With a continually growing inventory of medical equipment, staff at the Red Deer-based The Lending Cupboard (TLC) want to make sure the entire Central Alberta region is fully aware of the valuable services the organization provides.

Today, TLC has an inventory of more than 15,000 items ranging from bed rails, bath chairs, bath lifts and hydraulic lifts to wheelchairs, air casts, walkers and crutches and canes.

Each month, about 1,500 pieces are lent out on a three to six-month basis to help folks deal with any number of situations – both chronic and urgent.

These can run the gamut from extreme sports injuries to those recovering from illness or surgery.

Equipment can also make a profound difference for those in end of life care, for the senior citizen population and for those who have undergone hip or knee replacements, for example.

These days, one of the key goals at TLC is to really build awareness – staff members want Central Albertans far and wide to know that they are ready to assist in any way that they can.

“We are here for all of Central Alberta,” explained Dawna Morey, executive director for The Lending Cupboard. “For those that are on farms, or perhaps who are ageing in place. I recall one young girl who we have featured in the past who broke her leg; having a wheelchair from us enabled her to get out to her barn to see her horse! So we are here for the very young, and we are here for the very old,” she said.

“We are here for post-operative situations, and we are here for mobility issues.”

Morey pointed out that Home Care services throughout the Central Alberta region are familiar with TLC, but there are many residents that may not be aware of all the organization really has to offer.

“We want to make them aware of the services that we have,” she said, adding that part of TLC’s mission is to spread the word about those very services prior to when people need them so they can be better prepared.

“You often don’t know what you don’t know, until you need to know,” she said. “So, if someone is not connected to Home Care, but they would benefit from having a bath bench or a bath stool or they need to have a walker to get around the house or help them get to the grocery store, we are here for them! At times we also do find we have excess stock and make selected items available for purchase at a very reasonable rate for those needing things for the longer term.”

For more about The Lending Cupboard, call 403-356-1678, email [email protected], or find us on Facebook at ‘The Lending Cupboard Society of Alberta – TLC.

Our facility is located at #1- 7803 – 50^th Ave. in Red Deer.

We are also on Twitter (@LendingCupboard) and Instagram. Visit us at www.lendingcupboard.ca.