Caring people in the right place at the right time helped a Rockville, Maryland, woman out of a life-threatening situation – serving as a reminder to the public to check on elderly neighbors, especially as the pandemic drags on.
The Rockville Senior Center is the kind of place where everyone knows each other. When Jerry Jones grew concerned last week about a member with whom he’d had regular contact all throughout the pandemic, he decided to check on her.
“When she didn’t call – because usually they at least call, just for social contact – I realized that I lost contact with her,” he said.
After calling and getting no answer, he drove to her home, where he found her car in the driveway and mail piled up.
No one answered his knock at the door, so Jones called 911. Help arrived in the form of Rockville police Officer Tyler Haines.
“I called out her name and I just heard like a very light like, ‘Hello, hello,’” Haines said. “And she was on the first floor in her bedroom, and when I first opened the door her body was up against the door, so we kind of had to be gentle to actually dismantle the door so we could get access to her.”
Haines managed to find a way inside the home, and the pair later learned that the woman had fallen and been on the floor, barely conscious, for four days.
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The woman was taken to a local hospital, where she is in stable condition. The extent of her injuries is not known.
Jones said the rescue serves as a reminder to check on seniors in your life as the pandemic drags on, especially those who are not as tech savvy.
“It’s important for people to at least call and check in on people who might be vulnerable,” he said.
