This is how Centre County is looking after older residents

Centre County is one of three counties in the state participating in a pilot program that checks in on older Pennsylvanians who are living independently.

The Sheriff Senior Check-In Service allows those who are 65 and older to sign up for daily or regularly scheduled phone calls from the Centre County Sheriff's Office. Participants choose when and how often they get the automated call, which asks the person to press a certain button to indicate that they're OK.

Sheriff Bryan Sampsel said that if the call goes unanswered three times, emergency contacts will be called, and then if there's concern, a deputy will conduct a welfare check.

“For those individuals with a limited support system, a simple, regular phone call to check in can make the difference in getting help out to folks when emergency situations occur,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement.

Sampsel said only a handful of people are enrolled in the free program, which kicked off in Centre County in early February. However, applications are still being accepted. Those who are interested in participating can download an application at centrecountypa.gov or pick one up at the sheriff's office, located at 213 E. High St. in Bellefonte.

Centre County received about $11,000, Sampsel said, which funds the program through June. The funds cover costs associated with the telephone reassurance system, marketing and staff time.

"We're still feeling our way on it," Sampsel said. "We're only grant-funded for six months, but I'm hoping to work around that and would like to keep it going if we have enough interest in it."

Venango and Warren counties are also participating in the pilot.

This story was originally published April 3, 2018 at 5:28 PM with the headline "This is how Centre County is looking after older residents."