Daughter praises caring bin crew for helping elderly mum after fall

A Hyde bin crew have been praised for their kindness and quick thinking after coming to the aid of an elderly woman who had fallen in her home.

Jaki Jones was visiting her parents, Harry, 93, and Maureen, 92, at their home in Newton when her mum fell and was unable to get up.

“Mum has recently come home from hospital after suffering a stroke and is very frail,” explained Jaki. “Dad is also recovering from a recent heart attack, and we weren’t strong enough to get her up off the floor on our own. We desperately needed help.”

In a moment of urgency, Jaki ran outside and spotted the local bin crew working nearby. Without hesitation, driver Kane Dillon and crew members Scott Bail and Chris Bell, who work for Tameside Council, followed her into the house to lend a hand.

“They came to assist without any hesitation,” said Jaki. “They were beautiful with my mum, so gentle and caring. One of them even told me afterwards that he really hoped she’d be all right, that really touched me.

“What they did was amazing, it may seem like only a small thing, but it made all the difference to us as a family. It meant we were able to help Mum straight away and didn’t have to call an ambulance.

“Mum is doing okay now thanks to their help. They were lovely, lovely men and I will never forget their kindness. They showed real community spirit.”

Jaki added that her parents have lived in their Newton home since 1972 and have been married for an incredible 71 years.

“It’s really good to know they live in a place where people still care about others,” she said. “I’m proud to be from Tameside.”

Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Environmental Services and Neighbourhoods, Cllr Laura Boyle, praised the crew’s actions.

She said: “This is really heartwarming to hear and shows that we’re all part of a very caring and close-knit community in Tameside. I’m so glad the crew were there at the right place at the right time to help and I’m really grateful to them for their caring actions.

“Thank you also to Jaki for sharing her thanks with them, our bin crews are really hard working, as well as community-minded, and this positive recognition is well deserved. Finally, my best wishes to Maureen and Harry they sound like a wonderful couple and I hope they are both doing okay.”

Maureen and Harry are now receiving additional support from Tameside Council’s Community Response Service, a 24/7 telecare and emergency response team that helps adults live independently at home.

Harry and Maureen before Maureen's discharge from hospital. Credit: Tameside Hospital