WYTHE CO., Va. – The Wythe County Sheriff’s Office announced a new automated wellness check system for local seniors.
It’s called Confirm OK, and every day at a specified time, participants will receive an automated call saying.
“Hello. This is Sheriff Anthony Cline. Calling to see if you are okay. If you are okay, please press 1 and then the pound key.”
If three tries go unanswered, the Sheriff’s Office will send a deputy to their residence to check on the individual personally.
“We respond to a lot of calls where seniors have fallen. Some have been down for hours, some have been down for a day or so. So, it’d be good to have a program like this, to check on our seniors daily,” Cline said.
This is particularly necessary because almost a quarter of Wytheville’s population is over the age of 65, and that percentage is growing.
“We have so many seniors that are living alone. If someone were to fall and no one’s checking on them. They can be down for days before someone finds out,” Sheriff Cline said.
For those who do not have relatives, friends, or neighbors nearby, this could be a life-saving measure.
“We’ve got a lot of people who are very motivated and interested in the program. I don’t know how many people will sign up. Hopefully, this program saves a life,” Sheriff Cline said.
Although it is just the first day, Sheriff Cline says he has been receiving calls from people interested, and they already have their first participants signed up. Thanks to Confirm OK, seniors in Wytheville have one more program to help keep them safe.
For those who wish to enroll in Confirm OK applications can be completed in-person at the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office. Families and friends can recommend the program, but applications must come from the participant.
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