“Each fall you have undermines your confidence”
Mrs Kingsley and her grandson
Mrs Kingsley from Jesmond has lived in her home for 21 years and joined Ostara three years ago when a friend recommended it to her. We met up with her recently to find out what she likes about the service.
Why did your friend recommend Ostara to you?
I was worried about falling again. I had previously fallen down near my sofa and I couldn’t get up and no one knew I was there. I didn’t know what to do. I had to drag myself up using the cushions. It was awful. I told my friends about what happened and that I was afraid of something like this happening again and they told me about Ostara. Each fall you have undermines your confidence and you can’t expect family to always be there so it makes me feel safe knowing I have a safety net.
Have you had a fall since you joined Ostara?
Unfortunately I have. I tripped wearing my slippers and banged my head on the window sill. I couldn’t get up so I pressed my pendant and Peter came out to me straightaway. He was lovely; he calmed me down and knew exactly what to say, what to do and how to do it.
Would you recommend Ostara to your friends?
Yes of course. It’s a great service; it gives you the confidence that someone is always there to come and help you. The response officers are really caring and sympathetic towards the elderly and have made me feel really at ease.
Christopher Davies, Mrs Kingsley’s grandson lives nearby:
“I wasn’t aware that my Grandma was using the service until I saw the bracelet on her wrist. It’s great as it takes the pressure off me and my mum: if we are not here and something happens we know that someone will come to help. There’s an SOS button on my Grandma’s phone but even if she presses that my mum might not always answer; with this service you know that someone is always there
Peter Matfin, one of Ostara’s 24 hour response officers, helped Mrs Kingsley after her fall:
“It was my pleasure to help Mrs Kingsley after she hit her head. Our customers rely on us in their hour of need and are often lonely, scared and in discomfort when I visit them so I always take the time to reassure them and I never leave them until they are safe and comfortable. It’s lovely to hear from them when they get back on their feet again too, that’s what our service is all about.