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News
IRON MOUNTAIN — The Dickinson Iron Community Services Agency’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program has launched a new initiative called “Keeping Independent Seniors Safe.”
KISS is a free telephone reassurance program for residents of Dickinson and Iron counties, age 60 and older. Participants are not required to be living alone or to be homebound.
Participants are provided a telephone number to call Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and noon. This contact by the participant lets KISS volunteers know that all is well. Those who cannot call the office can request to receive a call from a volunteer. Special arrangements may be made for participants that need weekend coverage, and participants can call before 8:30 a.m. to leave a message.
If a participant fails to call or does not answer the phone, KISS volunteers will try to confirm the participant is safe. They start by reaching out to the participant’s designated contact people (usually a neighbor, friend or relative) to see if someone is available to check on the situation. If that fails, KISS asks local law enforcement agencies to investigate.
As stated in its brochure: “The KISS program is a reassurance program for older adults who live independently and want to feel safer and more secure. No one likes to think of the consequences if someone should fall and not be able to contact anyone ... Unfortunately, these events happen more than we like to think or hear about. The KISS program volunteers help eliminate some of the fears and dangers that living independently entail.”
For more information on the KISS program, to volunteer, or to sign up, call 906-774-2256 ext. 223 or email karnold@dicsami.org.