Another winter warning of sorts

[rik_uk3]

Its winter time again so I thought I'd share something with the folks here after looking at the 'What bit of survival kit has saved most lives' thread.

We had a lovely elderly neighbour who lived in an isolated cottage about 300m from us. Late 70's and very independent, would cook for himself breakfast and lunch then in the afternoon walk about a quarter of a mile to the bus stop to go and have a few pints in the local Social club then a bus back early evening.

As he go older he still cooked breakfast but also had lunch from 'Meals on Wheels', still got the bus but would have a taxi home.

One Thursday I had a knock at the door. It was the Meals on Wheels lady asking if I'd seen him, he'd not answered the door all week (so day four by now). Knowing the man to be a creature of habit the alarm bells went off in my head and I went round and kicked in the front door only to find him in the back room alive but in a very serious way. He'd fallen on Sunday and broke his right hip and collar bone; by then he had Pneumonia and severe dehydration as well.

He died peacefully in hospital two days later, a personal alarm may have saved him.

So, keep an eye on the elderly near you, even if you don't know them.

 

[MartinK9]

Sorry to hear that story Rik, but a timely reminder.

 

[Clouston98]

Very sad story, may he rest in peace.

 

[Harvestman]

Really good post Rik. Timely reminder indeed, especially as we seem to be hitting a cold snap.

 

[Ecoman]

Sad story but very poignant.

 

[ozzy1977]

We had a similar thing with our neighbour, he had a stroke when we were away for the weekend, luckily he survived but is now in a home

 

[Wayland]

We live in a crowded nation full of lonely people.

How sad.

 

[mountainm]

A thread I wish I hadn't read. But the message is a strong one.

 

[santaman2000]

A very valid point. Winter or Summer.

 

[treadlightly]

A very sad story..

 

[Swallow]

If the person you are looking out for has a smartphone and can use it to some degree, this would be worth looking at

http://nascentstuff.com/my-flare-th...se-system-for-iphone-and-android-smartphones/

 

[santaman2000]

Technology is great and we should use it. But nothing will ever best a call or visit once or twice a day by friends/family, etc. I had an elderly cousin living alone far from me until she passed away last Summer. The nuns at her Church made sure to visit her daily (clergy can be a useful link in the process) In many areas the local Council On Aging, or whatever they may be called locally, will visit or call the aged who are alone. I've known of some police or sheriff's departments who would have the dispatcher call regularly and notify a patrolman to check if they got no response.

And as Rik implied, always be on the look-out for neighbors in need.

 

[georann]

Quite sobering, and a good point. Sad story though.

 

[petrochemicals]

credit for trying. Sad story though.

 

[789987]

so meals on wheels took 4 days to decide that the guy they gave a meal to every day was acting out of character by dissapearing?

 

[Toddy]

I wondered that too

Different times maybe
I know that if the folks who visit the elderlies round here don't get an answer, and they have not been told in advance that there might not be someone home, then they phone their office and next of kin is informed pdq. If permission is given then the door will be opened one way or t'other, or the next of kin is expected to turn up promptly with the spare key.

Meals on wheels has been mostly replaced by a company that delivers frozen meals on a fortnightly basis. They supply a small freezer and see that it is accessibly situated for the elderlies. There is a varied and wide ranging menu to choose from, and meals are both nutritionally balanced and familiar enough that most are happy to at least keep a stock of them in the house for those days they really don't want to, or are unable, to cook. They are simply microwaved to defrost and heat.
http://www.wiltshirefarmfoods.com/taking-care-of-mealtimes?gclid=CKbLhf3gqbwCFafKtAodR1YAsQ


That said, not every elderly neighbour has carers visiting so Richard's advice is a kindness too.

M

 

[wingstoo]

Very sad to hear, Where I live we are a terrace of 12 houses, whenever there has been a power outage, we go along to the more vulnerable folks and check they are OK, only last week we, along with 5000 others, lost power for a while, we only have one vulnerable 70year old neighbour these days, she had two strokes about five years back and also has Alzheimer's and although she manages very well we do have a few times a year when she gets into difficulties. Anyway, I trundled down to her house and all was dark, a knock on the door and she called out and came to the door, she couldn't find her torch, and had been just about to make a cup of tea when the power went out. I got her to put her boots on and took he back to my place where SWMBO got the kettle on the stove and made a cuppa. We have a few camping lanterns and torches on hand at all times, and we had an emergency light fitted in the kitchen a few years back so that comes on when the power goes off, we also have a gas fire and a kettle that goes on the hob, little things that do make a difference.

I also encourage folks to have a non-electric telephone.

My Dad was bought a cheap mobile phone with an emergency button on it that calls three people programmed in if he needs help when at home or out, though I guess this isn't that easy to use if you are on the floor after falling... No easy answer, apart from vigilance and watching out for our friends and neighbours who aren't following a their normal routines.

 

[Uilleachan]

Sorry to hear that, I find that quite disturbing.

My old neighbors are now all sadly departed, but back in the day we did have a few emergencies. Like the time Alistair fell in his rose patch just a few days after his 94th birthday, alerted by his wife Chrissy when I got to him he was utterly exhausted from the effort of holding himself out of the worst of the thorns. It took some getting him out and even more out of him.

When I was quite young and working on Skye, well in this instance we were cowering from the weather in the works van when, the old foreman decided that the weather was so bad we should check on the old wife who lived in a caravan on a nearby croft, we hadn't seen her that day and being regular to her cow as clockwork for the morning milk and weather no impediment, it was feared something was up. We'd seen the cow go to the shed not long after we'd arrived but no one in attendance was unusual.

We drove up to her abode, the foreman pulled on his gear braved the raging wind and rain to go have a look, he knocked the door and waited, knocked again and when the door finally opened, all in one instance the caravan roof peeled off and blew away.

The old-dear was fine but now thanks to our good intentions; homeless. We spent the rest of the day relocating her and her soggy belongings, one of the guys milked the cow. She was however reinstalled in a better replacement caravan a week or so later. Red faces all round over that wee incident, still, it's the though that counts

 

[rik_uk3]

so meals on wheels took 4 days to decide that the guy they gave a meal to every day was acting out of character by dissapearing?

Indeed they did, I won't go into details but will say I pushed things a lot further after the event.

 

[rik_uk3]

Very sad to hear, Where I live we are a terrace of 12 houses, whenever there has been a power outage, we go along to the more vulnerable folks and check they are OK, only last week we, along with 5000 others, lost power for a while, we only have one vulnerable 70year old neighbour these days, she had two strokes about five years back and also has Alzheimer's and although she manages very well we do have a few times a year when she gets into difficulties. Anyway, I trundled down to her house and all was dark, a knock on the door and she called out and came to the door, she couldn't find her torch, and had been just about to make a cup of tea when the power went out. I got her to put her boots on and took he back to my place where SWMBO got the kettle on the stove and made a cuppa. We have a few camping lanterns and torches on hand at all times, and we had an emergency light fitted in the kitchen a few years back so that comes on when the power goes off, we also have a gas fire and a kettle that goes on the hob, little things that do make a difference.

I also encourage folks to have a non-electric telephone.

My Dad was bought a cheap mobile phone with an emergency button on it that calls three people programmed in if he needs help when at home or out, though I guess this isn't that easy to use if you are on the floor after falling... No easy answer, apart from vigilance and watching out for our friends and neighbours who aren't following a their normal routines.

"I also encourage folks to have a non-electric telephone. "

That is a very good tip, your cordless 'landline' won't work if the mains fails but your bog standard phone will as it receives its power from the telephone line.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5526527.htm

Even if you only have it in the cupboard for use in a power failure its a fiver well spent.