Call Reassurance
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Call Reassurance or CARE is an automated telephone reassurance phone system developed by Database Systems Corp. that calls seniors, home alone children or any other homebound residents to ensure their well being. Telephone reassurance is also refered to as RUOK in some communities. These calls are daily checks for seniors who are living alone and wish to be contacted in case something happens to them and they are unable to request emergency assistance on their own. Citizens subscribe to this service in their local communities which have CARE systems. Subscriptions vary among communities, but most are free to the CARE recipients.
A CARE system is a computerized phone system with embedded computer telephony integration boards capable of making automatic phone calls without human intervention. Calls are made from a list accumulated and maintained by a community administrator. This list includes the CARE recipient name, address, and phone number. Optionally included are "keyholders", or friends and associates of the subscriber that the CARE responders can contact if they need to enter the home of the subscriber when no one answers the call.
CARE telephone systems are provided to many communities throughout the U.S. and are typically maintained by local police departments, fire departments, or community service organizations. They are also available in some private, senior service organizations [1].
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[edit] CARE features
- Automatic telephone reassurance (RUOK) calls to seniors
- I'm OK automatically answers calls from seniors
- Latchkey children automatic home alone checks
- Monitor self abuse elderly victims
- Notify family and friends automatically when no answer
- Automatic reminder calls to seniors (medication reminders)
- Connect seniors with volunteers for friendly chat
- Broadcast voice messages to staff and dispatchers
- Emergency notification calls to community members
[edit] Automatic CARE calls
Care subscribers are called at a predefined time of day, every day. These calls are made automatically by the CARE phone system. If the CARE subscriber answers the call, a prerecorded message is played greeting the subscriber and asking "Are You OK?". The subscriber presses an acknowledgment phone key if everything is OK. If the subscriber does not answer the phone or an answering machine is detected, the CARE system calls back one or more times. If there is still no answer, an alert process begins.
[edit] CARE volunteers
CARE volunteers [2] can be family, friends or community members who wish to volunteer their time to speak with CARE subscribers after the CARE system determines that the subscriber is OK. When a subscriber designates that he or she wishes to speak with someone and it is not an emergency, a CARE volunteer is automatically notified by email or a phone call. The subscribers name and phone number is provided to the volunteer who can call the subscriber to provide a friendly chat or assist the individual with non-emergency help.
[edit] Call reassurance and latchkey kids
CARE systems can also call children at home to ensure they arrived safely after school when their parents are not home [3]. This is an important calling service offered by some communities that provides peace of mind to single parents or dual working parents who do not get home until after their children return from school. The system calls the household just as it does for seniors and the child must answer the phone and positively acknowledge receipt of the call by pressing the appropriate phone key.
If the child does not answer the phone or does not press the positive acknowledgement key, an automatic alert can be sent to the parents, school or neighbors and in some cases to the police department.
[edit] Elder abuse victim monitoring
Some of the most vulnerable individuals in society today are the elderly who are victims of abuse by both family members and caregivers. Elder abuse can be self inflicted, meaning individuals living at home may not provide the adequate care needed to live safely. CARE monitoring calls these individuals to ensure they are OK [4]. If the senior does not respond, an alert is generated and family, friends and the local community service organizations are contacted. CARE works best when community volunteers are also available to assist these individuals in performing very basis functions such as feeding the senior and ensuring they are properly clothed.
[edit] Senior medication reminders
Senior citizens can enroll in the CARE program to receive free daily or periodic reminders. These most likely are medication reminders and these non-emergency calls are made at a time and day unique to each senior. Reminder messages are played to both "live" answers or left on answering machines. If there is no answer or the phone is busy, multiple attempts are made to call the senior. No emergency alert is generated if there is no answer to this call.
[edit] CARE alerts and response
CARE alerts begin a process of contacting family members or the police department or local community services group that is tasked with follow up when a CARE subscriber does not respond. This individual or group is referred to as the CARE responder. If a responsible friend or family member is contacted, an acknowledgment must be received by the CARE responder that the subscriber is OK or needs assistance. If no acknowledgment is received or if a family member could not be contacted, the CARE responder will take action.
Normally the CARE responder will attempt to call the subscriber again before making a house call. If there is still no answer, the CARE responder will visit the subscriber's home to see if they are in need assistance.
[edit] Advantages
- Frees community personnel - Care responders only need to be contacted when an alert is generated.
- Volunteers not required - Automated system is not limited by the number of available volunteers.
- Assured call - Each CARE recipient is assured of a daily call.
- Consistent call - Each call is made at the same time each day.
- Assured response - CARE system automatically escalates a no response call.
[edit] Disadvantages
- False alarms - Care responders often visit a resident who simply failed to answer the phone or was away from home.
- Impersonal call - Automated calls provide a recorded message to the senior and although the subscriber can opt to talk with a "live" volunteer, the call is impersonal at the beginning.
[edit] CARE communities
The following are a sample of the organizations using CARE systems to check on the welfare of seniors in their communities:
- Garland, Arkansas Sheriff's Department [5]
- Gibson County, Indiana Sheriff's Department
- Oxford Park Commission, Mississippi, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (Senior Corps)
- Pound Ridge, New York Police Department
- Rankin County, Mississippi Police Department [6]
[edit] References
- "Community Organizations Providing CARE Services", Database Systems Corp., 2006-12-21.
- "Volunteers and CARE Systems", Database Systems Corp., 2006-08-27.
- "CARE and Latchkey Children", Database Systems Corp.. Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
- "Elder Abuse and Call Reassurance", Database Systems Corp.. Retrieved on 2007-03-23.
- "Senior Care and Safety Check - A free program for seniors and homebound persons", Garland County, Arkansas, Sheriff's Office, 2007-03-07.
- "Automatic Phone Dialer Checks Well Being Of Brandon MS Residents", ArriveNet Government Publications, 2005-07-10.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Call Reassurance Official website
- Telephone Reassurance Providers - list of U.S. communities with telephone reassurance programs.
