Staff help beat the big freeze

Staff have been working around the clock to make sure frail and elderly residents are not left high and dry in the current arctic conditions.

We've seen a big increase in calls for help since temperatures plunged across the area, but managed to deal with emergency heating complaints, and check up on 150 vulnerable customers who receive homecare.

At 10 sheltered housing schemes across the district, our staff have been supporting the residents including shopping on behalf of the more frail residents, salting footpaths and digging out snowbound vehicles.

Elsewhere, a Sentinel caretaker cleared the way for a 94-year-old resident in Monks Sherborne to get to an ambulance so she didn't miss a vital hospital appointment.

And upon receiving a call from a lone pensioner with a broken boiler, Sentinel contractors CHS were able to get to him with a replacement boiler and install it the same day.

Sentinel Chief Executive Martin Nurse said: "Our staff have performed exceptionally well in very difficult circumstances, and I'm very proud of them.

"Despite all the efforts of our staff, our resources are limited and we appreciate very much all the support for older people from neighbours, for which we're grateful."

Households across the area reported power cuts, burst pipes, and heating failures. But by Friday 8 January, no one was without heating, and Sentinel maintenance contractors are now working on the backlog of repairs caused by the big freeze.