Recently, Assisted Living Services, Inc. worked with a project team in Meriden consisting of the local U.S. Postal Service, City of Meriden officials, the Director of the Senior Center, the local Police Department, and the Health Department. The goal was to establish a program that has worked in other parts of the country called “Carrier Alert.”
The way it works is that participants, usually seniors living alone, sign up and their letter carrier will place a “Carrier Alert” sticker in their mailbox which will alert all letter carriers to watch mail for any signs of distress, such as an unusual accumulation. If the carrier finds an accumulation of mail, and the sticker has not been covered to signal that the participant is away for a few days, he or she will notify Assisted Living Services, Inc. (the designated sponsoring local social services agency). The agency will have access to the emergency contacts previously provided and call them. If they are unable to reach anyone listed our staff will contact the Meriden Police Department who will dispatch an officer to check on their well being. The program is a simple and low-cost way to help seniors age-in-place safely and should be implemented within the next few weeks.