Gatekeeper Program Helping Elderly, Receives Donation
On Thursday afternoon, more than a handful of Bay County Alzheimer’s Alliance members surprised Sheriff Frank Mckeithen with a $1,500 check to support the ‘Gate-Keeper Program.’
Sheriff Mckeithen tells NewsChannel 7, “The Gatekeeper Program is a very special and important service here in Bay County.”
Members of the sheriff’s department make daily phone calls to seniors living in the community in order to ensure their safety and independence. Checking in allows them to identify those seniors who are potentially at risk or in need of assistance. “We call every single day and if someone doesn’t answer the phone, we send a deputy out to their home,” said Sheriff Mckeithen.
The goal of this program is to educate the community to keep their eyes open and ears alert for seniors at risk, especially for those who are isolated, living alone and potentially in need of some type of assistance.
The Gatekeeper program consists of: The Roll Call Program; The Alzheimer’s Bracelet Program and the File of Life Program. To find out how you can donate or how to enroll, call the Bay County Alzheimer’s Alliance at: (850) 769-3468; or the Bay County Sheriffs Office at: 747-4700.
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