Looking After Gran…

With age comes the inevitable decline of our health. Until someone finds the fountain of youth (I’ll share its location if I ever find it!), we are always going to have personal struggles later in life. Staying active is key but we all can still suffer from illnesses to the loss of some mobility, we all get affected in different ways.

My gran and grandad for example, my grandad struggled with his heath from just after his 50^th birthday. Numerous trips to the hospital, countless operations and a dietician were all needed throughout the twilight years of his life. My gran on the other hand, she has just celebrated her 68^th birthday and she still has her faculties, her hearing and her wit but unfortunately her mobility is starting to fail.

With grans mobility starting to fail, it begged the question ‘what do we do now?’ One idea the family had was to move her to a care home similar to ones like Green Pastures. This was quickly scrubbed, mainly due to gran herself. As it is only her mobility starting to fail, installing a stairlift was the next idea. With gran’s approval (I think she was happy as it meant she could stay in the home she shared with grandad), we started looking around.

We looked around online and finally settled on a ‘Platinum Horizon straight stairlift‘. Platinum are a company based up in Yorkshire. We brought ours from a local company who came and installed it for us. It didn’t take that long to install and they even gave us a demonstration on how to use it.

The cost of the stairlift was one issue that we thought about, but we were pleasantly surprised by the options available. There were new stairlifts to buy as well as reconditioned and rental. We opted for rental as it was the best option for us.

Anyway, that was 2 months ago now. Gran has been using the stairlift on a daily basis and she would agree that it has been a very good purchase. It has enabled her to keep her independence around the house and carry on with her day to day chores.

The ability to maintain independence within the familiar confines of her home has not only alleviated practical issues associated with mobility but has also bolstered her emotional well-being. While the stairlift has provided a remarkable improvement in her daily life, we recognize that the future may hold new challenges. The idea of revisiting the possibility of a care home, which we initially dismissed, may need to be reconsidered. At some point, we might need to find UK care homes on the market, and only the best for my grandmother. However, it’s a decision that warrants careful thought and discussions within the family, ensuring that any future steps taken align with my grandmother’s evolving needs and desires.

This experience has taught our family the importance of adapting to the changing needs of our loved ones as they age. It is a testament to the value of exploring practical and considerate solutions that prioritize both physical and emotional well-being. As we continue this journey with our grandmother, we remain grateful for the advancements in assistive technologies like stairlifts that empower individuals to age gracefully and comfortably in the homes they hold dear.

In facing the challenges of aging head-on, we have come to appreciate the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of fostering environments that enable our loved ones to age with dignity. As we embrace the changes that time brings, we understand that flexibility and openness to alternative solutions will remain essential in providing the best care and support for our aging loved ones.