Sharon Thomas isn’t sure why her legs and feet have become so painful and difficult to use, but she knew she needed help if she was to stay in her split-entry home in Fredericton.
At 76, Sharon has diabetes and other ailments and her legs have become very weak. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to get outside to do her daily errands.
Sharon says Ability New Brunswick came to the rescue and put in motion the assistance she needed to install two stairlifts in her home and provide a rollator – a wheeled walker – which makes it much easier and safer for her to get around.
“I was feeling trapped and worried about how I could cope. Ability New Brunswick has really helped a lot…. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without their help.”
Sharon Thomas
“Oh my gosh, it makes it so I can get in and out of the house,” Sharon says, adding there is now a lift on each of the two staircases at the entry to her home. “I can get out and do my own shopping and do my errands. It has made such a difference in my life.”
Prior to getting the stairlifts, which were installed with assistance from NB Housing at a cost of $7,000, and the rollator donated to Ability New Brunswick, Sharon said she had several falls and felt increasingly confined to her home.
“I was feeling trapped and worried about how I could cope. Ability New Brunswick has really helped a lot. And they are so friendly and easy to talk to. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without their help.”
Sharon says anyone who is having mobility problems and needs support should contact Ability New Brunswick and see what is available to help them.
“It can be life-changing,” she says.