“It’s not easy getting old because even with a minor injury, you become almost completely disabled,” explains Jan Helge.
Now it wasn’t just his wife who was at the hospital; Jan Helge also needed assistance. Prior to the incident, he had relatively good mobility in his legs and had no trouble getting out of bed. He also helped his wife with many tasks. However, the situation changed after the accident.
Fortunately, he quickly gained access to assistive devices. As soon as he and his wife returned home from the hospital and rehabilitation, the municipality’s occupational therapist paid them a home visit.
“There was no question of whether I wanted a support pole or not. They just brought it. I tried it out, and it worked perfectly,” continues Jan Helge.
Since he got the Gripo support pole with Sister assistance installed in his bedroom, things have become easier. Without the support pole, he would have quickly become exhausted and had little energy left for other activities. Now things have become simpler with Gripo.
“You don’t realize it until you need it. That’s when you truly see the need you have for assistive devices. I’m so grateful that we have the opportunity to have such aids in our home,” says Jan Helge.
Jan Helge and his wife Jørun live together in the house they built in Fagernes, Narvik in Northern Norway. This is where they have spent most of their lives. They used to live a peaceful retirement life and often traveled to Gran Canaria. However, in 2020, his wife suffered a stroke while they were on vacation.
“It’s hardest for my wife, who needs the most assistance at home. I can hardly leave her alone at home. So I have to be present to help her with cooking and administering the medications she needs. But it also becomes more challenging for me after the injury I sustained from the fall,” explains Jan Helge.
Because he received the right assistive device quickly, he can continue to help his wife, Jørun.
“I’m very grateful to have Gripo in our home because without it, I probably wouldn’t have had enough strength to do much else with the injury I suffered last year. Since I also have to take care of my wife, the support pole is a great help and has saved me a lot of energy that I would have otherwise expended without it,” he explains.
“It’s almost like entering a heavenly realm, because it’s fantastic that such assistive devices exist.”
In February 2021, when Jan Helge was visiting his wife at the hospital, the weather was icy. Unfortunately, he lost his footing and fell on the ice, injuring his back. Now it wasn’t just his wife who needed assistive devices; he ended up needing them himself. Here, he demonstrates Gripo with the Sister assistance.
His most important assistive device is the Gripo support pole, which he has next to his bed with the Sister assistance. It is of great help to him. He mentions that it is very convenient to have it and that it has made it much easier for him to get up and out of bed. Without the support pole, he would have had to roll out of bed and crawl on the floor before getting up.
“It would have been cumbersome to do it that way because then I would hardly have had any breath left. And then I wouldn’t be able to do much else,” concludes a happy and relieved Jan Helge.
