Telecare program offers daily contact for elders,others

“Thank you for making my day so much better,” said one elderly Telecare participant to the volunteer who called to check on her.

“Sometimes we are the only contact an elderly person will have all day,” said Jeem Trowbridge, 88, who has been a volunteer for Telecare since its inception in 1979.

Telecare, a program of Rosscare, is a free service that provides an individual living alone in the Bangor area with daily telephone contact. The calls are generally very brief, and lasting on average no more than a few minutes. While Telecare is basically a check-in service, some of the participants and volunteers have become friends and look forward to speaking with each other.

This service is available to anyone, but is most often utilized by the elderly.

“When you’re alone, it’s nice to have someone just check on you because anything can happen,” said Cindy Smith, coordinator of Rosscare Eldercare. “Really anything is possible – heart attack, seizures, whatever. If you’re are not going to a regular place everyday – like a job – where people see you, it might be a while before anyone would know something had happened.”

Every morning, between 7:30 and 10 a.m., including weekends and holidays, two volunteers sit side by side in the Wing Park building in Bangor, calling all the people on their lists. Participants have an agreed-upon time during which the volunteer will contact them. There is also an answering machine available for those who wish to call in and report that they are fine, thus allowing them to miss a call without worrying the volunteer.

“Some participants prefer to call and leave a message on our machine,” said Smith. “They may want to sleep in or may have an appointment, and cannot be home at the reserved call time.” Everyone on the list has contact with Telecare daily either by leaving a message or receiving a call, she said.

Anyone who wishes to join the program completes a contact sheet with names and phone numbers of people willing to be called in case of a “no response” situation. If the volunteer cannot reach the participant at the designated time, a call is placed to those listed on the contact sheet. If no one is available, the police department is notified, which in turn will send someone to the person’s home for a “well check,” said Smith.

“We actually had one lady in her 80s who simply forgot to leave us a message,” said Smith. “When we called her to make sure she was all right, there was no answer. The person on her call sheet got worried and asked us to call the police, which we did. When the cruiser arrived at her house, the officers found her out shoveling. She called us to apologize and then said ‘He was the most handsome police officer. What a way to start the day.'”

Currently there are 99 participants in the program, but Smith would like to see more sign up.

“This program is a benefit to the community,” she said. “The participants have the security of knowing that someone is going to check in with them each day, making sure they are all right. There are a lot of elderly who live alone, that could benefit from this service. And it’s always nice to have someone wish you a good morning.”

Telecare has 14 volunteers but more are needed, especially to fill in for regulars who may be get sick or go on vacation, said Smith. If you are interested in joining Telecare, either as a participant or volunteer, call Telecare at 973-7094.

Smith is as concerned for her volunteers as she is for the participants, so this winter a new policy was instituted. Volunteers have copies of call sheets, and can call from home if the weather is bad.

“We don’t want them driving if the roads are dangerous,” she said. “So this way they don’t have to leave their houses, and the participants still get called.”

For Linda Houston, 40, Telecare is a family affair.

“I started volunteering here in 1980. Now my mom, aunt and cousin-in-law all volunteer, too,” she said.

Houston, who works as a nurse on the night shift at EMMC, simply crosses the street Thursday morning when she gets off duty and spends the next few hours on the phone making sure everyone on her call list is OK.

“This program can really be a lifesaver,” said Smith. “When we called one woman, she complained of just not feeling well. We called an ambulance for her, and it turned out that she did need medical attention. She may not have called for an ambulance on her own.”

Telecare also provides a personal touch to someone’s life.

“Sometimes we send out get well cards and the like, just to cheer up a person’s day,” said Smith.

“And we try to talk about positive things to those who are hurting. We get to know the participants, and get this feeling for them in here,” she added, tapping her chest.

Trowbridge agrees.

“You get to be friends with these people, and they say how much they appreciate the program,” she said. “Thank goodness for Telecare.”

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging in Bangor. For information on EAA, log on to www.eaaa.org or call Chuck or Marilyn at 941-2865.