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Original poster

flies swarming at window, no answer door, house chock full of rubbish

301 replies

Thundercrackers · 09/01/2014 22:32

that's just it really. Elderly-ish lady living a few doors down, no family nearby, hasn't put her rubbish out this week and no light on this evening.
Am I just being the worst curtain-twitcher ever or is thia actually very concerning? I got the shivers seeing all those flies. Do you think I should ring the council in the morning and see of there's someone who could pop round and check she's ok? I don't think o could cope if it turned out she was suffering in any way and I ignored her. However, perhaps she just likes living in a crap tip? oh dear, what should I do? (off for a fret)

OP posts:
UnicornsNotRiddenByGrownUps · 10/01/2014 18:04

Awh poor lady but well done Thundercrackers. This story gave me a wee tear. My granny took ill in a very similar situation - why does it always happen the one day in a bazillion that they don't get a visits. She had a medical visit and they just knocked the door and walked away.. This made me rage. She eventually died from her injuries but thankfully warm in bed with her family with her.

JanetAndRoy · 10/01/2014 18:54

So glad this story has a happy outcome!

Plomino · 10/01/2014 22:27

Have been at work today and one of the other cars got sent to an identical call . Unfortunately when they broke in , the occupant had passed away. It seems he'd been there for at least a day , and no one had thought to check . It was only his carer that called us when she couldn't get in .

So well done you . OP ! Am so SO pleased .

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 10/01/2014 22:42

Unicorns that is Sad
I work for NHS and if I don't get a reply on the phone (we still have to visit in case they didn't hear the phone) or at the door, I knock at neighbours or check if there's a contact number.
I get Hmm looks from passers by , like I'm trying to break in.

But I saved a man's life once , he'd fallen indoors and I called an Ambulance (it was a Saturday morning, he could've been there till Monday)

He didn't send me a Thank You card or nothing

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 10/01/2014 22:43

Oh and Well Done Thunder Grin

edamsavestheday · 10/01/2014 22:52

So glad Thunder made that call and the old lady got help. Smile

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 10/01/2014 22:56

Lovely thread Op. Well done, you should be feeling really chuffed with yourself.

Hopefully the lady will be home soon with a care package in place to support her.

EasyCompadre · 10/01/2014 22:56

Well done Thunder, I hope she gets the support she needs and you see her out and about again soon.

RandyRudolf · 10/01/2014 23:01

OP, you're a star. Only just seen this thread tonight, never read anything so quickly, needed to know she was ok. Smile

As someone said up thread, it's so important to look after each other.

Quangle · 10/01/2014 23:03

polyethyl that's terrible.

thunders that's great. Hope the lady is able to recuperate and get the support she needs.

ClangerOnaComeDown · 10/01/2014 23:05

Another vote for a classic thread, promote awareness!

Well done Op

Skiskiskis · 11/01/2014 01:23

OP has done the right thing, obviously, and the outcome is great however all this back patting has kind of irked me.

We should ALL be looking out for our neighbours, especially the older ones and especially at this time of year when it's cold and dark and lots of older people are on their own.

Sorry if I've shit on anyone's sandwich but I just think it's common decency and we (generalisation) seem to be losing that. If we weren't there wouldn't have been a thread about it.

Solo · 11/01/2014 01:55

Agree Ski. Although a few years ago during the thick snow and freezing temperatures, I knocked on one of my elderly neighbours doors to offer my phone number and to do any shopping for her if she needed or wanted me to, or just if she needed help. She thanked me, but I never ever got a call from her, despite her falling and badly breaking her leg. I think she must've had a call pendant or the phone nearby when she fell though as several times I came home to find ambulances outside (3 of them one time! and a car).

Prior to that, I had assumed she was coping well, as although her house stank to high Heaven, she went out by taxi every week to do shopping and often had her hair done. She wouldn't even let me help her with her wheelie bins, even though she could hardly walk :(

What angers me for all these elderly people is that family that could help or even just bloody well visit don't! The first time I ever saw this ^^ poor womans daughter was when she was clearing out the house when the HA moved her Angry and I'd lived as her neighbour for 18 years!

Sometimes, the elderly just won't ask for help from neighbours.

Arkina · 11/01/2014 07:17

Please if anyone else is in this position dont put off calling 101. We get calls like this regularly at work and believe me the guys would rather put doors in to help someone or for a false alarm than to do it a week later to find a body.

if its a false alarm no harm done and a door can get fixed.

always better safe than sorry x

MoreBeta · 11/01/2014 23:03

Skiski/Solo - I think old people like all people are reluctant to ask for help because its a confirmation they are no longer able to cope.

Me and my wife have both told our elderly neighbour if it snows or is icey and she needs milk and bread or other bits of shopping we always have plenty in our cupboard/fridge and a Sainsbury order every week if she needs more. We also made sure that she knows if her boiler goes off she can come round and be with us in the warm until it is fixed.

At the end of the day, we can't make her ask for help though. We don't want to poke our noses into our elderly neighbours life. Her daughters often visit, about every 1 - 2 weeks and I have had a bit of a chat with them and they know they can always call us.

WelshMoth · 11/01/2014 23:15

You must OP.
This isnt sounding good.

WelshMoth · 11/01/2014 23:19

Sorry - i didnt click the 'read all messages' so I was commenting on the first few messages.

Well done OP - hope she gets all the care she needs.

ReluctantBeing · 11/01/2014 23:25

The op did a good thing. Don't get the thread deleted. It's a reminder to us all to keep an eye out on elderly neighbours.

Southsearocks · 12/01/2014 09:18

I agree, it's a great thread to keep and a really good example of "The Power of Mumsnet" Grin. You've probably saved this lady's life OP, you should feel proud Thanks

ColdTeaAgain · 12/01/2014 10:01

Another vote for keeping this thread, it shows how just a little bit of neighbourliness (is that a word?!) and a phone call can really make difference to someone in need. Well done OP :)

Thinkingofmyfabfour · 12/01/2014 10:40

Well done OP, and I agree don't delete thread. I bet anyone who reads it will then be thinking of their elderly neighbours which can only be a good thing

50ShadesofXmas · 12/01/2014 20:56

Bloody well done op, you probably saved her life!

Flowers
edamsavestheday · 13/01/2014 22:35

ski - yes of course we should all be looking out for vulnerable elderly neighbours but this thread is a useful reminder of that very fact.

ColdCottage · 20/04/2020 00:56

Well done OP. I think we all need to keep our eyes open at the moment in our communities.

HavenDilemma · 20/04/2020 01:27

@ColdCottage Zombie thread 🥺