A REDDITCH man whose elderly mum received life-saving help from Lifeline just weeks after having the alarm fitted, has thanked those who helped.
Muriel Moulder had the Lifeline buzzer fitted around six weeks ago after her family decided it would be a good ‘safety net’ option for her.
The usually fit and healthy 89 year-old had been out Christmas shopping with her son Steve last Thursday (December 15) just hours before she began to feel hot, queasy and unwell.
Steve and his wife Caroline drove over immediately to help Muriel, but didn’t realise the situation was particularly serious.
“I thought it was probably just a bug and had planned to take her back to our house for the night,” said Steve. “I dread to think what could have happened without Lifeline stepping in.”
It transpired that Muriel, who lives in Batchley, was feeling more unwell than she had let on and had pressed her Lifeline button moments after calling her son.
A member of the team then telephoned her and immediately decided to call for an ambulance.
56 year-old Steve added: “While we were discussing what to do, Lifeline took the decision out of our hands. We were actually wasting vital time and I am so grateful to Lifeline for acting so quickly to help my mum.
“What we thought was a virus turned out to be a heart attack and without the advice and quick thinking of the Lifeline staff, things could have turned out very differently.
“The paramedics arrived and they were just amazing. My mum became very frightened and was refusing to go to hospital, but they spoke with her and calmed her down until she agreed to get in the ambulance. Without their patience and skill, it would have been a lot more stressful for my mum and made her situation even worse.”
Muriel was then taken to the Worcester Royal Hospital where she was immediately taken in for emergency heart surgery.
“Mum’s treatment the whole way through this process has been wonderful – we couldn’t have asked for more, “ said Steve.
Muriel is now out of hospital and being cared for by Steve and Caroline at their home in Headless Cross.
The Council’s Head of Service Judith Willis, who covers community safety, said: “Our community alarm service provides peace of mind 24 hours per day, 365 days per year to vulnerable people in Redditch Borough and their families
“Our friendly, caring operators are fully trained to respond promptly in emergencies to summon the necessary help, advise family members or carers and reassure the user that help is on the way.
“This latest case demonstrates our service in action and I am delighted that Mrs Moulder is on the mend and proud that our officers’ hard work has been recognised.”
The NEW Lifeline services are available to residents from as little as £3.70 a week. As well as the familiar pendant buttons and special Lifeline phones, some people also take advantage of extra facilities like linked up smoke and carbon monoxide alarms or key safes. Visit
http://www.redditchbc.gov.uk/living/support-at-home/new-lifeline.aspx to find out more about Lifeline.
