Quick thinking Cornwall Housing Officer saves man on the brink of a coma

Cornwall Housing Scheme Officer Suzanne Fedrick saved a man from the verge of a diabetic coma recently, and potentially saved his life.

Suzanne, who works for Cornwall Housing, raised her concern about a gentleman in Torpoint, South East Cornwall, who had not been seen for a couple of days and had not been answering his phone which was out of character for him.  After requesting a welfare check, Suzanne gained access to the property via a key safe and discovered the gentleman in a severely confused state and drifting in and out of consciousness.

With support from the wider Independent Living Team at Cornwall Housing, Suzanne then quickly called an ambulance who advised he was on the verge of a diabetic coma and was then admitted to hospital by the paramedics.

Nyree Laugharne, Independent Living Service Manager for Cornwall Housing said “We then discovered the gentleman in his early 60’s, had not eaten for a number of days. We found out that he had been depressed and anxious and without any funds to feed and look after himself.”

The quick-thinking Cornwall Housing Officer, Suzanne, then contacted the local food bank to arrange a care package for his return home, and involved the Inclusion Advisor team to arrange an urgent visit for them to help with his benefits and financial situation.

“If Suzanne had not been in to check on him the outcome would have been fatal,” added Nyree. “She went above and beyond her role to ensure the wellbeing of a vulnerable tenant living in our community and we’re very proud of her.”