TELEPHONE CHECK-IN SERVICE PROVIDES SECURITY FOR SENIORS

A telephone check-in service being organized by three local organizations will provide senior citizens in the Jackson area with an added sense of security.

Known as the Telephone Reassurance Service, the free program provides regular phone calls to participating seniors who may either be homebound or just lonely and wishing to hear a friendly voice. It relies on volunteers who offer up a portion of their time each day to man the phones.

Officials with the Jackson Senior Citizens Center, the Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) began working last week to organize and train about 10 Telephone Reassurance Service volunteers. The service is set to go on line Monday.

"One of the goals we have here at the SEMO Area Agency on Aging is to allow people to live independently and at home longer," said Stephanie Pelts, AAA public information director. "This program is geared to let that happen."

Seniors who take part in the program receive a daily or weekly call from a Telephone Reassurance Service volunteer. The call is placed at an arranged time determined by the volunteer and the client. If the client does not answer the phone at the prearranged time, a mutually-agreed upon plan is followed which may require the volunteer to contact the client's neighbor, a relative or the police or emergency medical service in certain situations.

The call can be brief or extended, depending on the time and interest of the volunteer and client.

The program was first started in the late 1950s by Brace Sample McClure of Saginaw, Mich.

In May 1957, a lifelong friend of McClure's, Elsie Schurmer Davitt, suffered a paralyzing stroke and spent eight days lying on her kitchen floor awaiting help. Davitt's cries of help were drowned out by the sound of a blaring radio. McClure made several unsuccessful calls and finally telephoned a neighbor of Davitt to ask that the neighbor make a personal check. The neighbor, hearing the radio playing, assumed Davitt was fine, leaving the woman to await help for another week.

On the ninth day, McClure decided to make a check of her own and found her friend barely alive. Davitt was rushed to the hospital but lived for only 18 months longer.

McClure blamed herself for the death of her friend. She hoped to prevent such an incident from ever happening again and worked to institute the program nationwide.

A Telephone Reassurance Service has been conducted for several years in Chaffee, with volunteers organized by RSVP.

"We've had a very successful program in Chaffee," said Ellie Knight, head of the RSVP program in Scott and Cape Girardeau counties. "For one thing, we've actually saved a number of lives by being able to alert authorities in the case of stroke victims or those who fall down."

Knight added that several of those who were saved by the check-in service at Chaffee have recovered and volunteer their time to call other seniors.

The Telephone Reassurance Service is open to all senior citizens, not just those who are permanently homebound or temporarily recovering from an illness.

"It's not just a program for people who are prone to be ill but also for people who are just lonely," said Pelts. "Depression is prevalent for a lot of seniors who stay at home and don't get out and socialize. This program helps them to be able to stay in touch."

With volunteers now trained and phones in service, seniors who wish to schedule for Telephone Reassurance Service calls may telephone 243-1423 or the Jackson Senior Center at 243-4241.

In addition to programs at Chaffee and Jackson, the AAA hopes to be able to implement call-in services throughout Southeast Missouri. Those wishing to organize a Telephone Reassurance Service in their area may phone Pelts at 1-800-392-8771.