A PENSIONER with a heart condition and a broken back was left stranded after her emergency care button stopped working because phone lines were cut by vandals.
BT then connected the line to somebody else's phone number.
Jean Chisholm, 82, who lives in Charlton Kings, was one of 1,600 people and businesses in Cheltenham affected by cables being cut in Bath Parade on March 27.
Her family has spoken of its anger and concern at the amount of time it has taken to get her phone working again.
Without it, her emergency button, which lets a carer know she needs help, does not work.
Brian Purveur, 57, who lives in Chase Avenue, said his mother-in-law was "prone to falling over" so the family was desperately worried about her safety when they could not be around.
He described the situation, which has taken more than two weeks to resolve, as a "mess".
The electrician said: "She has a heart condition and has a broken back so the phone is her lifeline. BT said they would transfer the line to her pay-as-you-go mobile phone while they fixed it, but it is connected to another phone line with a different number.
"We reported this to them, but we are just going round and round in circles.
"Her heart monitor is around her neck and she has a button that she can press and that goes through her original phone line.
"But the button hasn't been working because we have been cut off. It's just been a total mess."
The issue was resolved by BT after a call from the Echo.
Brian added: "It has been dreadful the way they have been treating her. I wouldn't have any customers left if I treated people this way. We have been going round every day to make sure she is okay.
"She is housebound and if she had a fall we wouldn't have known."
A spokesman for BT apologised.
He said: "BT would like to apologise for the cross line and fully appreciates the worry this must have caused to Mrs Chisholm and her family. Engineers have now reconnected Mrs Chisholm's phone to the correct number."
Mrs Chisholm's family has complained to Ofcom, the communications regulator, about the way the situation has been handled.
