You…to the Rescue

Is there someone whom you have become accustomed to seeing on a daily basis?  What would you think if one day they weren’t there? And then a second day passes without seeing them…what would you do? 

A pizza delivery driver in Tennessee made headlines recently when she went the extra mile by checking on a regular customer whom she had not heard from in several days.  She made a visit to her elderly customer’s home and when the door went unanswered, she called the police for assistance.  When they entered the home, they found the elderly woman had fallen a few days before and could not reach a phone to call for help.  The pizza delivery driver earned well-deserved attention as a community hero – as one who cared enough about an elderly customer to take action. 

Many elderly and disabled people live alone and rely on the kindness of relative strangers for day-to-day contact:  their mail carrier, the newspaper delivery person, or the volunteer who arrives with their daily meals.  Some of us make it a routine part of our day to call and check on another who lives alone.  And of course there have been similar instances when an everyday hero saved a life by being observant and taking action when they suspected something was wrong.

What if the elderly or disabled individual does not have day-to-day contact with anyone?  There are other life-saving options, including life-alert systems that can be worn as a bracelet or necklace and easily activated if a crisis occurs and phone contact is not possible.  There are also service agencies that can be hired to make daily phone contact; they use a predetermined protocol if the individual does not answer the phone.  More information on these systems may be found at your region’s Area on Aging or senior center.    

If you know of an elderly, ill, or disabled individual who lives alone, what warning signs should alert you?  Generally, the trouble signs are an absence of activity or a break in routine: you fail to see the person, calls or doors go unanswered, and their homes show no sign of activity.  Calling police for assistance is the wisest approach before you attempt to enter the home.