Snug Safety
A Must-have Safety Feature for People Who Live Alone
by Rev. Canon Timothy Dombek
In the past few years, most likely all our congregations have had parishioners who live alone and have fallen and not been able to get up or were otherwise incapacitated and unable to call anyone for help for an extended period of time. What a tragedy!
Most of us use smartphones of one type or another these days. Consider downloading Snug Safety, an app designed for the safety and welfare of seniors who live alone. From their website: https://www.snugsafe.com/how-snug-works:
“Snug is the free daily check-in app for seniors who live alone. Snug checks in with you every day to confirm you’re okay and if there is no response, alerts your emergency contacts so you can quickly get help (and your pets will be taken care of too).
Snug has been used by thousands of Americans for over 10 million check-ins.”
Well, I remember a few years ago when one of our parishioners fell at home, and unfortunately, left his Life Alert button on his nightstand. He couldn’t get to it and was immobile for two or three days, lying prone on the floor in his bathroom. With the Snug Safety basic plan, (which is free) “If you miss your daily check-in, Snug will send a text message to each of your emergency contacts with your last known location. It is up to them to reach out to you to make sure you’re ok. The basic version is 100% free and without ads.” In my example above, perhaps our parishioner would have been on the floor for maybe a few hours only, instead of a few days.
Sisters and brothers, if you live alone, PLEASE ADD THIS APP TO YOUR PHONE! There is a free version that may work for most people, but if you prefer even more peace of mind, “On the paid version of Snug, ($9.99 a month or $99 a year) if you miss your check-in time, a Snug dispatcher will call your cell phone to ask if you’re all right. If you do not answer, they will call your emergency contacts to ask someone to check in on you. If the dispatcher is unable to get confirmation that someone will look in on you, they will request a wellness check. This is where a local authority such as the police, fire department, or emergency medical services visit your last known location or home address.” That’s as inexpensive as it gets for peace of mind and assurance of someone looking out for you.
Either way, please consider adding this safety feature to your phone if you live alone; your life may one day depend upon it.