“UK’s first” dual

Complete Care Shop, an online provider of daily living aids, has unveiled the Freestyle Grab and Go, which it states is the UK's first dual-purpose walking stick with grabber.

Grab and Go is a unique walking stick with a built-in grabbing mechanism that enables the user to pick up small, commonly dropped items inside and outside of the home, without the need to bend down. These could be small items like gloves, pens, keys, cutlery, pill boxes, and glasses through to larger items of clothing like coats and jumpers.

Complete Care Shop says the assistive technology has been built to last using robust, durable, and high-quality materials.

The launch coincides with National Walking Month.

Exclusively designed by an expert product development and occupational therapist (OT) team at NRS Healthcare, the parent company of Complete Care Shop, the original concept of the walking stick and grabber was conceived by John Henry Colbert. It has come to market some 75 years after its inception.

John Henry Colbert, an engineer and war veteran who served as a fighter pilot in WW1 and was involved in developing the hydraulics for the Lancaster Bomber gun turrets in WW2, was also a prolific inventor. John Henry originally designed the prototype for his mother in 1948, but it was his son, John, who helped to bring the Grab and Go to market.

John said: "My father was an extremely competent engineer, but for many reasons, he was unable to get the product manufactured. I always felt it was an amazingly simple and practical device. It always went down well when I took prototypes to hospitals and nursing homes across the country to test the product, which encouraged me to pursue the Grab and Go's development.

"I contacted NRS Healthcare and was pleased they were interested in taking the product to market. They kept me informed throughout the comprehensive design and development process, and it is great to see the final product available to buy. My father would have been so satisfied!"

Grab and Go is available in three lengths: 32", 34", and 36".

Matthew Stead, Complete Care Shop's managing director, added: "We are delighted to have worked with John to bring his father's simple yet brilliant concept to our customers some 75 years after it was originally invented.

"As well as being a sturdy walking aid designed to provide additional steadiness and stamina for walking greater distances, the dual-purpose Grab and Go offers practical convenience to pick up a dropped item without having to bend down. It's the perfect confidence giver, enabling people to live independently every day and do the things they love."

It is £44.99 including VAT and is available from Complete Care Shop and local mobility retailers.

Earlier this year, Complete Care Shop launched an OT Recommended range, which consists of 550 products that claim to offer the best functionality, ease of use, safety, and value for money. OT Recommended products are identified on the Complete Care Shop website by a green OT Recommended badge.