Family fundraiser for special independent living equipment for Moorfield Court in Southwell

A loving son is raising money to buy specialist equipment that will allow his father to continue living independently.

Chris Hughes, son of Ken and Thelma Hughes is hoping to raise £1600 to buy an emergency lifting cushion for the the care team at Moorfield Court where Ken still lives.

This special cushion would allow staff at the assisted living complex to safely help residents up if they were to suffer a fall.

Normally the safest course of action would be to request an ambulance. However, Chris is aware of the pressure the ambulance service is currently under and knows from experience that it can be a slow process.

He said: “To be told that you may need to wait up to 12 hours for assistance is devastating.

"We all appreciate the need to prioritise emergency responses but being stuck on the floor for hours does nothing for an individual’s dignity, and in the long term it saps their confidence.”

Chris' parent Ken and Thelma are soon to celebrate their 68th wedding anniversary in April, although following a succession of falls, Thelma now lives at Southwell Court Care Home.

Despite recently falling himself, Ken has been able to remain in their Moorfield apartment thanks to the support of the on-site care team, Fosse Healthcare.

It was Ken's recent fall which encouraged Chris to look for ways in which to help, before learning about the lifting cushion from a Facebook post by Fosse Healthcare staff in Newark.

Chris spoke with the managers at Moorfield Court who confirmed that this piece of equipment would be appropriate for their setting, and that Fosse Healthcare staff, after appropriate training, would be willing and able to use it to help all residents when needed.

To support the fundraiser please visit Chris' donation page HERE.

So far, £1,000 has been raised towards the £1,600 target and needs a little extra help to get across the line.