"Good morning baby," she said. "You ready to get up?"
It's all part of Aldridge's daily routine of letting her dog "Daisy" out of her crate and then opening her home door to let the dog outside. It's a routine that might have saved the senior's life.
Just as Aldridge opened her home door that Sunday, she went into a diabetic shock and blacked out.
"My heart could have stopped with my blood sugar being that low," she said.?
Luckily for Aldridge, she forgot to disarm her home alarm.?While she doesn't remember the alarm's piercing sounds, it sounded off and alerted the security call center that something was wrong.
When the dispatcher couldn't reach Aldridge, a call was made to 911 and Aldridge's daughter.
The senior was found unconscious on her kitchen floor with a shaking, eight-year-old Daisy standing on a nearby chair.
"If hadn't alerted Pat to come, to get things going and get things taken care of, I wouldn't be here today," Aldridge said.
Peggy Glenn-Summit, the director of programs at Senior Source, said she?thinks it's a good idea for seniors to have some type of emergency response system, whether it is a personal device seniors can wear or a home alarm security system like Aldridge has with ADT Security, which is America's largest security company.?
Glenn-Summit said she isn't partial to any particular security service, but does caution seniors to understand the contract they are signing and pick the one that fits their needs.
"It is certainly a tool in a large tool box that can help when seniors are trying to stay independent and live in their homes as often and as long as possible," she said.? ?
For those who have fallen and not been able to get up for help, she recommends?the personal emergency response system that can be worn on clothing and then pushed as a panic button.?
But, if seniors have memory problems and would not remember to push the panic button, a home alarm system may be a better option.?
"It is certainly an option to look into for seniors who need a little extra assurance that someone can respond in an emergency to them," Glenn-Summit said.
Cleo was able to thank the ADT security dispatcher personally for saving her life.?
Aldridge said she originally did not want a home alarm system, but her six children talked her into getting one since she lives home alone.?
