At the time Mary was still working as a nurse at the county hospital in Winchester but realised that her mother was finding life more difficult and the stairs were becoming a challenge so suggested that a stairlift would be a good idea. Her mother agreed and the stairlift became integral in allowing her to remain in her own home. Mary moved in with her and looked after her until she passed away at the age of 96 in 2007.
23 years after it was installed, Mary is still living her mother’s house which she has lovingly cared for. The stairlift was even removed for a day in 2003 to allow a new stair carpet to be laid. The house is still immaculately neat and tidy and the stairlift looks brand new.
Far from slowing her down, the stairlift is key to maintaining her independence. Mary is scheduled to have a knee operation in the next couple of months and knows that her lift will be invaluable in helping her through her rehabilitation afterwards. She wants to be fully recovered before visiting one of her daughters in Australia next year. She may not need it all the time but often, at the end of one her very busy days, it is there to take the strain when she needs to go up the stairs to bed. She sees it as just another household appliance.
As an example of someone using a stairlift to allow her to have a busier life than many people half her age, Mary is second to none.