Hackney

Mission

Chair man, how?

2 GoodGymers made their way to help an isolated older person in Hackney.

  • Sevan
  • Kash
 
Saturday, 20th of May 2023

Mr R had received a new electric reclining chair to help him feel more comfortable at home. The only problem was that it was put in the only free floor space in his living room and it didn't face the TV.

Mr R had an abundance of chairs for one man, each of which had a story and a purpose. As well as the recliner, there was a sofa for guests, a leather chair with a footstool that was used when a change position was needed and a more upright dining chair which was the most comfortable to do some static exercises in.

To move Mr R's new recliner into prime position in front of the TV, everything else in his small living room would need to move around. He would also still need access to his balcony using his walking frame, to have his coffee table in easy reach and to be able to do his cycling exercises. This was a bit of a head scratcher.

Kash and Sevan talked through his needs and suggested a position for each of the chairs. The only problem was the position of the coffee table as, if it was in front of the recliner, it would either be too close to allow the chair to recline or too far away to be reached by Mr R. They came up with a gamechanging idea, putting the coffee table to the side of the new chair rather than in front of it in the middle of the room. It sounded radical, but as Mr R lived on his own, only he really needed to reach what was on the table and this sounded like a practical solution.

Kash and Sevan rejigged the room and tested the reclining features of the new chair. Well, they had to to make sure that it wouldn't hit the wall behind as it stretched outwards. A little more chair shuffling was needed to have everything in the right place and then Mr R seemed very happy. Especially when he sank into the new chair, now placed in prime position.

Before Kash and Sevan headed home, they spent some time chatting to Mr R about his life and theirs. He really was a very friendly and appreciative beneficiary.

Report written by Sevan


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