NURSE LINDA’S BLOG 

Linda Hitt Kempf, RN, LNHA

One morning, a few weeks ago, as I often do I worked through the night on my computer, writing, until sunrise. Around 10 a.m. my three large watchdogs began barking incessantly. They are territorial, with excellent hearing, possessing ferocious barks, and willing to do whatever necessary to protect us. All their incessant barking awakened me after three hours sleep. In addition, just to let me know if anyone should turn my door knobs or try to open doors, I keep loud jingle bells on a long leather strap attached to every door knob, which make a lot of noise if a knob is turned or the door is even touched. At that time, I thought I heard the back door knob bell strap rattle. Thinking I was just being paranoid, I convinced myself that I was hearing things.  

Then, I glanced out my bedroom windows and saw a man on foot, approaching my family room door, but no delivery trucks or cars had come down the driveway.  I tried to command to memory everything I could about him for the police. I noted he was thin, about 5’8”, short black dirty hair and overall he appeared unkempt. I noted his dirty tan jacket and jeans. I saw him looking into my family room through the glass door. Then...he tried to open it...because the bells jingled. So the jingle I had heard earlier was indeed real. I was not wrong. I was furious to think anyone would violate our home like that. 

Then, I felt terrified because I realized I was defenseless. We never owned guns in all our years of marriage, because when the kids were growing up we feared having them around. However, in that moment, I felt afraid, more afraid than I had ever felt before. I was home alone, with a vagrant, on foot, trying to break into my home. I grabbed my cordless phone,  threw on a robe and went tiptoeing into the family room to see where this burglar was. My home is all glass and wood, so visibility is great, but he was not to be seen. I had already dialed 911 on my way into the family room. 

While I was talking to the dispatcher, I went to sit by my front door, when suddenly that doorknob turned, and when those bells rattled I thought I was going to have my experience with incontinence, truly. I sat trembling waiting for the police.

About that precise moment out of the blue, my husband called from work to chat! I whispered (since the burglar was on the front porch still) “Someone is trying to get into our house.” He said, “I will call you right back.” Then he called my neighbors in the front of us who have guns because the husband is a hunter, very familiar with guns. Hubby asked them to drive back until the police arrived. It seemed like an eternity before the police finally got here, but it must have only been about ten to fifteen minutes, because my neighbors drove back in front of them.

I called my husband and told him on his way home to check into buying a gun. Now, we have a gun at home, and we are taking lessons so we understand how to use it right.  We discovered that in order to carry a gun in the glove box of your car ( like on trips, etc.) you have to take and  pass a gun safety and skill testing program to ensure you can use your gun properly and shoot a target in a manner that you are not a threat to yourself or others. That is the avenue we are going down...to be responsible gun owners who know how to protect ourselves. 

What else we did, that readers may want to consider: 

We activated the alarm system we had installed when we built our home. We had gotten lax about turning it on after so many years with no problems, but now we feel differently. We are trying to become as proactive as possible so we will never have to feel reactive without any means to protect our home and loved ones. If anyone had ever told me we would be gun owners, I would have vehemently argued the safety of having a gun. Now, I feel differently and in fact, I feel it is my obligation to have some way to protect myself.

To all adult children of aging loved ones and all those out there who live alone, or just for everyone to be safer, consider these suggestions:

Talk to someone reputable about investing in an easy to operate monitored alarm system so you have your doors secured and alarms on all windows, and places of entry or exit. Garage doors that lock help too to make you feel more secure. We installed new ones after my incident. Most cost under $1000.

If you don’t have a watchdog, you may want to get one. Standard Poodles, and many other breeds have keen hearing and are excellent at letting you know someone is near. 

When away from home, keep lights on timers so vandals won’t think the house is empty. 

Always keep a charged cordless phone clipped to your robe or clothing at all times when home, in or out of bed, so if something happens to you, dialing the phone for 911 is something you can do to summons help. I have a two phone system I love by Panasonic Model KX-TG2432 which is an older model. It has two phones and two bases so one is charging at all times, plus it comes with a clip on it to grip clothing).

Finally, I recommend strongly that all seniors living alone invest $40 a month in the  local Lifeline device, which some wear as a necklace with the button to press under their clothing or outside it. Once the button is pressed, it activates a call to the monitoring service who then call you. If no answer, your emergency list is called along with 911 so help is on the way. The monitoring service calls you to see if they need to send an ambulance. These systems are inexpensive, normally under $40 a month. 

Locally, Patrick Coomes installs a Lifeline system for you in 24 hours of being called. Great service. He can be reached at 502.896.2316, with Senior Care Experts ...who also deliver meals to your door for a small charge if you no longer choose to prepare meals.

To all our readers...I suggest that we all need to be proactive...not reactive. Secure and not afraid.  Responsible but never reckless with any protective means we choose to use within our homes to provide us a way to protect ourselves from harm.

Before investing in a home alarm system, which is a bit of an investment, contact the BBB.