Personal Alarms

I dialled 999 last week. As I punched in the keys, I came out in a sweat, despite the  thermometer reading its normal 18C.

Since my mother's sad departure last year, I have made friends with an estranged, widowed, childless aunt who lives in a terraced house on the edge of Leeds. Nobody knows exactly, but she is probably 93.

And deaf as a post, so I always attempt shouting at her down the phone, and then give up when she still can't hear me, and listen enthusiastically to whatever she said last time. I've grown rather fond of her.

Anyhow, I made my duty phone call, and there was no answer. So I tried again. This time the phone was picked up and then slammed down again. On my third attempt I got "eerrrgghhhh, errrggghhhhh, ahhhhhhh" and then the line went dead.

Yikes! She's dying! Who do I tell? Who do I call? I panicked. Simply couldn't think of anybody. Hence 999.

Not long later, a very nice ambulance man called me back to say my aunt was sitting in a chair, happily chatting away to his mate.

"Why don't you have a carer twice a day, and a personal alarm??" I shouted as loudly as I could, the next time I called her. "They were very handsome and charming," answered my aunt, giggling like a schoolgirl,  ignoring my questions. Clearly the ambulance men's visit had proved the highlight of her week. Well at least I have now discovered the number of her long-suffering and very patient next door neighbour.

But the experience got me thinking. What happens to me, when I slip feeding the horses and break a leg? I will die a slow and horrible death of hypothermia, not to be found until Annabel, my horse help, finds my cold, stiff corpse, next Tuesday.

So I started researching personal alarms for myself, if not for Auntie. I've found one called a 'Digital Fall Alarm' with a range of 300m, but its monitoring charge is £30pm. A 'Lone Worker' alarm costs £300 and requires GPS. There is no 4G outside my house.  So my phone won't work either. What to do?

I know!

Move!