Longford Leader's Mattie Fox: An alarm makes it safer for older people to remain independent

Things that make a person safer include a personal alarm, and monitor.

There are other things that would greatly enhance the security of the older person. Some older people are reluctant to engage with many of the accessories that are cheaply available, in order to reduce their strain whether that be on the back, the upper body, or the legs.

All of which are rendered under a certain inevitable strain by everyday tasks like carrying in firewood, or turf, or whatever is being burned in the home. There are several handy trolleys available to buy, that make such tasks possible without any strain whatsoever.

For some strange reason, when we get older, many of the age take a very strident resistant stand, and would do anything before giving in and recognising that they’re not teenagers any more , and need the help.

Doesn’t stop anyone doing what they want, in fact it makes doing what you want more enjoyable.

For my own part, I wish I’d thought of some very convenient contraptions that are available in several places, such as Argos, long ago.

That way, I wouldn’t now have a weakened back.

Monitors, such as are available from the State, are marvellous applications, that make for a very secure state of mind, and any time you get into trouble, you know there is help at hand.

You might never, ever use it, but isn’t that just the point?

An alarm is another thing that makes it safer for older people to remain independent.

The move to inform the people is a very good initiative, and we should applaud the parties who are responsible, for their vision.

They ran the advert in the Independent on Monday, in Irish, and later in the week in the language of the majority, English.
It’s a great pity, but very few Seniors understand the language sufficiently to decipher what was being broadcast in the first advert.

It could have been double Dutch to the vast majority of readers.

Still, the Government is obliged to run the advert in both languages. The Gaeilgeoirí among us would be up in arms if not.
And maybe they are right, too. It’s one of the few opportunities to use the National language.

The advert is announcing the availability of monitors, personal alarms, and communication by phone in the event of anyone feeling bad or taking suddenly ill.

This is something to be seized upon by those in the process of getting older. Nobody should be bothered by that, since it is a fact. Getting old is part of living, and life. Just because you feel the necessity to engage with assistance doesn’t mean you’re in the last throes of life itself.

I read the obituaries and notice how many particularly in the UK live to be well over ninety. It seems the majority of those passing away, reach a long and fruitful life.

Make sure you get a chance to avail of monitors, personal alarms, and be happy to get a communication by phone.

It’s your right, and surely we should avail of every protective measure.

If you drive a car, you must get insurance.

That doesn’t mean you must crash.

Someone once said “don’t worry about getting old; it’s a privilege a lot of our friends didn’t have!”

Read more from Mattie Fox here.