Love my Ginghers but found they were heavy and caused wrist pain. Doc recommended I try lighter scissors so I bought the Fiskars with rubber handles---much lighter and lots cheaper plus they stay sharp. Bought at big box store.

Agreed and the old JC Penney machines were really good workhorses as well!

Recycler, you should check your local Craig's list, thrift stores, Salvation Army store, etc to see if you can find her one for the cost of a single cleaning. Shouldn't be too hard. Like OBO, I see them advertised all the time around here.

I have rheumatoid arthritis and love my spring loaded scissors. Much easier on my hands.

There is a local saw sharpening shop that sells Ergonomics 35 % . They seem to stay sharp.

Good suggestions to check out used machines, but this gal (85 years old) has a mind of her own! I have loaned her my old machine in the past, which is good as new and a workhorse (Necchi purchased in the early 70's) I only replaced it because i felt I should check out a new modern one before I get too old to learn a new one! It is still available and I offered to bring it up. Also, a friend of hers gave her her old one in a cabinet, which is sitting 5 yards from the one she uses, and she doesn't want to use it either. So, in this case, I think my only option is to get DH up there.
As for the scissors, after reading all of your comments, I've decided that a Gingher would be the way to go. That was what her last one was, which she loved, so it should feel the same. She is such a dear friend and has worked so hard all her life and still does, that I just hate seeing her struggle needlessly! Thanks all of you for helping me work through this!

But she chooses to. Some people you just can't help as much as you want to. It's frustrating. Too much for me. I have had to distance myself from a couple of people like this. Always in dire straits and think that is where they belong. You are a good friend.

I just use regular Fiskars scissors.

The only scissors I can use more than a few minutes are my spring loaded Fiskars.

I second Gingher's. I've had my shears for 20+ years and have 2 pairs of the snips plus a couple pair of specialty scissors. They cut thru fabric like it was butter. I've never had to have mine sharpened.

If her old ones were Gingher's, getting her another pair of those might be best. I have some Fiskar's that I use occasionally, but after my Gingher's I can never get used to them and they seem to not cut thru the fabric as easily.

You're very sweet for wanting to make things easier for your friend, but some people are very hard to help. Sometimes you just have to let them do things their way.