I know this is not about France but nevertheless the subject is linked.
On the 9th of January a 2 year old boy was found dead alongside the body of his father who had apparently died of a heart attack no later than the 29th of December.
The family was a subject of regular social services visits and one such was arranged for the 2nd of January.
The social worker arrived on the due date but got no answer to her knock. She reported this to her superiors who reportedly alerted the police.
Another attempt was made, I think about the 7th, but entry was not gained by the police, after I think contact was made via a neighbour with the landlady of the property, 'till the 9th.
It is suspected that the man died of a heart attack and perhaps the death of the 2 year old attributed to starvation.
The question is, what transpired after the referral to the police on the 2nd, if plans had been in place for emergencies this little boy’s life might have been saved. It is unbearable to imagine his feelings throughout those long days and nights.
So, I wonder what would happen in France, does anybnody know what if any protocol exists?
This is not a new thought for me, with Fran almost totally disabled and me hardly in the first flush of youth, what would happen if I pegged out in the middle of the night?
Well I did take some steps a long time ago. Our door is always open and unlocked during the day and it is accepted that the aides ring first but enter anyway if there is no response, and indeed I cannot always be here. But if something happened during the night the front door shutters would bar entry. I have told neighbours and the 2 aide organisations of a way that they can gain entry even then. In the light of this sad story I think I might make it more official because, never having been used it may be forgotten.
At least one of our aides was faced with an unexpectedly locked door and there was a coded key box somewhere with the code available by a phone call to the office.
I wonder what others think and if they have taken steps to avoid something similar.
My niece is a social worker and some of the stories she has told me had me in tears you would not believe it. My son rings me every day, has a key which works if my key is in the lock same time and is only ten mins away so hope we have covered eventualities, no one knows the future so best to make some plans as we all get older and frailer.
The coded boxes you refer to are very good and not expensive. Make sure that the code is well known to those who might need it.
One tip, not necessarily for you - if you rely on a Eurolock on your door, make sure that you remove the key once you have locked the house at night. Do not leave the key in the lock, even if the door is locked, as it prevents a key holder outside from inserting their key far enoutgh to unlock…! Pretty basic common sense really, but just case…(I have the tee shirt)
Yes this is vital - my mother’s house has these locks and I have had to drum it into her to always take the key out if she locks the door - I put up a small coat-hooks for the keys to hang on next to the back and front doors.
Good advice. Many years ago when Fran was alone in our Nottingham flat she had a medical emergency and couldn’t get to the front door to unlock it. The key was in the lock on her side but fortunately we had a door with 2 double glazed glass panels so I had no option to hack away at it with a pick axe. Took some doing before I could get through enough to reach in and unlock the door.
I called the maker’s local agent and they said it was not possible to make it so that a key could be inserted at all times from the outside. I rang an ordinary locksmith and he said no pronlem and came round and fitted one that would.
Here at first I used to leave another door which was extremely hard to open, unlocked, but now it is locked with no key in it and those who need to know know how to unlock it from the outside.
Big difference I feel between rural and urban life in France. My experience of urban life is if you are not expected anywhere it could be a long time before authorities were even asked the question, But in rural areas you may not realise but there will be people who notice your movements and take action a bit quicker.
We have a keybox. However our house is about as secure as a shoebox. Not counting windows there are 8 ways to get in, and chances are that at least one of them will be open. Our dog will react if anyone comes close to a door, so we never worry too much.
I have tried to make it possible to get into our gite in an emergency. Our guests tend to close all the shutters at night including the ones over the front door. So the front door shutters have a yale lock with an outer key (we have a spare) and an inner knob which they turn and the front door itself has the same, outer key (we have spare), inner handle. So they cannot leave a key in either the front door or the shutters on the inside.
