Phone Pals
play vital role for elderly folks home alone...Washington County volunteers call to check on Senior
Citizens' Safety and Security, or just to socialize
Washington
County, OR, August 26, 2004--Three times a week, JoAnn Havel makes a
call to a man she's never met.
Since they started talking in April, Havel, 72, has learned about
his children and grandchildren -- exchanging a bit about her own
family -- and his activities, such as baking something for the fair.
They've reveled in the success of "Jeopardy!" quiz show phenom Ken
Jennings.
But the Sherwood woman is sure to keep her focus as a concerned
listener, covering certain basics each time. The man, in his late
60s, has had a number of health problems and lives alone elsewhere
in Washington County. She asks whether he's keeping up with his
medications and urges him to be sure to get enough rest.
Sometimes he shares his low moments, like when a medical test
doesn't go well. She often follows up with an additional call, and
he tells her that just the sound of her voice makes him feel
better.
With each call, Havel says, he usually makes her chuckle with a new
joke and she gets a feeling of satisfaction.
"I really had a strong feeling they'd be a good match," said Colleen
Dorough, manager of the Seniors Keeping in Touch program. "They're
always up to something."
Havel is a volunteer with the Skit program, as it's often called.
The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Washington County, based
in King City, developed the telephone reassurance program.
RSVP connects adults ages 55 and older with opportunities to address
issues in their communities. The telephone check program, which has
been around at least seven years, recognizes that people may often
live much of their later years alone, far from family, Dorough
said.
Skit is a way for elderly people in need to get calls at set times
throughout the week and for senior citizens wanting to volunteer --
including those who may be confined to their homes themselves -- a
chance to contribute. But Larry Daw of Tigard, president of the
group's advisory council, doesn't think enough folks know about the
program.
Currently, there are 19 callers -- with an average age of 73 --
reaching out to 24 people, with an average age of 82. There have
been some callers -- including some in their 90s -- who became call
recipients as their memory or health declined.
All but one of the volunteers are themselves senior citizens, said
Marg Arnold, director of RSVP of Washington County.
Margaret Larsen, 84, of Forest Grove has been calling other seniors
for nearly a decade. She heard about the program while volunteering
at the Hillsboro Senior Center.
"I thought, 'Hey, I could do that,' " Larsen said.
A phone pal veteran, Larsen checks up on one woman each day and
calls friend Hetty Haurwitz, 81, six days a week. On Saturdays,
Haurwitz returns the favor.
Larsen likes that she can help others without leaving her home.
"This is something I can do for people who need a little bit of
help," Larsen said.
While the Washington County program provides ongoing phone contact,
many senior centers and programs can arrange for phone calls during
emergencies or upon request.
The Hillsboro, Forest Grove and North Plains Senior centers take
names of those interested in calling or receiving calls and refers
them to Skit, which finds matches for them.
The Lake Oswego Adult Community Center has a Tel-A-Buddy program,
which was reactivated about a year ago, for senior citizens to get
phone calls throughout the week, said Berta Derman, the center's
social services supervisor. But only one volunteer is calling just
two enrolled people.
But in the center's Project Alert, which is about 20 years old, she
has three volunteers calling about 50 people who might need a check
during an emergency such as a power outage or severe weather.
As with the Skit program, there are protocols for people on the Lake
Oswego center's list to be connected with social services if
necessary. Local police may visit to check their welfare if they
can't be reached or if a volunteer or emergency contact can't check
on them in person.
Janet Hoffmann of Lake Oswego, a longtime volunteer at the center
who serves on its social services advisory committee, has been
helping for about six months.
In a recent round of calls to the 17 people on her list, she urged
them to stay out of the heat, drink plenty of water and turn on fans
or air conditioners. She asked if they needed anything.
Some people seemed surprised when Hoffmann telephoned. But, she
said, they all end the chat with something along the lines of,
"Well, thank you for calling me."
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