Older people and vulnerable members of the community are being encouraged to keep a bottle of something special - their personal information - in the fridge, just in case of an emergency. And special containers are now available to help them do it.
Everything from illnesses and allergies to the medication a person is taking, who to contact in an emergency and how, can now be recorded and placed in a clear plastic bottle, which is then stored in the person’s fridge, giving easy access to vital information if the police, ambulance or fire service are ever called to the person’s home.
The ‘Message In A Bottle’ scheme also provides special stickers to put on the fridge door and on the inside of the front door so as not to be visible from outside which means anyone arriving to provide assistance will be alerted that the person has signed up to the initiative.
The containers are now available across Northern Ireland and in Ards, the Community Safety Partnership has thousands to give away free of charge to any older or vulnerable person.
Bob Wilson, Community Safety Coordinator for Ards, explains the benefits:
“This is all about ensuring that important information is literally at the finger tips of the emergency services if they are needed at an older person’s home,” he said. “Just as important however, is the fact that the whole idea provides reassurance
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to the person concerned. They know that key, and potentially life-saving, information will be in the right hands in seconds. I would encourage elderly or vulnerable residents, particularly those living alone, to request a bottle, fill in their details and benefit from what is a very simple, but very effective new initiative”.
Message In A Bottle is being jointly funded by the Community Safety Unit of the Northern Ireland Office, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, PSNI and Northern Ireland Policing Board. Help The Aged and Age Concern are also supporting the project.
Anyone who would like further information or to request one of the bottles, free of charge, should contact Bob Wilson, Community Safety Coordinator at Ards Borough Council, Tel: 028 9182 4047.
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