If
you live alone and don't have many friends, who would know if something
happened to you?
If
an accident occurred and you died at home alone, what state would your body be
in by the time someone found you?
Sadly,
for some people, such as the elderly with no family or friends, or those who
isolate themselves from social interaction - including some hoarders and those with issues relating to Autism and neuro-diversity - the
answers to these questions can be painful to hear, and decidedly unpleasant
for the rescuers if the scenario came true.
Add
this to the conscious and unconscious anxiety that often goes along
with having heaps of stuff ("what shall we do with it? I don't want
it to go to waste; it might come in handy one day so I shouldn't get rid
of it"), and the result can be a melt-down which causes people to freeze
with fear, and end up doing nothing.
So
how CAN people reduce the risk of all this happening?
Here are a few options which could reduce the amount of time that might go by
before an alarm was raised about a person's wellbeing and location.
Cultivate
a friendly neighbour
Maybe
have an agreement with a friendly neighbour, postman or firefighter
or police officer whereby if your curtains aren’t pulled back by a certain time
each day, they phone you or knock on your door to check you’re OK.
- You may want to make it a reciprocal arrangement and give them a key, as
my elderly father did with his elderly neighbour, supporting each other.
- A firefighter or police officer might be a good person to befriend, as
it would probably be they who would be the ones authorised to break in if
nobody else has a key, or knows the code for a key safe https://keysafe.co.uk
Phone call
check-ups
CareCalls is a telephone
reassurance call service where - for just £3 per week - you can get up
to 4 automated phone calls per day, seven days per week. And if they
don’t respond someone else (who you nominate – preferably with a key to your
property) is informed. www.carecalls.co.uk.
- I can’t
vouch for them personally (yet), but it seems a great idea
- If
you’re often out and about (including holidays), choose a time for the
calls that would suit your schedule.
AgeUK also offers a “Call
in Time” service, where you get to actually talk with someone, although
that’s primarily for people over 60.
Neighbourhood Watch/religion/culture watch
Perhaps
ask your local Neighbourhood Watch group, local religious
or cultural group for some advice or support.
Lions Club Message in
a Bottle
I organise for all my
elderly or vulnerable clients who live at home alone to have a LionsClub Message in a Bottle (usually available from local community or
day care centres).
Legal stuff - Lasting
Power of Attorney (LPA) & Will
Appointing
an Attorney to act on your behalf if something happened to you would
ensure someone can make decisions about your affairs (health and wellbeing,
finance and property) if you are incapacitated (ie. not dead but unwell – eg.
had a serious stroke).
Crucially, a solicitor can act as an Attorney,
which could be appropriate for anyone who doesn’t have any close relatives or
friends who could act on their behalf.
Consult a solicitor to
create a Will; this will ensure that your funeral and disposal of assets are
carried out according to your wishes. https://www.gov.uk/make-will
Fit a Telecare System
Having done Surrey Fire & Rescue Service's excellent Dementia training, we're massive fans of Telecare systems.
They provide a 24-hour emergency call system, which empowers people to live independently in their own home, safe in the knowledge that help is at hand at the touch of a button.
The equipment is easy to install and consists of a small base unit linked to your telephone socket and a pendant trigger, which can be worn discreetly around a resident's neck or wrist. They can simply press a button in an emergency and an alarm call will be sent to their alarm centre, which is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Consult your local authority for details of your local scheme.
Safe & Well Check (also known as a Home Fire Safety Check)
The
visits focus on three key areas:
·
Identify
and be aware of the potential fire risks within your home.
·
Know
what to do in order to reduce or prevent these risks.
·
Put
together an escape plan in case a fire does break out and ensure you have
working smoke alarms.
The
inspection of your home is not as intrusive as it sounds. The Fire & Rescue
Service will visit your home, sit down and talk to you about fire safety issues
in your home covering areas such as electrical safety, smoking safety and the
use of electric blankets.
Then,
with your permission, they’ll look at the various rooms within your home paying
particular attention to areas such as overloads plug sockets or wires trapped
under carpets. They will also ensure that doors shut correctly and advise you
of any remedial work that they feel may be in order for you to become safer
within your home. You are welcome to ask any questions that you feel you need
answering in respect of your home safety. They will also run through an escape
plan if you do not already have one.
In
addition to the above, you may qualify for free smoke alarms to be fitted
within your home. The Fire & Rescue Service will carry this out completely
free of charge and can fit them in a matter of minutes, ensuring you are safer
from the moment they leave.
Ask a trusted person to help you declutter
your piles
Areas
of your home that attract mountains of clutter (like newspapers) can become a
death trap if avalanches occur.
A
declutter buddy must be empathetic, non-judgemental and have your best
interests in mind, rather than their own agenda.
And
if you can’t find a declutter-buddy to help you, there’s bound to be a
professional organiser nearby who can. Find
one here. Not all of them work have experience of
working with hoarders or people with mental health problems, so be choosy and do ask lots of questions
until you feel comfortable you’ve found the right person.
Use the ice-breaker form
If any or all of this becomes just too
overwhelming and makes you feel ill or at your wits end, fear not - all is not
lost.
Download and complete this ice-breaker form, to start up a conversation with your GP or other medical practitioner
to ask for help. If it doesn’t say
exactly what you want to say, don’t worry – nothing is perfect; write on it and
play around with the words until it says what you want it to say.
Find out more about it here.
It’ll be a starting point that will give
you something to talk about, and could mean that if something happens, you won’t be alone in your home - lost
amongst the piles - for too long before help arrives.
Do please let us know how you get on.
First published July 2015 - updated June 2016
