Volunteer Agency Checks Wellbeing of Those Living Alone

COURT HOUSE – With recent power outages, the need to check on the wellbeing of those living alone, particularly the elderly or ill, has been greater than ever.
CONTACT Cape-Atlantic, a non-profit agency based in Margate with a branch office at the Court House library, checks on those in the high-risk category which includes the elderly who live alone, especially the poor and those have recently experienced losses, such as the death of a spouse or pet or have recently been ill or have a progressive illness.
The agency has a reassurance program providing a daily phone call to seniors and the disabled that provides a friendly “hello” and makes sure there are no emergency situations present, according to Executive Director Ann Magee.
If a senior doesn¹t answer their phone after one hour, the volunteer checks with the hospital to see if they were admitted. If the call to the hospital turns up negative, the volunteer calls a relative or friend of the senior
“We never just leave a message, we have to account for the wellbeing of 212 people on our list every day,” said Magee.
The oldest person on CONTACT Cape-Atlantic’s call list is 103 years old and the youngest is 29. Magee said volunteers can tell “when something is not right” with a call recipient.
A senior can be set up to receive a daily reassurance call 365 days per year. Magee said the agency made 67,000 calls last year to 212 persons.
To register for a daily phone call or to volunteer to place calls to seniors, call 463-4564. The agency has 150 volunteers that make calls between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., divided into two shifts. Some volunteers make calls from home, said Magee.
Some volunteers work one afternoon a week making five phone calls, she said.
CONTACT Cape-Atlantic also has the Gatekeeper Program which makes use of persons that come in contact with the elderly population everyday such as letter carriers, utility meter readers, cable TV installers, police officers, paramedics, mobile meals volunteers and bank tellers. A letter carrier may notice an elderly person hasn’t retrieved their mail, looks unkempt or seems confused when they answer a knock on their door.
“Anyone who is out in the neighborhood on a regular basis, we try to alert them to the signs and symptoms that an elderly person needs some help,” said Magee. “We have trained UPS drivers, the Comcast Cable guys, Millennium meter readers and New Jersey American Water Company and we’ve been to some banks.”
She said a neighbor can also be a “gatekeeper.” Reports can be made anonymously to CONTACT Cape-Atlantic which will call the senior citizen and connect them with services such mobile meals, a personal alert alarm or a home health aide.
Magee said senior become isolated. As an example, if a couple retired to the shore and a spouse passes away, their children may be living in north Jersey or New York.
CONTACT Cape-Atlantic is funded by the United Way in Cape May and Atlantic counties and holds its own fundraising events including a yearly race in Avalon.