the difference between online and in-person support. You must consider what local support is worth to you and whether or not the company sells equipment or equipment AND service. If I'm going to sit down with someone and talk about my heath, it better be with someone with more education and experience than I have from reading this and other sites. In other words, an actual health professional. The lady at VA can be nice, but she was answering the phone in the middle of our appointments and had no formal education.

I've heard good things from other locally based companies in Calgary as well, just need to do your homework I guess.

My two cents.

Good luck!

Jim RRRW · Post by **Jim RRRW** » Mon Jun 16, 2014 10:41 am

Ahh, so annoying. Just learned that the doctor that owns Medsleep (a sleep lab) also owns Avant Sleep, a CPAP company. Isn't that illegal? I think his name is Dr. Blackmen.

I will stay far away from them, I've also heard good things about RANA in Calgary.

Calgary and area equipment providers?

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