LAURINBURG — For Sheriff Ralph Kersey, big brother may not be watching, but he is watching out.

Kersey and his Scotland County Sheriff’s Office have initiated Are You OK?, a program to help safeguard seniors and others.

It works by making daily contact with seniors or disabled residents through a robo-call that asks the individual, “Are you OK?” The subscriber can reply yes or reply by dialing a number. If the system receives no reply or if several calls are not answered, the sheriff’s office checks on the person.

Kersey said the program has been in place for just over a year and is performing admirably. So far, about 40 people across the county have signed up for the calls. He added that there have only been two occasions in the past year when a resident needed medical attention.

“It’s working out really well,” Kersey said.

The computer system calls the subscriber each day at the same time — twice-a-day or more if necessary. Emergency contacts and medical information are stored in the program. If the person does not answer the call after two attempts at contact or for a period of time, the computer retrieves the emergency data, and the sheriff’s office calls the person’s designated emergency contact. If the contact person cannot be reached, the sheriff’s office performs a wellness check on the individual.

The program is monitored by Kersey in order to protect the personal information of residents who have signed up. Residents are assigned a number, and if they do not respond to the robo-call, their personal information is never given out over police radio.

Deputies are told to check on a given number and personal information like addresses, and health status remains protected. If the sheriff is away from the office, Chief Deputy Lloyd Goins handles runs the program.

The system has a benefited the county in numerous ways Kersey said. After spending about $900 to start the program, it has paid for itself in savings, according to Kersey.

“It helps save on fuel costs and wear and tear on vehicles,” he said. “It frees up deputies for other things when they don’t have to drive out to check in person.”

The program is useful for county EMS as well; if the person is unresponsive Kersey can provide information about known medical conditions, doctors and family contact information to paramedics.

In-person wellness checks are still available if an individual does not wish to participate in the call system.

Kersey said program makes it possible that older or disabled residents, or anyone living alone will be checked on daily and gives families the assurance that emergencies will not go unattended.

The program is also open to parents of latchkey children for after school checks and victims of domestic violence.

Kersey said the program could be useful in the event of an intruder as well. The resident could respond no or enter the wrong number on the keypad to trigger an in person check by deputies.

Are You OK has another bright side. On the subscriber’s birthday, they will receive a birthday message from the sheriff after two successful phone checks have been made that day.

According to a 2010 Census Bureau report, 25.8 million households were kept by an individual 65 or older. Of that number 11 million were single person households.

In North Carolina, an estimated 25 to 27 percent of elderly live alone, according to the bureau.

“Are You OK?” is free for those who are elderly, disabled, home bound or sick.

To register for the service, residents need to submit an application to the sheriff’s office. For an application call, 910-276-3385, or visit scotlandcountysheriff.org to print a copy of the application and return it to the sheriff’s department. The sheriff’s office can also send a deputy to the home to sign up residents who need help with the application.

Completed applications should be mailed to: Scotland County’s Sheriff’s Office, 212 Biggs St., Laurinburg, N.C. 28352.

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Scotland’s Are You Ok? helps reassure families

By Beth Lawrence

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Reach Beth Lawrence 910-506-3169