General Chat

I live in a local authority sheltered housing scheme, we have a warden on the scheme 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday but not at weekends.

About 45 minutes ago, a paramedic fast response vehicle followed by an ambulance, with their blue lights on and sirens blaring, raced into the scheme.

Turns out that one of my neighbours had popped in to check on an old guy who lives a few doors from her and found him lying on the floor unconscious. She called the ambulance service and they arrived very quickly - sadly the paramedics pronounced him dead, appears he had probably been dead for several hours :-(

R.I.P. Dixie, you were a lovely guy, many in this scheme - including myself, will miss your banter and wicked sense of humour <3

RIP Dixie......

OFITG <3

Very Sad RIP Dixie
My Mum lived in a sheltered housing association. To start with they had a warden on duty at weekends as well as in the week. Then she wanted a holiday so they employed another warden to share the duties.
Funny thing was in the end they both took the same time off and left residents without a warden at weekends.

Seems a stupid idea to me and as Mum said, 'you must'nt be in need at weekends.

Thanks Mersey <3 Dixie lived 2 doors from me, I was sitting outside his flat with him yesterday having a cigarette and a blether, neighbours and myself can't take what happened in yet.

Very sad OFITG - you must be feeling quite shaken :-(

RIP Dixie <3

RIP Dixie <3 <3

condolences OFITG <3

Thanks Phyll, SueMaid, maggiewinchester, and AnnCardiff, - I suppose that doing away with cover at weekends is just another one of the many cuts to services for the elderly and vulnerable.

I believe several years ago this scheme had a resident warden. When I moved here in 2011 we had cover 9am till 5pm 7 days a week that was reduced to only Monday to Friday at the end of 2012 - answer we get about what to do if no warden is on duty - pull your alarm cord. Sadly Dixie was found on the floor in the middle of his sitting room - several feet from either of the 2 alarm cords in that room.

After finding out what happened with Dixie - I suppose I should take some comfort, that after a recent fall, my doctor has persuaded, the housing association that runs this scheme, to agree to provide me with one of those personal alarms, the type you wear round your neck and which is linked into a schemes main alarm system, when I will get this is anyone's guess & I will never understand why these are not provided to all vulnerable residents in sheltered houding schemes.

RIP Dixie <3

OFITG <3 <3

I'm so sorry to read this OFITG, you must all be very shaken.

My elderly neighbour (a few years ago) had a 'panic button' installed. It was rigged to her phone, if she pressed it the operator called the number of the nearest key holder first - this was me. I let myself in to assess the situation and I'm sure I was able to pick up my neighbours phone and the operator was waiting on the line.
Happily, it was not an emergency but the system certainly worked.
I'm sure my neighbour got this through social services
Please don't hang about if you are concerned. I'm sure Age UK would point you in the right direction.
<3

Thanks Fly and Island <3

Sorry to read this OFITG .i know about panic button linked to phone my aunty had one .Age uk or Cab would help if you are worried ..they soon fix them for you ,Take care RIP your friend & neighbour Barbra x

R.I.P Dixie.

Thanks Barbra <3 from what I have been able to establish these personal alarms are available as part of the alarm pull cord system installed in each dwelling which in turn are connected to a central 24/7 control centre, the cost for this service is paid for through the management charges we pay each month - that said, they do not widely publicise that you can if you wish, have the personal alarm - probablt because they want to try and save money.

Thanks *** Mummo *** <3 Dixie was a lovely guy and a good friend :-)

Sorry to hear of the loss of your mate Dixie <3

sometimes these warden controlled housings really dont work

My dads sister Caroline lived in old peoples flat in Scotland that had the warden living on site in one of the flats

Auntie was very hard of hearing in her later years so when I rang her I hung on and on to see if she would answer which she usually did. One time I did say to her I was worried cos you didnt answer several phone calls and she said with a giggle dont worry if anything happens to me I will let you know!!

Well it did happen and it was only the milkman delivering milk that she had every 3 days that he noticed his last delivery hadnt been taken in :-0

He went to the warden and expressed his concerns so the warden let themselves into her flat to find she had passed away . An autopsy found she had been gone at least a week

I wasnt impressed with how the warden looked after his duties.seemed to me he was living rent free but not being vigilant of his patch which was why he was there

Thank you Shirley~I,m getting the hang of it <3

I have to say that I've some concerns about what protection sheltered housing schemes provide for elderly people.

Our warden who is quite a nice guy does not live in the scheme, he lives about 7 miles away. He arrives at 9am and leaves at 5pm Monday to Friday, what he actually does I honestly don't know. I see him sometimes wandering around the scheme, it must be at least 2 months since I had contact with him and that was when he knocked on my door because as he wanted to check the smoke alarm, they check them every 3 months - I don't jest when I say that between these 3 monthly checks, I have no other contact unless I bump into him on the few ocassions I am out and about :-S

Sorry to hear this news OFITG <3

R.I.P........Dixie

Emma x

Thanks Emma <3 Dixie was a Scot and proud of it :-)

It's sad when we lose friends and more so
when it is suddenly <3