CLAY COUNTY, Fla. -- When neighbors noticed nearly 60-year-old Sherri Aslakson hadn't left her home to pick up her mail for days, they knew something was wrong. One neighbor called 911.
But it was too late. By the time deputies got inside, they found her dead in her bed.
So Clay County Sheriff Rick Besler rolled out the Elder Watch program. It's a free system where volunteers make daily house calls to those who stay home alone to make sure they are OK.
"It's a free service and it's something we encourage everyone to sign up for. It could save your life or the life or someone you love," Beseler said.
Last year, the sheriff's office answered nearly 1,700 calls to check on loved ones. Many of those came too late.
But with Elder Watch volunteers like Nancy Moss, the hope is those numbers go down.
"I know all about their families, children, their medications, their ailments. I feel like a personal friend, " Moss said.
The program was implemented in the fall, but the sheriff tells mAction News that people aren't signing up. Only 15 people use the free service so far. He's hoping that all changes when the word gets out through stories like this one.
Signing up for the program is simple: Just call the Clay County Sheriff's Office for an application. It's free.
