Charity helps elderly access stair lifts

The Teesdale Disability Access Forum works to improve the lives of elderly and disabled residents in the Teesdale area through providing information and advice on mobility and access help with home adaptations, including stair lifts and walk in showers. 

Having helped close to 6,300 people in the past year alone, the charity is a lifeline for many in the area, as they can get access to friendly mobility aid advice and stair lift reviews from the forum, as well as attend social afternoon clubs and exercise classes to improve their mobility in a practical way. These classes include a Thursday afternoon club in which elderly Teesdale residents can come along and learn new skills and meet people, whilst weekly armchair exercise classes can help people with multiple sclerosis.

Forum services

The forum has offered elderly and disabled residents information, advice and practical support that has benefited countless individuals since its launch but these services come at a cost and, while forum members have pledged a £400 donation, the forum has stated that it needs £62,000 a year to fund all the services it runs. While the charity already receives money from a number of funding streams, several of these are now coming to an end.

The forum’s main aim is to help “older and disabled people to make the most of what they are able to do – be as mobile as they can, as healthy as possible and live life to the fullest”, according to Teesdale Disability Access Forum chief officer Anne Henderson in this article. The forum achieves this by helping people to access help with home adaptations such as walk-in shower or bath installation and other home alterations.

The charity’s success has been evident, as other organisations are now coming to rely on the Access Forum, with local hospitals, social workers and GPs regularly sending patients there.

Image Credit: Mosman Council (flickr.com)