'Credit to the store': colleagues at Shepshed help elderly unwell customer

When Linda Coe and Charlotte Barker from our Shepshed supermarket noticed that one of our older customers wasn't feeling very well and would have struggled to walk home they quickly stepped in to look after her.

They sat with her for a while before Linda drove her home in her own car, arranged a face-to-face meeting with her GP, before contacting the lady's son and even picking up the lady's prescription.

Linda, who's worked at the store since it opened 10 years ago, said: "The lady is a regular at our store and when we saw her that day she wasn't her usual bubbly self. She went round the shop and when she got to the tills we asked if she was okay and she said she wasn't feeling very well.

"We sat with her for a while and then, as I had my car in the car park, I asked if I could run her home. There was no way we could let her out of the shop as she was. She lives and cares for her husband, who has dementia, and she was worrying and panicking over him as well.

"My colleague Charlotte came with me and we sat with her for a while, but she wasn't getting any better so I got her back in the car and took her to the doctors and she was seen straight away. She'd got a water infection and a chest infection. They gave her a prescription for antibiotics and we picked these up on the way back."

Linda then called the lady's son and they stayed with her until he arrived.

The next day the lady, who's in her 80s, was admitted to hospital and spent four days there before returning home.

Linda said: "She's been back into store since and she was so grateful and thankful. The difference in her was unreal.

"It's just something that anyone would do, isn't it? My mum is about the same age and I'd like to think that someone would do the same for her if she needed it.

"I think it is part and parcel of the job when you are working with the public having a heads up on them and making sure that they are okay – especially when they get to a certain age."

Store manager Giovanni Lausi, who nominated Linda for an Asda service superstar award, said: "Linda is an absolute credit to the store and her local community, always going above and beyond her job role to be the very best for our customers. Linda, we truly appreciate everything you do for us and our customers, so thank you!"