On Friday 20 July 2007, Judy
Faulkner's life was turned upside down. Her Warwickshire village,
Shipston-on-Stour, saw some of the worst floods Britain had
experienced in decades.
That morning, she remembers, the sky was black. By 3pm, the
village was cut off, her cottage was under three feet of water and
she had fled upstairs. She remained in her bedroom without phone or
power until Sunday. When she found out repairs to her cottage would
take at least 18 months, she rented a mobile home.
However, Judy, 94, has severe back pain and difficulty walking
and bending and couldn't cope with the mobile home's bathroom. So
we paid for a walk-in bath and bathroom equipment.
One of Independent Age's greatest strengths is that in a crisis,
we provide help fast. One small thing - a cheque for a walk-in
bath - meant the difference between Mrs Faulkner staying
independent or having to go into care.
She said: 'I am so grateful for the immediate help you have been
to me during this huge upheaval and disaster.'
Mrs Faulkner wasn't the only person we helped immediately.
Within days of the floods, we had written to each of the older
people we help in the flooded areas, offering to pay
for essential items not covered by insurance. Local volunteers
checked the older people were safe and alerted social services to
addresses where vulnerable people were living alone without
power.
