There have been some troubling stories in the news lately that point up the need to keep in touch with friends, family and neighbors and for them to keep in frequent contact with seniors.

First there was the story of the woman in Florida whose property was damaged by a hurricane and she was unable to afford the repairs that would allow her to have electric service in her home. The amazing thing is that the hurricane that caused the damage was Andrew and this elderly woman lived without full electricity for 15 years. Neighbors never noticed that she had only one dim lamp, nor was anyone aware she had no heat and could not use her stove.

There was the story of 70 year old Vincenzo Ricardo, the Long Island man who died in his chair, watching TV and was not found for over a year. Neighbors assumed he was in the hospital and never thought to check on him.

More recently comes a story about a man who fell in his house and lay on the floor for perhaps as long as two weeks before he was found. Shaun McKenney, 69, who suffered frostbite and hypothermia, lived in a house with no running water and no sanitary facilities.

In each of these cases, a little involvement could have gone a long way. Know your neighbors, take time to meet them. Notice when someone doesn’t put out any trash on trash day or if you don’t see someone for several days. Don’t assume they are away - call or visit. And it is just as important that you regularly discuss your plans with others, so that if they don’t see you performing your normal routines that they take notice and do not assume you are away.

It used to be that you knew all your neighbors and they knew you. Nowadays people live more isolated lives and tragedies like the ones cited above are more common. It’s time to create a spirit of community in neighborhoods and apartment complexes and go back to being good neighbors.

Today’s seniors are more active and adventurous than any generation previous. Every year seniors travel, seeing the country and exploring new locations. But what do you do when there is a medical emergency and you are far from home?

The Mayo Clinic in partnership with Digital Cyclone Inc, introduces medical information delivered directly to your cell phone. Mayo Clinic In-Touch is a health source on-the-go with First Aid tips and Health Alerts available at the tips of your fingers. They can also help you locate the nearest medical facility via GPS (Global Positioning System).

The service is available on all major wireless carriers including Alltel, Cingular, Sprint and Verizon. Subscription is $2.99 per month billed to your phone bill.

In any life-threatening emergency situation, the Mayo Clinic advises that people call 911 first.

Finally someone has noticed that today’s cellphones are not geared for older consumers and they have designed a cellphone specifically for older adults. As cellular technology went digital, cellphones themselves got smaller and smaller. The tiny displays and buttons are difficult to read and manipulate.

Great Call In has introduced the new Jitterbug phone. The phone comes in two styles and different plans are available to meet your individual needs.

The Jitterbug phones have big buttons and easy to read screens and text with loud, clear sound. If you prefer, calls can be placed for you by a Jitterbug operator. One phone is an “emergency only” phone with only three buttons that can be programmed for 911, the operator and one for reaching a family member.

If you have wanted the convenience and security of a cellphone but felt they were too complicated to use, then check out
the Jitterbug Phone.

How often do you have contact with your children? According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, seniors and their children are communicating more than ever. In 1989 A gallup Poll found that 32% of seniors had daily contact with a family member; the Pew survey put this figure at 42%.

Part of this increase in contact stems from technological advances over the intervening period. While the telephone remains an important method of connecting between families and their parents, email has become an important additional method. Thirty percent of senior citizens reported that they have at least occasional email contact with their children. It is rare for there to be daily email contact, however.

Interestingly, those families that have daily email contact also tend to talk to each other in other ways every day. It seems that new means of communication are added to traditional methods, rather than substituting for them.

The Pew survey is very extensive, covering much more than electronic forms of communication. To read the full results, go to this article in Senior Journal.