Please, please PLEASE check on elderly neighbors in this frigid cold

[Disney1fan2002]

I worked this weekend and a Critical Alert was called on a patient being transported by EMS from home. Her power had gone out, and she lost her heat. She was found under her kitchen table in the fetal position, wrapped in a thin blanket. High temp that day was 16 degrees F. Her core body temp on arrival was 26.4 degrees C. That converts to 79.5 degrees F.

One of the EMS workers mentioned that the house across the street had a wood-burning stove. It is so sad that people no longer know their neighbors or even care about them.

Fortunately, she was found in time, we warmed her up and she is doing fine. Still in the hospital, but she is now talking and in a warm bed.

 

[Keli]

Truthfully I don't know my neighbors well at all. But if I knew an elderly person lived alone near by I would certainly check on them if the power went out.

 

[HeatherC]

So very sad to hear something like this. Just last week I started a thread about my 78 year old dad wanting to be left alone during a snowstorm that was bringing extremely cold temps, record breaking tides (he is near beach) and high winds with risk of power outages. We wanted him to stay with my brother who lives nearby just to be safe. He refused and we were frustrated. I dont even remember how many people commented on how it was his right to just stay. I wonder if this woman did the same thing and told her family she was fine....or if she even had family to worry about her.

Totally agree....if you have elderly neighbors please check on them. You just don't know what the story is and it is better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Domo]

Very kind sentiment. We checked on an elderly neighbour over the Christmas period; turns out everybody else had had the same idea too and we had to book an appointment with her!

 

[powellrj]

I had a dear friend who died because she fell out of bed and couldn’t get to a blanket. She didn’t want to call anybody because she didn’t want to be a bother. Her core body temp got so low she never recovered. There were so many people in her life that would have been there quickly and not thought it was a bother.