Impact of our wheelchair loan Peggy’s good friend found out about the Red Cross service and arranged to loan a wheelchair for Peggy’s final few weeks of recovery, when her leg was still in plaster. Her friend then returned the wheelchair once she could manage with a walking frame and a stick. Throughout her recovery she had carers coming in twice a day, but that was phased out once she could manage to get about in the bungalow independently. She and her carers used the chair mainly to get her to the bathroom for her morning and evening washes. She had to have her ankle reset twice when it moved out of position. Her friend drove her to hospital and the chair was essential to get her from the house to his car and from his car to the relevant department in the hospital. Peggy says that having the chair has made her feel less helpless and dependent on others: “It has given Margaret, me peace of mind – helped me psychologically and given me more confidence.” South Yorkshire She thinks that having the chair has hastened her recovery by at least a week. Without it, she says she would have needed double the amount of time from carers, since she would have needed support to get to and from the bathroom. She would also have needed an ambulance, a Margaret (Peggy) is 89 and lives Having a short-term wheelchair and a porter to get her to independently in a bungalow. At the wheelchair meant that and from the hospital for her follow- end of 2014, she broke her ankle. Peggy was able to move up appointments. She commented Social services recommended around her home, making that, without the chair, there was a initially that she should go into a risk that she would have fallen and care home to recover following her her less dependent on had an accident while trying to get discharge from hospital, with her others and giving her more about at home. ankle in a cast. She did not want to confidence. Without the Peggy is part of a supportive do this and the local authority found short-term wheelchair community of older friends and her a wheelchair. With this and the she feels she would have neighbours. They have valued support of friends, she was able to required a much higher helping with her recovery and they return home. However, the chair was level of support from her too would have been disempowered recalled for another service user carers and would not have if she had not had the wheelchair. after less than two months. been able to engage with her community of friends as much as she wanted. 28