Give respect to your father and mother,
    for without them you wouldn’t even be here.
    And don’t neglect them when they grow old.
 Embrace the truth and hold it close.
    Don’t let go of wisdom, instruction, and life-giving understanding.

Proverbs 23:22-23

This post fits with the occasional series around the ongoing care of our “noisy neighbors” – aka the ancients next door!

Dad has been having so much difficulty getting out of his chair I wanted some solution that he and mum could handle without feeling they had to call me every time.

So I ordered what I like to call The Power-Assist Ejector Chair. It arrived this week in two boxes and more pieces than I had imagined, with instructions not so simple as the promise in the advertisement.

Seriously, I think the people who draw the obtuse diagrams and then annotate them with vague instructions must get together and laugh about what they have done. I think they use Elfin runes; and if they are not runes they are riddles; and if not riddles, cryptic clues designed to keep all but M.I.T. trained engineers from breaking the code.

Eventually I got the thing put together and wired up. It’s actually pretty nifty.

The chair not only tilts forward for dad, but it lifts him up into almost a standing position. From there it’s simply a matter of getting his balance and latching on to his walker (or, tipping him out and hoping he lands on his feet!).

At the other extreme the chair completely reclines. I’m very pleased.

Again, this fits in with my intention of helping but not taking over, avoiding unnecessary restrictions, and providing assistance where needed while leaving them in charge.

Like I’ve said before, it’s a balancing act, and sometimes I fall off. But I’ll score this one as a “win” – and we can all use a few of those from time to time.

Peace – Derek