Founder's blog: How an idea in a grocery store changed an industry
I spent my entire career in the advertising industry and knew almost nothing about rollators. Everything changed because of my father, Silvano – a stylish and fearless Italian who, during World War II, escaped back to Italy in a stolen rowboat after being held as a prisoner of war in what was then Yugoslavia. To me, he was always my own movie hero.
In the early 2010s, his Parkinson’s worsened, and he could barely move around indoors without leaning on walls and furniture. I watched his sense of safety fade - he needed something that could give him back his freedom.
The rollators available at that time were heavy, clumsy, and unattractive - not something you’d want in your home. One day at the grocery store, I got an idea when I saw a shopping cart. With the store manager’s permission, I took home an old cart with a wobbly wheel. In my home workshop, I rebuilt it into a smooth, four-wheeled rollator, complete with an elegant brown tennis grip wrapped around the handle.
I will never forget my father’s smile the first time he tried it. He could walk safely again, and soon everyone at the retirement home wanted one just like it.
That was the beginning of Trust Care. When I presented the prototype at REHACARE, the world’s largest assistive‑technology fair, it was named the most beautiful product at the event. That meant a lot - not just because of the design, but because I had created something that restored people’s dignity.
Our first production model, the outdoor rollator Let’s Go, changed the industry with its lightweight, elegant construction and large front wheels. Today, it has sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide.
What began as a solution for my father has become a global success story. But for me, it still comes down to the same thing: giving people freedom, safety, and a sense of style in everyday life.
Diego Carloni, Founder
I spent my entire career in the advertising industry and knew almost nothing about rollators. Everything changed because of my father, Silvano – a stylish and fearless Italian who, during World War II, escaped back to Italy in a stolen rowboat after being held as a prisoner of war in what was then Yugoslavia. To me, he was always my own movie hero.
In the early 2010s, his Parkinson’s worsened, and he could barely move around indoors without leaning on walls and furniture. I watched his sense of safety fade - he needed something that could give him back his freedom.
The rollators available at that time were heavy, clumsy, and unattractive - not something you’d want in your home. One day at the grocery store, I got an idea when I saw a shopping cart. With the store manager’s permission, I took home an old cart with a wobbly wheel. In my home workshop, I rebuilt it into a smooth, four-wheeled rollator, complete with an elegant brown tennis grip wrapped around the handle.
I will never forget my father’s smile the first time he tried it. He could walk safely again, and soon everyone at the retirement home wanted one just like it.
That was the beginning of Trust Care. When I presented the prototype at REHACARE, the world’s largest assistive‑technology fair, it was named the most beautiful product at the event. That meant a lot - not just because of the design, but because I had created something that restored people’s dignity.
Our first production model, the outdoor rollator Let’s Go, changed the industry with its lightweight, elegant construction and large front wheels. Today, it has sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide.
What began as a solution for my father has become a global success story. But for me, it still comes down to the same thing: giving people freedom, safety, and a sense of style in everyday life.
Diego Carloni, Founder
