WHEREAS, Senior Isolation is a serious issue affecting the 65+ population around the country. This isolation, leading to loneliness, can have dire consequences on a senior citizen’s health and wellbeing; and
WHEREAS, In order to combat Senior isolation, and to provide both the senior citizen and their family with peace of mind - this resolution proposes that the City of Philadelphia begin delving into a pilot program for an automated phone calling system for senior citizens; and
WHEREAS, Following the model of Cleveland, Ohio and many other small municipalities around the country, Philadelphia can use this program to monitor the health and safety of seniors by keeping in constant contact with him; and
WHEREAS, Cleveland’s program for example, enables seniors to sign up and request specific day(s) and time(s) that an automated system will call them to ensure their safety; and
WHEREAS, If the senior does not answer, several more attempts will be made in a thirty minute time frame, before reaching out to the listed emergency contact. If the contact does not answer as well - emergency services will make a visit to the senior’s home; and
WHEREAS, This program, along with other examples across the country, provide a base of study and a potential plan moving forward for the City; and
WHEREAS, Providing peace of mind of senior citizens and their families should be a goal that the City of Philadelphia is constantly striving for; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby authorizes the Committee on Aging to hold hearings regarding a pilot program designed to use an automated phone calling system in order to provide benefits to the City’s senior population and combat Senior Isolation
End