Moores Home Health & Medical Supply Celebrates 65th Anniversary
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Sarah Cotner, the third-generation owner of Moores Home Health & Medical Supply in Kokomo, says she and her staff are thrilled to celebrate the companys 65th anniversary.
Plans are still in the works for specifics, but we will definitely have an open house on November 17 with refreshments, prize drawings and special sales, she says.
Cotner says the store has evolved through the years, but some of its features have never changed.
We have been on the corner of Markland and Courtland since 1955, she says. My grandparents [Don and Naomi Moore] originally opened the store as Moores Rexall Drug Store. It started when the business was attached to the Marsh grocery building as a pharmacy and soda fountain.
After a fire in 1974, the Moores took over the Marsh building, and expanded the business to include hardware, cosmetics, toys, greeting cards and gifts. In 1975, they added home medical supplies including wheelchairs, hospital beds and oxygen equipment.
In 1983 my mother, Janet Moore, left her nursing job in the surgical intensive care unit at St. Joseph Hospital to join the business full time, and grew the home medical equipment into a full department, Cotner says. She has always followed the trends, and attended conferences and trade shows to be able to offer new product lines and any new offerings in home medical equipment.
In 2000, Cotners grandparents sold the pharmacy to CVS, and her mother took over, turning the home medical equipment (HME) department into a full business.
I joined her full time after college, and officially took over the business last year, Cotner says. I grew up in the store, learning to count in the pharmacy with M&Ms candies in the pill trays, and learning my colors with the gift-wrapping bows. I worked at the gift-wrap counter and the front register, and moved to a pharmacy tech position in high school. I joined the HME department, and did insurance billing through college and for many years after that. I later shifted into more of a managerial role in 2016.
Moores Home Health has many loyal customers.
Many of our customers have been coming to our store for longer than Ive been alive, Cotner says. I often get the I knew you when you were knee-high comments. We do our best to be a resource for them, rather than just a retail store. We love to sit down and take the time to catch up on their lives and families, and we always try to go above and beyond when they need extra help in any way.
Cotner has plenty of praise for her staff.
Our staff is well educated, not only on the items we sell, but also on what needs can be best met by the different items, she says. When a customer asks for a specific item, our staff usually starts off by inquiring who the item is for, and what need it will be fulfilling. We also try to offer good, better, and best in the products that we carry, to give people options to meet both their needs and their budgets.
Cotner says her business also has high-quality lift chairs and products.
We carry Pride Mobility lift chairs, she says. We have worked with them for over 20 years, and love their products and their warranty support. In addition to lifting the patient up and out of the seated position, they also recline with the electric hand control, and some even have headrest tilt and lumbar extension. They also have battery backup in case of power failure. You can also visit The Stair Lift Installers website if you have mobility issues that make climbing stairs difficult.
There are usually at least 10 to 12 lift chair models in the showroom.
We also deliver the chairs and set them up in the home, to make sure they fit well in the space and are safely assembled, Cotner says. Additionally, we carry many of Pride Mobilitys scooters, and have several in the store for people to try out.
Many scooters offered at the business fit in standard care trunks, with no need for trailers or lifts.
We carry many wound care products and incontinence products. We also have large bathroom safety equipment like over toilet aids. We also have a full line of mobility equipment, from canes to walkers and wheelchairs, as well as cushions and ramps. We also have a large selection of bracing, from ankles and knees to wrists and back braces. We can measure and fit someone in the store, so the customer knows they are going home with the right size and style of product.
The staff at Moores can also help customers find diabetic shoes.
We have a trained pedorthist on staff to help patients select diabetic shoes, and measure and fit for the best style, Cotner says. She has been with us for over 15 years, and has worked with diabetic shoes for over 20 years.
Cotner says customers are welcome inside the store as coronavirus-related restrictions continue to ease, but understands that some customers may be more comfortable with other options.
We also offer curbside delivery, and in-home delivery for Howard County and the surrounding counties, she says. We are so thankful that the people of Kokomo and Howard County have been so supportive of our family and business for the past 65 years. It has been a pleasure to help people remain active and independent in their homes all these years, and we look forward to continuing for many years to come.
Visit Moores Home Health & Medical Supply at 608 West Markland Avenue in Kokomo. For more info, call 765-454-5210 and visit mooreshomehealth.com.
