My dad is 78 and for the past couple of years he's just stopped coming to Sunday dinners as often. Stopped sitting through my kids' games. Always had an excuse to leave early or not come at all.

I thought he was just getting older and slowing down. Didn't want to push it.

Then one day I actually asked him. Turns out sitting had become genuinely painful for him — his tailbone and lower back would ache within maybe 20 minutes of sitting in any chair. Getting up was the worst part, he said. That moment of standing up after he'd been sitting for a while had become something he dreaded.

He'd just quietly accepted it as part of getting older and never said a word.

I found this cushion called MediGel that has a cut-out where the tailbone sits so there's no pressure on that spot. Got him one for his recliner and one for the car.

Honestly didn't expect much. But now he's staying longer at dinner. Last month he sat through my son's entire football match without once asking to leave.

On the drive home he said, "I forgot what it felt like to just sit somewhere and not think about it."

I wasn't expecting a seat cushion to make me emotional but here we are.

If your parent has been quietly skipping things — it might be worth asking why. 🙏

I have to share this because I wish someone had told me sooner.

My mum is 79 and last spring her GP found a pressure sore developing on her tailbone. I had been so careful — repositioning her, checking her skin, using barrier cream.

Turns out the foam cushion I'd been using had completely flattened out. Her bones were pressing directly against the chair and I had no idea.

Her tissue viability nurse explained it — foam bottoms out and reduces circulation. She recommended a medical-grade gel cushion with a tailbone cut-out. I found MediGel and ordered it that night.

That was four months ago. The sore has completely healed. Her skin has been totally clear at every check since. The gel bounces back every time I press on it — same as day one. It doesn't flatten.

I carried so much guilt thinking I had failed her. The truth was I just had the wrong cushion. If anyone has a parent who sits for long periods, please look into this. Westlyn website. It might be the most important thing I've bought this year. 💙

Has anyone else tried MediGel for a parent in a wheelchair? Because I need to talk about this.

My mum has been in a wheelchair for three years and keeping her skin healthy has basically become a part-time job. We went through so many cushions — foam ones that flattened out fast, others that just didn't do what they promised. Her tissue viability nurse actually told us the ring cushion we were using was making things worse.

MediGel is the first thing that has actually held up. Six months in and her skin has been completely clear. The gel still feels the same as when we got it — nothing has compressed or changed.

I don't really post about products but a woman in my carers' group mentioned it and I'm genuinely glad she did. Just passing it on in case anyone else is in the same boat.