A quick-thinking homecare assistant came to the aid of a woman who suddenly fell ill during a church outing.

Helen Manning, who works at Westmorland Homecare’s South Lakeland branch, was at a service at St Mary’s Church in Windermere with a client when she noticed a lady in distress.

Ms Manning acted promptly, calling for an ambulance and providing comfort to her client as well as other members of the congregation.

"Helen reacted superbly in a difficult and evolving situation," said Dr Chris Moss, a director with Westmorland Homecare.

"She was observant to spot that the woman had fallen ill, swiftly called for an ambulance and was considerate of everyone around her.

"What she did epitomises the caring ethos of Westmorland Homecare and all of its staff."

Westmorland Homecare provides hundreds of hours of care for vulnerable adults each week, offering support for independent living.

Ms Manning had taken one of her clients to the church when she noticed a lady looking unwell.

She said: "We were sitting waiting for the service to start and I noticed in front of me that a lady said to the lady beside her ‘Are you alright?’ and there was no response.

"I thought ‘I’ll just monitor this’ and I asked my client if she minded if I went to help the lady.

"She said ‘no, go to her’ so I went to sit beside her."

When the carer saw the lady's hand fall to the side, she knew it was time to act.

She alerted the emergency services, answering their questions about the woman's condition.

"Once you are a carer you are always a carer," said Ms Manning.

"I did not want anyone going away feeling bad or sad because it looked like everything was going to be alright.

"I then said to my client: ‘Let’s go and get you a cup of coffee and a biscuit - it has been a big shock for everyone."

Being a carer for many years has equipped Helen with acute observational skills, helping her discern if something is 'out of sync' with another individual.

Underscoring the importance of the first aid training she and her colleagues receive from Dr. Moss, she said: "One thing that stuck in my mind was how important it is to make the call to emergency services if you are unsure what to do.

"It takes the pressure off you and you can do whatever you need to do until the paramedics arrive.”

Ian Durrell, the warden at St Mary's Church, was full of appreciation for her swift response.

He said: "Helen stepped into the breach, coordinated the first-aid response, called the ambulance and stayed with the patient until she had made a handover to the paramedics - all while ensuring that her client was safe and well.

“She acted with professionalism and discretion at all times. Many thanks to Helen from myself and all the other members of our church family.”

The woman was taken to hospital and has since recovered.