Neighbour calls at 8:30 am on Saturday to tell me she is stressed?

This. I volunteered to help collect things/do shopping for my community over Covid. The first event was being asked to get some milk - which I wasn’t paid for. Fair enough, small change. Second event was lady asking me to collect her prescription. She chatted a long time on the phone and it transpired her adult daughter lived in the next street and was part of her bubble. But no, she couldn’t ask her daughter to collect because “I don’t want to bother her”. So then I just helped the elderly people on our street via our street whatsapp group.

She can't be that young if she has 18 year old grandchildren. Also, are you sure she's a teacher?

But what could the OP even have done to help, though? Google something the neighbour could just have Googled herself? Let her wait in the flat while the locksmith came? There was no need - the neighbour wasn't even locked out anymore! She just rang to whine about having lost her keys! Why does that require "compassion"?

I honestly think she is not OK in asking this. Sounds like disturbed behaviour, maybe panic disorder or extreme anxiety. Others have suggested keeping firm boundaries as there is nothing you can do here unless you are prepared to get much more involved. That doesn't sound like a good idea.

You sound like a caring and helpful person and you've fallen into the trap of becoming used, favours being expected and not appreciated. I was like that and now I have set some boundaries and I'm not used as a doormat anymore. Your time is valuable too.
I'm sure if she had called an hour or 2 later you would have willingly helped. It is completely fine not to lend your keys and put yourself out. What if she lost them too!?

What age is she? My aunt started behaving like that aged 70. She was in the early stages of dementia. She was asking random people for help, losing things that weren’t lost, not knowing what time it was. Even if she is younger it still could be dementia. I know someone in their early 50s who is diagnosed. Speak to the daughter or friends in the building and tell them about the call. If it is dementia she could very well have forgotten where to find the council’s number.

Please filter the thread to read OP’s posts! Half the thread is filled with questions about the neighbour’s age and cognitive function.

I think it is obvious her daughter has lost patience with her and now she is onto you . Tell her to ask her friend in the building for help and explain you are a private tenant it's the perfect excuse/reason and have virtually no contact or knowledge of how the council runs anything.
I live in a council estate as well and people have a lot of issues Two years ago a guy ,very similar situation texted me early on a Sunday to offer his support to me as I was having problems with another neighbour and then told me he thought I had beautiful feet . It was very early and I had already told him I was off work with stress related stuff and not to contact early . We are still not speaking , It was two years ago.

I just don't answer. Unless it's an emergency or someone looking my address to deliver, it just rings away to itself as I snooze. Once I've checked who it was of course. Now that you know what she's like and that it wasn't an emergency, just don't answer.
If she asks later on why, say oh because it was too early to be answering to deal with calls from people that aren't urgent. She will either get the hint or not but still don't answer. Same with if she chaps the door. Have fun out there on my doorstep. I have been known to look at people out the window and slowly close the curtains as I keep on not answering. Sometimes 'don't come to my door before ringing me or only in an emergency' isn't enough for some people so pettiness is in order.

Yeah do not ever speak to that friggin weirdo.

What sort of emergency did she have in mind?

She does sound weird. I’d be you realise I only answered the phone at 8:30 on Saturday because I thought it might be an emergency. I’ll know better next time and no I’m not lending you my key. I’m going back to my Saturday morning now. And hang up.
i wouldn’t ordinarily be that rude although it would definitely be a no to lending the key but it sounds like she needs rude.

If you do t mind me saying, you sound incredibly hard. I hope she doesn’t contact you again and she tries to make friends elsewhere. It’s the line where you say “she tries to make small talk with you”!!!! she’s just trying to be neighbourly - what’s wrong with society. The people agreeing with you are also wrapped up in themselves and self absorbed - sorry but I think it’s true..

Why would you scrub shit off someone’s floor? You go see if they need help, call an ambulance or if not that bad get them fluids, medication, phone on charge and put them to bed. You don’t do their cleaning for them…

Absolutely batshit 😂

Whatever you do, DON'T give her any keys.
Tell her your PRIVATE landlord doesn't permit key sharing (even if it's not true).
Mute her on Whatapp.
Let any of her calls go straight to voicemail... and only answer them if you have to, days later.
When she doesn't get an instant response and/or solutions from you she will (eventually) move on to the next person she will act needy with.
She'll probably tell the other residents you are a snooty cow but that's the price you may have to pay to establish your boundaries with this person.
Good luck.

“No sorry can’t help. I have to contact my landlord.

What did your daughter say . Surely she has the council telephone/email and contact details will be on your rental demands.

If you want to be helpful ask her to get the most recent rent demand and point out to her the council contact details. Tell her you cannot contact them on her behalf because councils run personal security checks and she must not divulge these to anyone and this is because of prevalence of sub letting (which your own landlord may also be doing) so keep well out of it.

Help me out here - how can a 45 year old have an 18 year old granddaughter? 😳

This woman is clearly a pest and best avoided. The fact that she has started on about you lending her money to loan her poor friends is a screaming red flag.

OP has been asked this MANY times and has replied.

RTFT

Sorry meant to add into my post, assign a certain ringtone for her on your phone (a very quiet one) so she’s not disturbing you in the future - but from what I’ve read of your posts I’d try and distance myself as much as possible x