'I feel safe knowing I'm not left behind'

Beset by a host of serious health problems, Mr Gunasekar Arumugam, 63, knows he could die at any time. But he fears an undignified death.

He has suffered a stroke before and has kidney failure and ischaemic heart disease, among other illnesses.

Mr Arumugam, who lives alone in a two-room rental flat, said: "Anything can happen any time. There are people who have died, and after two or three days, there is a smell and people called the police. I don't want that."

He feels more at ease with a tablet given to him by the Lions Befrienders charity - knowing someone checks on him. Each morning after he wakes up, he presses a button on the tablet to signal that he is well. He does the same thing at night.

There has been only once when he forgot to do so in the three months or so that he has been using the tablet. That was when his brother died. Lions Befrienders staff called his next of kin, who told them he was at his brother's wake.

Through the tablet, the charity's staff send him messages to check on him and also conduct video calls with him.

Mr Arumugam is part of the trial of the i-ok@LB system, under which over 30 seniors received a customised tablet from the Lions Befrienders.

He is separated from his wife and has three sons. He said he used to work as a courier but stopped after suffering a stroke about two years ago. While he can still walk, he uses a motorised wheelchair to get around when he goes out.

He said: "This (tablet) is very helpful. I feel safe knowing that if anything happens to me, I'm not left behind and the Lions Befrienders will find me."