by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
A simple phone call may not be much, but for some it could be the most important part of their day.
For about 25 years the Salvation Army has had a Telephone Reassurance Program. Staff and volunteers make daily phone calls to senior citizens just to ask how they are doing.
Maj. Marge Strommer, director of the Telephone Reassurance Program and the Senior Center, said the program at one time had about 150-200 seniors who were called one to five days per week. They also 37 volunteer callers at that time.
“Right now we have about 20 seniors that we are calling and seven volunteers,” said Strommer. “We have decreased in our numbers.
“We want to serve the seniors and let them know that this program is here for them.”
Strommer, who was a Salvation Army officer with her husband for 33 years, is a senior herself and said if she needed this service, she would definitely use it.
“I would want the service. Right now my husband is 73 and I am 68 and we both work,” she said. “Seniors today are not like they used to be. We’re very mobile.
“Working keeps your brain and limbs going. But I wouldn’t mind getting a phone call if it came down to that.”
Strommer explained that the service helps both the senior as well as their family members.
“The Salvation Army calls seniors who are homebound anywhere from one day to five days a week to check up on them and to be a cheerful phone call,” she said. “It re-assures them that there is someone there to check on them.”
Strommer said the ratio of seniors who are receiving phone calls that have family and ones that don’t have family is about 50-50.
“Most of the seniors have family, but they may live out of town. There are others who aren’t completely homebound, but they may not have any family,” she said.
A call can be as brief as one minute or last several minutes. The caller will ask the senior questions like: “How are you doing? How are you feeling? What can we do for you? Any problems with anything today?”
“The caller learns the senior’s voice. They will be able to tell if they sound happy, tired, or if something is wrong,” said Strommen
Each caller also has a sheet they fill out while on the phone. By writing down how the senior feels, if there is a question or a repeated problem the caller can refer to the sheet at a later date if need be, she said.
“Other than that, it is just a cheerful phone call every day,” said Strommer.
But, she said, some days may not be so cheerful.
“We have had to call the police and have them go out and check on them,” she said. “We first call a back-up person (a neighbor or family member) to see if they have seen or heard from that person.”
Strommer recalled a woman that used the program and the Salvation Army knew she had a problem walking.
“We called the back-up person next door and they didn’t answer, so we called the police to have them go and check on her,” she said. “It turned out that the lady had fallen, but she ended up being fine.”
If a senior is interested in the program, after contacting Strommer, she will send the senior (or the person that called for the senior), a card that must be filled out saying that the senior gives the Salvation Army permission to call them.
Strommer said the senior can decide if they want to be called as many as five days a week or as little as one day a week. The senior will then work out with their volunteer caller all of the specifics, such as what time of day to call.
Volunteers who are interested in calling seniors will also have a form to fill out.
“We aren’t the only service out there (in Jacksonville),” she said. “It (the program) is important because there are a lot of people out there who don’t have anyone that calls them (to see how they are doing).”
But, she said, they have one woman who is 83 years old who doesn’t want to tell her son everything, because she is afraid her son will get alarmed.
“This woman has become very close with her caller and tells her what is wrong,” said Strommer. “It is good to have a confidant you can talk to, and know someone is there to listen and help you.”
If seniors or volunteers are interested in being a part of the program contact Strommer at 366-9222, ext. 102.