– by Victoria Bell
The post office will permanently deliver your mail to a receptacle at your door when provided with a letter from your doctor requesting they do so.
Just getting to the mailbox (through bad, hot, wet, cold weather) – not to mention processing the mail – is one of the most demanding daily activities that so many of us can’t cope with.
This was one of the first things I did after finally being diagnosed and ordered to bed by my doctor. It’s a literal godsend.
How I Got Mail to My Doorstep
Below is the wording that I’ve used over the past eighteen years to receive continuous mail delivery to my door, including through three moves.
I compose the letter for the doctor and, with the doctor’s approval, it’s placed on the doctor’s letterhead stationery. The doctor signs it and I then deliver it to the postmaster/mistress.
It is the patient’s responsibility to provide an appropriate receptacle at their front door. I use a white ice chest – it holds envelopes and magazines as well as small packages, protecting them from rain, snow, and some heat.
Doctor’s Letter
RE: [Patient Name] – Postal Service beginning [date]
[ADDRESS]
[Geographical description e.g., NW corner of street names]
To Whom It May Concern:
[Patient Name] is a disabled and largely homebound patient with a [type of condition, e.g, cardiac, POTS, ME etc] condition followed in this practice. [She/he] will begin residence at the above address on [day], [date].
Any exercise or activity may worsen [her/his] condition and can cause exacerbation of symptoms, as can temperatures – either hot or cold – outside of [her/his] narrow range of tolerance.
It is a medical necessity for [her/him] to [continue to] receive daily pick-up and delivery of mail to the mail receptacle (64-qt cooler) provided at the front door of [her/his] home. Due to the severity and variability of [her/his] condition [she/he] is not able to manage a curbside mail box either on a daily, weekly or other basis.
IMPORTANT NOTE: [Her/his] mail is often medically time and heat sensitive and regular daily service – both pick-up and delivery – is essential.
For ease of delivery and pick-up, [patient name] provides a weatherproof receptacle outside the front door dedicated to this service. The container is [color/description]. [more sample description: it provides a top tray for envelopes and magazines, and the remaining space for packages.]
I will be grateful to you for providing this essential service to [her/him], beginning [date].
Sincerely,
[signature]
[doctor’s name]
Follow Up
The letter above worked with no problems. Then when we got a new postmistress, she requested more input from me. This is what I wrote:
“Here is the letter from my doctor, requesting this service as of [date]. Prior to that I had been receiving my mail at another address here, also at my doctor’s request. And prior to that I received mail at my door in [state] for 8 years for the same medical condition. I am very grateful to everyone for this essential service, as without I don’t know what I would do. Thank you very much for your help.”
The delivery to my front door continued.
More Resources
More Tips from Homebound Readers
How To Save Spoons (More ways to conserve energy and avoiding crashes for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
How to Get On 