SAFETY FOR THE ELDERLY

There is not a lot of crime against older people; they remain the least likely of all victims. However there are things you can do to protect elderly relatives or neighbours and to make them feel better.
You could offer to fit better locks, door viewers, and security chains. Just giving your time can make them feel safer, especially if they are alone.

IF YOU ARE ELDERLY HOW CAN YOU STAY SAFE!

Many of your things will have a lot of sentimental value. Protect them by making sure your home is safe, and by marking your property. (See pages on property marking.) You may be able to get help to pay for door and window locks, and door chains. Ask the Local Housing Department or the Crime Prevention Officer at your local Police Office. Always lock up, even when you are popping out to the local corner shop. If you belong to a senior citizens lunch or social club, ask them to get the police or other speaker to give you advice on stopping crime.

Keep an eye out for your neighbour and they will keep an eye out for you. If you see anything that worries you contact the Police. Make sure you are safe when you are out. (see section further on in this page) Never keep savings in the house. Put them in the bank, post office, or Building Society. Don`t let in strangers at the door. They may say they are builders, tradesmen, from the Council, or offer to buy furniture and pictures. If you aren`t sure ask a friend or neighbour. Reda our pages on Bogus Callers

For contact telephone numbers for matters affecting the elderly.

Where possible elderly people should have a `phone in the house to phone the Police, ambulance or other emergency services. You can also keep in touch with friends and family who may worry about you.

If you are worried about the usual £30.00 per quarter running a phone, then BT offer a "Light User Scheme" which offers a rebate to people who seldom use the phone. This can reduce a very low bill from just over the £30.00 to £18.00.
Another option, although extreme, is a facility wich allows you to have a phone in the house and can only be used for `999` calls and calls to BT. There are restrictions on having this facility, i.e. You cannot have a mobile account, and you cannot have an account with another line rental company.

Contact BT sales for more information.

A lot of people can feel unconfortable at the best of times answering the phone, but when a phone becomes a means of annoyance or assistance to a criminal then we must be on our guard.

Annoying, indecent, menacing or malicious calls can have a very emotional effect on the recipient, especially if you are elderly or a female. Observe some rules when answering or dealing with callers:

Answer the phone by saying "Hello", but don`t give away your name or phone number. Make sure callers identify themselves before continuing any conversation. In a telephone directory have only your initials displayed. If they claim to have misdialed and ask you what number they actually dialed, don`t give them your number. Ask them to repeat the number they dialed and state whether it was correctly dialled or not. If it was correctly dialled then explain they have been given the incorrect number in the first place.

Be sure you know who the caller is before discussing any personal details. If you use an answering machine do not record your name or personal details on it as part of the greeting. Do not say you are out, on holiday or away on business. Simply say you "cannot answer the phone at the moment." If you receive an annoying phone call do not react. This may be what the caller wishes. Making you shout scream or blowing whistles down the line becomes a source of fun for them. Simply HANG UP.

Consider why someone has phoned you. Are they trying to get you to part with savings. Even a small amount from you can accumulate when they are taking money from hunders or thousands of people. View or page on Money Matters before you part with money, especially based on a phone call.

If any problems persist then contact the police or the Malicious Caller Bureau at BT. There are a wide range of services available to eliminate the problem.