DONEGAL Gardaí came to the assistance of an elderly lady, whose personal alarm had broken, leaving neighbours concerned for her safety.
The 89-year-old woman, who lives alone in a rural area, suffers from Alzheimers.
A neighbours telephoned Buncrana Gardaí reporting a fault in the personal alarm, which the woman wears around her neck.
Local Gardaí responded and made contact with the company responsible for the alarm.
“After some two hours of toing and froing, being passed from one operator to another, they managed to arrange for a technician to call with her the following morning,” Gardaí said.
“We are happy to report that her personal alarm and phone line were fixed and Gardai now call to ensure this lady is safe and well each day.
“For this lady the reassurance that she gets knowing she is in good hands, and that help is just the touch of a button away is all she needs to brighten her day.”
Gardaí urged people who are concerned for a family member, neighbour or vulnerable person in this difficult time, please don’t hesitate to contact them.
It was revealed yesterday that over 2,000 Donegal people currently on the government’s Seniors Alert Scheme are set to be offered extra telephone support during the pandemic.
A new befriending phone-call initiative is being delivered through the government scheme to check on older people’s wellbeing and needs at this time. The befriending scheme will be operated in conjunction with POBAL and ALONE.
The initiative requires users to test their alarms to ensure that they are still active. Monitoring providers or local community groups operating the Senior Alerts Scheme service will contact the user.
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