Community

Muintir Na Tire Supports

Seniors Alert Scheme:

The Seniors Alert Scheme (SAS) has been established to encourage community support for vulnerable older people in our communities. It provides funding for a personal monitored alarm, connected to a contact centre to enable older persons of 65 or older and of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. This is a grant that is available through Community based organisations such as Community Alert, Active Retired, ICA and others to draw down funding for the purchase of Socially Monitored Pendant alarms for those aged 65 yrs and over.

It is a non means tested grant which covers the full cost of purchase and installation for the devic. After the 1st year there is an Annual monitoring fee of approx €65. These alarms have proven over many years to be not only a great asset for those who might be feeling vulnerable or isolated but indeed a life saving device in some cases.

As the Winter months are presenting us all with dark evenings and very long nights, it is essential that we all stay as connected as possible to a trusted friend, neighbour or Family member, with this in mind it is advisable that you have ready access to the phone numbers of those people and to ensure that mobile phones have adequate credit and are charged up at all times. In order to prevent isolation and loneliness it may be a good idea to have a conversation with at least one person outside your home every day. Do NOT where possible allow ANY person who is not known to you to enter your home on the pretext of doing odd jobs, selling wares or saying that they are from any agency, remember it is your home and you have the total right to refuse entry.

Most people think they have a safe hiding place in the home for cash where no one could possibly find it, unfortunately NOT TRUE as there is no safe hiding place in any home for large amounts of money. More than ever now in the run up to Christmas it is hugely important that we only keep enough cash at home to see us through to the end of the week, all savings should be kept safely in a financial institution.

DO NOT employ casual workers who may call offering to do various jobs around the house or farmyard. If you need a job done ask a trusted neighbour of friend to recommend someone they know.

Ensure that you have working alarms, no one ever imagines that the accident will happen in their premises but it is vital that you have at least one of each type of alarm installed in your home. Muintir Na Tire have a limited amount of Carbon Monoxide alarms and may be able to deliver one to your home.

When leaving the house during darkness it is wise to leave on a few lights in various locations in the house, it may give the impression to callers that the house is occupied, and it is nicer and less lonely to arrive home with the house lit up as opposed to total darkness.

Everyone whether young or old, has been affected by the restrictions the virus is placing on people, but it is important to remember that it will eventually pass and we will be able in the not too distant future to have some normality restored.

If I can be of any assistance with anything mentioned in this article please do not hesitate to contact me whenever it suits you and together we will hopefully solve whatever problem there is, and its important to remember that the problem is usually not as big as you thought once it is shared with someone else.