Four wheels and a dual seat have given Cannington couple Annette and John Bunday a new lease of life.

Annette finds it difficult to walk and she’s had several falls, including one which kept her in hospital, so she relies on John to take her where she needs to go. The couple always drive to church on Sunday and to be with a learning group many Fridays. Annette was otherwise reluctant to go out and had shunned the trauma of a shopping excursion for at least eighteen months.

“I was dependent on John and what he was doing and I used to feel badly about taking up so much of his time,” explained Annette.

After some research and speaking to the home care team at Amana Living, John hit upon the idea of a double mobility scooter. “Annette rarely left the house so I decided that a double gopher would help us have more outings together and particularly get her into some shops again,” said John.

Amana Living’s occupational therapy team visited them to assess whether a scooter would be suitable and made recommendations about the type that would be best. The occupational therapist ordered the vehicle with the majority of its cost funded through their home care package.

Initially Annette took some convincing but she is now enjoying her new found freedom. “John knew I was a nervous critter with traffic so he didn’t think I would enjoy the experience but it’s been marvellous. I haven’t felt obliged to say please can we go out. John always senses there is somewhere I’d like to go.”

John adds: “Prior to getting our new means of transport Annette had become a stay-at-home person reluctant to go anywhere. We now have regular outings to local places, whether that’s lunch once a week, shopping or an excursion through our district riverside park. The double mobility scooter has changed our lives quite dramatically.”

In addition to paying for the scooter out of their package, the couple also order frozen dinners from TCS, Amana Living’s catering partner. This is a huge help to John who has taken over responsibility for their meals.

“We use Amana Living’s meal system and order regularly. Annette provided our food for the first fifty something years of our marriage so it’s good that I can do it now that she needs more help. Unfortunately, I have limited cooking skills and don’t particularly enjoy the time it takes. The meals from Amana Living are a big help both in terms of quality and variety.”

Amana Living also assists the Bundays with their laundry, gardening and household chores and provides additional support when necessary. This includes nursing, physio, podiatry and occupational therapy services. The home care team have been flexible in their approach, working with the couple to utilise their home care package funds to maximise the support they receive.

John said: “Amana Living has been a godsend; it has helped us in so many ways.”