Weathersfield police to begin 'Are you OK?’ program for seniors

February 13, 2011 at 12:04a.m.

MINERAL RIDGE

The Weathersfield Township Police Department is planning to start a Senior Citizens Watch Program called “Are You Okay?”

A start-up date has not yet been announced, but Chief Joseph Consiglio said he already has 12 citizen-volunteers to help with the program.

“The community has really come together on this,” he said. “We felt there was a need.”

Training will start this month for volunteers.

Requirements for senior citizens, who have to be at least 60 are:

Must be a resident of Weathersfield Township;

Must have a medical or mental disability, including shut-ins or wheelchair bound;

Must have the possibility or probability of experiencing a medical emergency.

Seniors are put on a call list, and on designated days are called check on their welfare. If they cannot be reached, a police officer will go out to check on them.

Participants will have to fill out an application form for both the police and fire departments, and officers will go to their homes to get medical and emergency information such as who their primary physician is and who their emergency contacts are.

A home assessment also will be done, both inside and out, looking for safety issues.

Volunteers will make the calls to check on seniors and will get training on assessment and on different services that are available to seniors through different organizations.

Residents who want to volunteer should contact the department. Consiglio said the number of volunteers needed will depend on the response from seniors in the township.

Consiglio said work on starting the program has been under way for nearly a year.