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Program watches over senior residents
By LINDA M. LINONIS
LIBERTY
Person-to-person connections make a difference in daily lives.
Kathy Welsh, receptionist at the township police department, makes calls to check the welfare of residents weekdays as part of the township’s Senior Watch Program. “I know when something is not right,” she said.
Recently, a routine call turned into anything but that. In the program, seniors make advance arrangements as to the time and frequency of calls. For example, someone may be regularly called at 9 a.m. weekdays.
Welsh called one 85-year-old man at his prescribed check time, between 8:30 and 9 a.m., and got a busy signal. When she tried again, the line still was busy. Welsh, who has rapport with the seniors, exchanges pleasantries and learns bit and pieces about their lives. She said she knew this resident did not talk on the phone for long periods, so she became concerned.
Welsh alerted police Capt. Toby Meloro, who had the phone company check the line. There was no conversation going on.
Meloro went to the man’s home, and upon approaching the house, he could hear the man shouting for help.
Another aspect of the Senior Watch Program helped in the rescue. The man had a lock box, which held the house key, so Meloro could enter the home. The program has installed lock boxes at many senior citizens’ homes, and this prevents breaking into the house through a door or window.
Meloro found the man, who uses a wheelchair, on the bathroom floor. He called the township fire department, who are paramedics, and the elderly man was checked. The man’s son also was notified.
“I sat with him while he had his breakfast,” Meloro said. “He said he was OK and appreciated the help."
Later that morning, Welsh called the man to check again. “He thanked me again for helping him,” she said.
Welsh said another recent incident involved a 94-year-old female resident with limited vision. “She accidentally set the thermostat to 90 degrees,” Welsh said.
Welsh made her regular welfare check to the woman, who told Welsh how hot her house was and thought there was a problem. Welsh asked police to make a check; the problem was discovered and corrected.
“I’m on a first-name basis with them. We exchange information like friends,” Welsh said. The Senior Watch Program provided by the township has that personal element.
Meloro said in both instances people were helped before one problem escalated into something more serious.
About 30 township residents are enrolled in the Senior Watch Program.
For more information, call the township at 330-759-1315.
An open house for Senior Watch is planned from 10 a.m. to noon May 4 at the township building, 1315 Church Hill-Hubbard Road.
The Senior Watch Program was begun after an incident in May 2008 involving Mary Rush, 87, who lived on Mansell Drive.
She had locked herself out of her home, broke her leg and was cut.
Though police responded after neighbors called about someone crying, they did not locate Rush, and she died.