One of the first people to benefit from the new partnership is Sheena Gibbs, who has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and is supported by Marie Curie’s Hampstead hospice.
Sheena, like many who want to continue to live at home after a serious diagnosis, had to move her bed downstairs and live in her lounge as she was unable to get up the stairs to her bedroom or to use the bathroom.
A stairlift can make a big difference – as Sheena explains: “The stairlift gives me my independence back. I can go upstairs, I can use the toilet, I can go to bed – and come back downstairs in the morning to a normal life.
“When my bed was in the living room, I felt like I was in a rut because I could only use this part of the house.
“Now I feel so much better with the stairlift at home. It’s an absolute godsend and is brilliant to use, I’ve no problems at all. And it was ready and waiting for me when I came back from the hospital. I wouldn’t be without it. It’s wicked!”
Dave Belmont, Acorn company secretary, said that making a difference to the lives of patients like Sheena is exactly why the company partnered with Marie Curie.
“Our aim is to have stairlifts installed and ready to work before people return home from the hospice, giving them the chance to live as independently as they can in the comfort of their own home.”
Nicky Read, head of corporate partnerships at Marie Curie, added: “We are delighted to see the benefit the partnership is having for hospice patients like Sheena, who wish to be cared for in their own home.
“A stairlift can make all the difference to people living with a terminal illness and their families and we are looking forward to supporting more people as the year goes on.”
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