Friends til the end Community Group
A group for those of us here who get more from our friendships than from the available discussion groups. A place to be accepted and appreciated for who we are. Somewhere to always feel safe and know that especially on the bad days we are here for each other .A place for encouragement and love.
I live in a senior/handicap apartment building. While i was typing a reply this morning (4am) my neighbor across the hall pulled her emergency cord which produced a loud, blaring buzzer to sound. She had fallen and actually could not get up by herself. Not knowing that, I immediately called her on the phone. When she didn''t answer I phoned her sister who lives about 20 miles from here.
Her sister stayed on the phone with me as it is a cordless extension. I put my coat on over my Jammies and tried her door which was locked. I wasn't sure if she had her Alert pendant on or not cause I know how much she hated wearing it. I wear mine anyways. When I called the main answering sevrice in the manager's office, They said the EMS were on their way.
Then I went down to the maintenance guy's apt who lives on the 1st floor. (We are on the 9th) I knocked on his door to try to get him to unlock the door to get to her with his Master keys. (The buzzer is also sounding on the main signal board out in the hall by the office.) When he didn't answer I raised the door off its hinges pounding hard a few times and called out his name...Didn't raise anything there!
Went back upstairs and called her sister back to keep her on the phone while I got in there w/EMS to see what was going on.
There she was sitting on the floor. Said she over reached while sitting on the toilet. She had crawled over to pull her emergency cord in the bathroom to get help. She declined going to the hospital. She just literally could not get up off of the floor by herself.
She is a very alet 94 yr old who is not in need of Assisted Living. However she, like I, needs to live within a community with personal contact available daily. We have a security buidling here. No one lets anyone in the door w/o knowing they are a resident. Even relatives and caregivers have to call up to get let in the door.
For the most part we are a concerned community. However, she and I have decided to sleep with our purses locked up and the door unlocked ( in case of another emergency) Your first responsder may be your next door neighbor! We have nothing of value to steal vs. living or dying. And aren't lucky enough to get sexed in the middle of the night!! (lol)
How did I know to do all this? Because I personally had to press my own Alert button on
Thanksgiving Day when I thought I was having another stroke..Could have had a mini...... With a locked door and no fail-safe back up. Makes ya think what ya like to have done for YOU!!
EMERGENCY RESPONSE??? Tell us what you have in place. .Maybe it will help the rest of us.....
Her sister stayed on the phone with me as it is a cordless extension. I put my coat on over my Jammies and tried her door which was locked. I wasn't sure if she had her Alert pendant on or not cause I know how much she hated wearing it. I wear mine anyways. When I called the main answering sevrice in the manager's office, They said the EMS were on their way.
Then I went down to the maintenance guy's apt who lives on the 1st floor. (We are on the 9th) I knocked on his door to try to get him to unlock the door to get to her with his Master keys. (The buzzer is also sounding on the main signal board out in the hall by the office.) When he didn't answer I raised the door off its hinges pounding hard a few times and called out his name...Didn't raise anything there!
Went back upstairs and called her sister back to keep her on the phone while I got in there w/EMS to see what was going on.
There she was sitting on the floor. Said she over reached while sitting on the toilet. She had crawled over to pull her emergency cord in the bathroom to get help. She declined going to the hospital. She just literally could not get up off of the floor by herself.
She is a very alet 94 yr old who is not in need of Assisted Living. However she, like I, needs to live within a community with personal contact available daily. We have a security buidling here. No one lets anyone in the door w/o knowing they are a resident. Even relatives and caregivers have to call up to get let in the door.
For the most part we are a concerned community. However, she and I have decided to sleep with our purses locked up and the door unlocked ( in case of another emergency) Your first responsder may be your next door neighbor! We have nothing of value to steal vs. living or dying. And aren't lucky enough to get sexed in the middle of the night!! (lol)
How did I know to do all this? Because I personally had to press my own Alert button on
Thanksgiving Day when I thought I was having another stroke..Could have had a mini...... With a locked door and no fail-safe back up. Makes ya think what ya like to have done for YOU!!
EMERGENCY RESPONSE??? Tell us what you have in place. .Maybe it will help the rest of us.....
Thanks for sharing this.
Richard
They even asked my dog's name, in case they had to enter on their own.
And believe me, after four hours on the floor, not knowing if I'd broken the hip I'd landed on, it is the VERY best money I spend each month.