Elderly woman trapped in home for four days after falling
November 22, 2011
For senior Bettie Mantzke, the word mailman has a new meaning – hero. According to CBS affiliate station WTSP in Davenport[1], Iowa, mailman Michael Bitterman had been working his regular route when he noticed something strange at Mantzke’s home.
“I noticed her mail had been piling up and i saw the newspapers,” Bitterman told the source.
He added that his suspicion caused him to walk up to the house where he could hear Mantzke calling for help from inside.
“I heard her yelling for help, telling me to call the police, call 9-1-1 and I told her I did and then she told me break down the door,” Bitterman told the publication. “So I kicked and kicked and got it open.”
Once inside, he found the elderly woman lying on the floor. She had been there for four days without food or water after suffering a fall with no way to call for help. If Bitterman hadn’t followed up on his gut feeling, Mantzke could have been trapped there for longer, as he told the source he’s never seen any visitors or family at her house.
Mantzke is currently in the hospital recovering and Bitterman has already been in to see her.
As a senior, living at home can be dangerous especially if family and friends aren’t close by. One way to reduce fear is to wear a medical alert smartwatch as this wearable device allows a person to call for emergency assistance should they fall or have any other type of accident.
