If you have a parent, grandparent, or other loved one living alone, you may be concerned about their well-being. Even if they can take care of themselves from day to day, it can be stressful knowing, if anything happens, you won't be there to help.
Fortunately, the Maryland Department of Aging offers a free service to alleviate that stress. Senior Call Check is a daily call to your loved one at a predesignated time to ensure they are OK.
"This program is the first-in-the-nation, statewide, free program designed to help keep older adults safe while aging in their homes," according to a Maryland Department of Aging news release.
A daily call not only contributes to your loved one's safety, but it can preserve independence for as long as possible. This seemingly small action may mean the difference between your loved one staying in their own home where they are comfortable or moving into an assisted living facility before they feel ready.
And the number of older adults who want to age in place has increased since COVID-19 hit assisted living facilities and nursing homes particularly hard in the first wave. About 90% wish to stay at home rather than moving into an assisted living facility or nursing home, according to an AARP study.
"What this means for you and your loved ones is that a home must be built to ensure that every facet of life is considered," according to AARP. "Oversights can lead to injuries, sickness, discomfort and avoidable fatalities."
With those concerns in mind, the Senior Call Check service will help prevent your loved one from languishing for days because of a fall or other emergency that leaves them unable to get help.
How it works
Senior Call Check operates between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., so your loved one can choose what time the daily call comes, within a one-hour block, to a landline or mobile number.
If the first call isn't answered, the service will call back two more times, giving time to answer in case your loved one isn't near the phone when it rings. If there is still no answer after three calls, Senior Call Check will call a previously chosen alternate contact — such as you or another close friend or relative — who can then try to make contact.
If there is no response from the alternative person, the service will contact local non-emergency services to conduct a wellness check, which is when someone stops by a home to ensure a person is OK.
"This is particularly useful when someone inside the house is unconscious or otherwise unable to respond," according to the Law Dictionary.
If your loved one is going to be away from home, the service can be temporarily paused.
How to sign up
All Maryland residents who are 65 or older are eligible to sign up for Senior Call Check. They must have a landline phone or a cellphone. Teletypewriter, or TTY, is available for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech impairment.
You can help your loved one or direct them to fill out the application. Applicants can choose from one of three options:
- Registering online at aging.maryland.gov.
- Downloading and printing a paper application to mail.
- Calling 866-502-0560 to request that a hard copy application be mailed.