Colbert County Sheriff’s Office making new senior safety program

The retirement phase of life is often called the golden years, but sometimes things aren’t quite so shiny for the elderly members of the community.

According to the Pew Research Center, around 26 percent of adults ages 65 and older live alone in the United States.

That’s about 16 million people, many of whom may not get regular visits from friends or family.

That’s where initiatives like the Senior Safety Program come in.

The Colbert County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with a company called Confirm OK to make a program that will allow up to 75 local seniors ages 65 and older who live alone to receive an automated phone call at a time of their choosing each day.

According to Sheriff Eric Balentine, the call will include a message from him. Seniors who are part of the program must answer the call and press a specific button combination to show that they are OK.

“The system will call three times, and if we do not get a response, the company will dispatch our 911, and we will send one of our deputies to do a welfare check,” Balentine said.

“There are times when elderly folks might fall and can’t get up, and sometimes they may even be deceased. This is something that will give the seniors in the program a sense of security. It’s good for people who maybe had their family move away. It’s a really good program that will save lives eventually.”

Balentine said he and others are currently working to fill the roster spots available for seniors wishing to be part of the program.

Applications are available at several of the senior centers in the county.

He said he expects the phone calls to begin in about a month after each application is verified.

“Hopefully we can upgrade the number of spots in the future,” Balentine said. “We are having a Zoom meeting with the company Monday to do a test launch and see where we’re at.”