Emergency Contact; What to do?

tatortot

tatortot

New Member
I am 67 female and live with my cat.
Been having some trouble finding an organization or an individual to help me.

I don't work so I can go a very long time before I see anyone, or talk w/anyone. This scares me!

I have fears of rotting away in my home and my poor kitty starving to death.

Have been trying to volunteer to get out and meet people but they need contacts/ and emergency contacts which I do not have.

I have no one for a living will or dying will. Hospitalization is scary for me also.

Neighbors, family, friends out of the question. Non-existent.

Many people tell me about call in services, or apps, life alert that keep in contact. Those services still need an emergency contact.

Ugh!
Why is it so hard to find help? I have tried everything and talked to a lot of agencies. No luck!
 

tatortot said:
I am 67 female and live with my cat.
Been having some trouble finding an organization or an individual to help me.

I don't work so I can go a very long time before I see anyone, or talk w/anyone. This scares me!

I have fears of rotting away in my home and my poor kitty starving to death.

Have been trying to volunteer to get out and meet people but they need contacts/ and emergency contacts which I do not have.

I have no one for a living will or dying will. Hospitalization is scary for me also.

Neighbors, family, friends out of the question. Non-existent.

Many people tell me about call in services, or apps, life alert that keep in contact. Those services still need an emergency contact.

Ugh!
Why is it so hard to find help? I have tried everything and talked to a lot of agencies. No luck!
Click to expand...
I feel like those are all validate feels and concerns and should be addressed as thoroughly as possible. I used an up to date Ai that is considered one of the best educational AI's "perplexity.ai. I asked it your exact post. :

I'm so sorry to hear about your difficult situation. It's understandable that you're feeling scared and isolated. Your concerns are valid, and it's commendable that you're actively seeking help. Here are some suggestions that might be helpful:
  1. Adult Protective Services: They can often provide resources and support for older adults living alone.
  2. Local Senior Centers: Even if you can't volunteer, they may have programs or social activities you can participate in.
  3. Community Health Workers: Some areas have programs where these workers can check on isolated seniors.
  4. Religious Organizations: Even if you're not religious, many churches or synagogues offer community outreach programs.
  5. Online Communities: While not a replacement for in-person contact, they can provide some social interaction.
  6. Pet-Sitting Services: Some offer regular check-ins, which could serve a dual purpose.
  7. Meal Delivery Services: These often include a brief wellness check.
  8. Local Libraries: They may have programs or know of resources for seniors.
  9. Area Agency on Aging: They might have additional resources or ideas specific to your area.
  10. Social Workers: Try contacting local hospitals or health clinics to see if they can connect you with a social worker.
For emergency contacts, consider:
  1. Asking a neighbor, even if you're not close.
  2. Contacting distant relatives, if possible.
  3. Inquiring if local senior services can act as an emergency contact.
Remember, many organizations understand the challenges faced by isolated seniors and may be willing to work with you to find solutions. Don't give up - keep reaching out and explaining your situation. Your wellbeing is important, and there are people and organizations out there who want to help.
 

I’m in a similar situation.

I’ve never had a problem with anyone requiring an emergency contact but if they did I would make one up. 😉

I’ve pretty much resigned myself to the idea that things will work themselves out.

An emergency contact won’t help with your fears about dying alone or about your cat.

If you make it into the system you will be cared for without an emergency contact.

You’ve handled everything in your life and you will handle this! 🤗

1726336515630.jpeg
 
hawkdon said:
Check where you reside and see what services are available
for seniors citizens, I discovered several after my wife passed,
and use a couple services still today. They will understand if
you do not have an emergency contact, ....welcome.....
Click to expand...
 
jujube said:
I did a quick internet check and found two that say they are "free" services:

snugsafety.com and snugsafe.com

They say they are apps you can load onto I-Phones and androids.

Might not work for you but might be worth looking into.
Click to expand...
I looked into those already they need someone to contact when they can't get a hold of you, and need an emergency contact
 
I am sorry you are in that situation. I to live alone but do have neighbors, we watch for each other. My neighbor, also a widow is 90. She opens the kitchen blinds every morning so I know she is up and ok. My neighbors know I am okay if they see or hear the dogs out on the regular as I don't go out much. Usually only once a week in the early hours for the grocery.
 
...
tatortot said:
I am 67 female and live with my cat.
Been having some trouble finding an organization or an individual to help me.

I don't work so I can go a very long time before I see anyone, or talk w/anyone. This scares me!

I have fears of rotting away in my home and my poor kitty starving to death.

Have been trying to volunteer to get out and meet people but they need contacts/ and emergency contacts which I do not have.

I have no one for a living will or dying will. Hospitalization is scary for me also.

Neighbors, family, friends out of the question. Non-existent.

Many people tell me about call in services, or apps, life alert that keep in contact. Those services still need an emergency contact.

Ugh!
Why is it so hard to find help? I have tried everything and talked to a lot of agencies. No luck!
Click to expand...
Can't you use the police as an emergency contact?
 
I all else fails, consult your attorney if you have one. I might be helpful to know where you live. Every location has different requirements. Here we have a have a county Social Services Department with an Aging and Youth Services bureau. I've yet to figure out why they lump youth and seniors together.
 
