Chair donation worth its weight in gold

A chair that made the difference between an elderly lady with dementia being bed-bound and her leading a much fuller life in a Newquay residential home has been donated to Cornwall Care.

Caroline Armstrong, from Newquay, bought the Careflex chair for her mother, Christina, after initially hiring one from Cornwall Mobility. She was so delighted with it that, when her mum died, Caroline decided that others should enjoy the benefits too.

She consulted Wendy Hughes at Cornwall Mobility and Wendy suggested contacting Cornwall Care physiotherapist Pat O’Brien.

“It was a great idea as I used to work for Cornwall Care and knew they would make really good use of it,” said Caroline. “The chair is genuinely brilliant and made such a difference to Mum, whose life was transformed by being able to get out of bed and move around. It was expensive to buy but is a chair for life and is honestly worth its weight in gold.”

Pat has arranged for the chair to go to Trengrouse, a Cornwall Care nursing home in Helston that looks after people with advanced dementia and mental health issues.

“It is a wonderfully generous donation and we’re so grateful to Caroline,” she said. “She has even offered to pay for a replacement foot-plate. The chair is in excellent condition and will, I know, prove a huge asset at Trengrouse.”

Cornwall Mobility provides advice and support to people with mobility problems and is based at Treliske in Truro.

“I helped Caroline source the right chair for her mother and am very excited to see it being passed on to a new home,” said Wendy Hughes. “Careflex chairs, which are made in Newton Abbott, are state-of-the-art and can be refurbished when required. To gift one like this is wonderful.”

Photo: L to R: Wendy Hughes from Cornwall Mobility, Caroline Armstrong and physiotherapist Pat O’Brien