WILTON — Responding to the isolation some older residents feel, Police Chief Dennis Brown and volunteer Kathy Shepard of Wilton are starting a new program that reaches out to those residents.

"It's something I've been thinking about for a long time," Brown told selectmen last week adding that sometimes when police respond to a call it's the first contact for that person.

Likewise, Shepard had learned of other towns that have set up a program where volunteers call the elderly to check on them.

So she contacted Brown and asked about creating a program similar to one in Auburn called Volunteer in Police Program, she said Monday. They then decided to do their own thing, she added.

"Some people never see anyone — they don't talk to anyone. In this small caring community, we can do it with a few volunteers," she said.

A caller would inquire how the person was or if they needed anything that day or ask what is going on with them . . . a chance to let them talk, she said.

The program involves recruiting more volunteers to help call residents and check on them at least once or up to three times a week. Residents or their families would have to sign the person up for the call and consent to the volunteers calling, Brown said. They will also pick what day and how many times a week they want to be called.

Basic goals for the program are first to do a check on folks, he said. Some people are living outside assisted living but their families may still have some concerns about them living alone, he said.

The program aims to connect members of the community together and build a network and to get to a level of treatment. Most of these people have a minimum level of outside contacts with folks, he said.

Expecting volunteers to give a couple hours a week, there are a couple rules, she said. Everything has to be confidential and volunteers will not go to a person's home.

"If they are in trouble, we don't go to their house," she said. Police and other agencies will respond. Needs will be referred to appropriate people who can help, she said.

Calls will be made from the police station. For more information, call the office at 645-3876.

abryant@sunjournal.com