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Blessed said:
I am sorry you are in that situation. I to live alone but do have neighbors, we watch for each other. My neighbor, also a widow is 90. She opens the kitchen blinds every morning so I know she is up and ok. My neighbors know I am okay if they see or hear the dogs out on the regular as I don't go out much. Usually only once a week in the early hours for the grocery.
Click to expand...
Thank you, I live in a community where people keep to themselves.
 
If you rent you might be able to use your building superintendent or apartment manager as an emergency contact for a welfare check.

That coupled with an app or service that contacts you each day might be a good compromise.

I would also consider moving into a senior oriented apartment complex where you are surrounded by people with similar concerns.

Good luck!
 
tatortot said:
Thank you, I live in a community where people keep to themselves.
Click to expand...

Right now you are a very young senior, but I think it would be worthwhile to research moving someplace that is better for aging seniors.

I moved to a 55+ active seniors gated community and it is just so awesome here. For my daily phone check in (the state provides it to people 65+ if they sign up) I used my daughter as my contact, but since she is in a different state that doesn't really help, so I used the community security office as a backup contact. They are more useful because they could actually come check on me (I'm not sure if they charge, I know they charge $5 to give a ride within the community and $25 when people have accidentally locked themselves out of their home, so they might have a little charge).
 
tatortot said:
I am 67 female and live with my cat.
Been having some trouble finding an organization or an individual to help me.

I don't work so I can go a very long time before I see anyone, or talk w/anyone. This scares me!

I have fears of rotting away in my home and my poor kitty starving to death.

Have been trying to volunteer to get out and meet people but they need contacts/ and emergency contacts which I do not have.

I have no one for a living will or dying will. Hospitalization is scary for me also.

Neighbors, family, friends out of the question. Non-existent.

Many people tell me about call in services, or apps, life alert that keep in contact. Those services still need an emergency contact.

Ugh!
Why is it so hard to find help? I have tried everything and talked to a lot of agencies. No luck!
Click to expand...
Hello: I am sorry to hear about your situation. You're not alone in this. Have you tried the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons). Use these keywords "AARP Help Older Adults Prevent Social Isolation". This is an article on the AARP website about volunteering, but this page contains a lot of useful information for you, even if you don't want to volunteer The AARP has all types of programs for seniors, many of them at no cost. They have all types of free classes.
 
HoneyNut said:
Right now you are a very young senior, but I think it would be worthwhile to research moving someplace that is better for aging seniors.

I moved to a 55+ active seniors gated community and it is just so awesome here. For my daily phone check in (the state provides it to people 65+ if they sign up) I used my daughter as my contact, but since she is in a different state that doesn't really help, so I used the community security office as a backup contact. They are more useful because they could actually come check on me (I'm not sure if they charge, I know they charge $5 to give a ride within the community and $25 when people have accidentally locked themselves out of their home, so they might have a little charge).
Click to expand...
Sounds like an ideal place to live but the OP might be in the same situation we're in around here: the few places like that we have are terribly expensive.
 
Manatee said:
When I lived in Maricopa county Arizona the Sheriffs Office had the RUOK program. You signed up and they would call you every day at a time that you specified. If you didn't answer, someone would be dispatched to find out why.
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What a great idea. Doesn't look like we have such a thing through law enforcement in my area. There's one you sign up for but there's a charge (and the site didn't list how much it was, said contact us for a quote, which usually means it's pricey).
 
Manatee said:
When I lived in Maricopa county Arizona the Sheriffs Office had the RUOK program. You signed up and they would call you every day at a time that you specified. If you didn't answer, someone would be dispatched to find out why.
Click to expand...
That would be very helpful.

I’ve heard of other informal groups where each person on a list calls the next person on the list each day at a specific time to make sure that they are ok.

I lived in a building with many elderly residents where they used a simple door tag system.

images

Each morning the resident would turn the tag from night to day and each evening they would turn it back to night.

A volunteer would scan each floor at a set time and knock on any door that had not switched the tag.

It’s sad that many of us don’t have an easy way to become part of a group of well meaning helpful people that could look out for each other and help each other with simple little errands, acts of kindness, etc…
 
tatortot said:
I am 67 female and live with my cat.
Been having some trouble finding an organization or an individual to help me.

I don't work so I can go a very long time before I see anyone, or talk w/anyone. This scares me!

I have fears of rotting away in my home and my poor kitty starving to death.

Have been trying to volunteer to get out and meet people but they need contacts/ and emergency contacts which I do not have.

I have no one for a living will or dying will. Hospitalization is scary for me also.

Neighbors, family, friends out of the question. Non-existent.

Many people tell me about call in services, or apps, life alert that keep in contact. Those services still need an emergency contact.

Ugh!
Why is it so hard to find help? I have tried everything and talked to a lot of agencies. No luck!
Click to expand...

Im 74 and Im in the same boat. Raise you one cat. Ive outlived everybody and I havent made any new friends. I dont have any solutions either.

I get what youre saying about emergency contacts. What they want is somebody who can make decisions for you if youre out of it. Just give them a name. Its not like they check.
 

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