Upper St. Clair Business Offers Free Safety Check Phone Calls

now offers a free telephone reassurance program, called Always in Touch, for seniors living alone and disabled adults in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas.

“Always in Touch represents and is our way of giving back to the communities we serve,” said Phil Tanner, owner of Always Best Care in Upper St. Clair. “When a senior needs someone to reach out to them, we’ll be there with a daily phone call to help them maintain contact with the outside world, remind them to take their medications and generally provide peace of mind for the seniors and their families. Best of all, it’s free.”

Anyone can fall or become ill during the night. If someone lives alone, a fall or illness during the night can be disastrous. Who will know? When will help come?

“That’s what Always in Touch is all about,” Tanner said. “We provide a daily ‘safety check’ phone call to seniors who live alone.”

There are a variety of national telephone reassurance programs available, but they are on a paid basis, according to Tanner. Additionally, many communities have social agencies which may provide similar services. 

“Always in Touch is the only free national service of its kind,” Tanner said. “Through Always in Touch, family members can arrange for calls to their parents or other loved ones from virtually anywhere in the country, something that local services organizations cannot do.”

Always in Touch provides a friendly voice each weekday for seniors and disabled adults. Importantly, though, Always in Touch is not a referral service or medical alert system, nor is it a substitute for professional medical advice or the care that patients receive from their physicians and medical advisors. 

Individuals may refer themselves or be referred by a caregiver, medical professional, social worker, family member or other service provider. Always in Touch serves seniors or disabled adults who are homebound, isolated, living alone or in need of daily contact. This may be temporary while recuperating from an illness or surgery, or it may be a more permanent situation. Always in Touch agents will make at least two attempts to reach a senior for a scheduled call; if there is no answer, they will try to reach a designated emergency contact.

For more information or to register for daily calls from Always in Touch, call toll-free 1-855-710-CALL (2255), visit the website at www.always-in-touch.com, or contact Phil Tanner directly at (412) 835-2087 or ptanner@abc-seniors.com.