Elderly 'no longer nervous' in their homes in Cork as security firm thanked for installing alarms

A Cork city business which has been supplying house alarms for elderly citizens is freeing them up to live their lives again, well known advocate for the elderly, Paddy O’Brien, has said.

He was speaking at the home of one of the senior citizens who had an alarm fitted by Hyland Security Systems, the Lower Glanmire Road business which has been installing top-of-the-range alarms for three to four years now in consultation with Mr O’Brien.

“In 2024, the greatest single problem being experienced by the elderly is fear — this very situation means that many elderly people, in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, do not feel safe in their own homes,” said Mr O’Brien.

“The Hyland company has come to the rescue of these people who find themselves nervous under their own roofs — an appalling situation.”

Mr O’Brien said he was aware of many elderly people who miss their weekly sessions, who have stopped going to their local community centre — their only social outings — because they were afraid to come back to find their houses had been broken into.

“I have spoken to recipients of the alarms and they tell me they’re no longer nervous as having the alarm in the house feels like, as one man said to me, having another person in the house with you.

“They feel secure once again in their own homes,” he said, adding his sincere thanks to Tony Hyland and his colleagues for what they are doing. “Tony Hyland and his company deserve our sincere gratitude for what he’s doing,” said Mr O’Brien.

The firm, which has been operating for over four decades in Cork city, has been fitting the alarms since around the beginning of Covid, Tony Hyland recalled.

“I think Paddy might have mentioned how fearful the elderly were feeling and what could be done to help them one day and we said we would take care of that,” he said.

“Paddy said they wouldn’t have money and we just said we’d do it for free.

“It just grew from there and anytime he’s got some vulnerable person, he tells us.

“Paddy does all the work in fairness — we only do the free stuff — Paddy finds out who they are and if they have issues with affordability we give them a dig out.”