CDs would help ID seniors

By Elise Franco

A Fraternal Order of Eagles trustee said its donation will benefit seniors throughout the Valley.

YOUNGSTOWN — Time is of the utmost importance when dealing with a missing person.

And when the missing person is elderly, minutes could separate life or death, said Kay Lavelle, coordinator of the Senior Services Unit of the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department.

For this reason, Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 213 in Youngstown donated $5,000 to the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Senior Services Unit to aid in the purchase of a potentially lifesaving system.

Lavelle said the money will be used to purchase an identification program for elderly citizens that will work much like ID programs for children.

“The purpose was to purchase a system we’re going to use primarily to make identification CDs for senior citizens,” she said.

Lavelle said the program will allow vital information — photos, video, fingerprints, medication, emergency contacts — to be copied onto a disc to be used if an elderly person becomes lost.

She said having this information readily available for law enforcement officials and media could significantly lessen the amount of time it takes to find a missing senior.

“You never know from day to day what’s going to happen, and even a small stroke could cause a person to become confused or disoriented,” she said. “Should there be a wandering, incident time is critical, so the more information ... the quicker a person’s location can be determined.”

Bill Meenachan, FOE trustee, said the organization was more than willing to help expand the senior services unit. He said he asked Sheriff Randall Wellington if the department needed a donation, and Wellington mentioned the identification program.

“That means that if someone walks away from a nursing home, they can [find] them ... real quick,” Meenachan said.

He said the FOE has made donations to other city entities in the past by giving the police department money for a K-9 dog and the fire department money for cameras.

“I just wanted to let them know we will donate,” Meenachan said. “We try to help the city out.”

Lavelle said the department is lucky to have received such a generous donation, which will cover the cost of the entire identification system. She said she expects the equipment to be in use in six to eight weeks.

“There’s no cost. Most everything we do in the Senior Services Unit is free,” Lavelle said. “We can’t thank the Eagles enough for allowing us to purchase that equipment. It was quite a large donation.”

She said many nursing home and long-term senior care facilities benefit from the program, but individuals can use it as well.

“It is not a bad idea for everyone to have [a CD],” she said.

For more information about the identification system or the Senior Services Unit, contact Kay Lavelle at (330) 480-5078.

efranco@vindy.com