Kitchen fire inspires safety net

A kitchen fire in an elderly woman's home sparked a new effort to build a social services safety net for seniors.

Jim Stewart, Kalispell's prevention chief and fire marshal, said the kitchen fire was related to a large build-up of trash in the senior citizen's home. The responding fire crew tried to sort through a multitude of agencies to find her some help.

"It can be a daunting task," Stewart said. "This customer didn't fit the parameters of any agency."

Other emergency situations pointed up a need for a safety net for seniors who fall through the cracks.

Stewart said sometimes half of an elderly couple gets transported to the hospital and the other half has no way to get there.

"Some elderly don't have the financial resources or ability to make a connection," he said. "They have a hard time seeing and a hard time hearing."

According to Stewart, the senior population in the Flathead has seen a 10-fold increase over the last several decades. Many have moved here after retirement or come for the summer to escape the heat of a desert home.

"Maybe only the husband can drive and he has a stroke," Stewart said.

He also cited a need for immediate help for grieving people after a fatality. Senior visitors or new residents often don't have family or friends to turn to when the emergency crew finishes its work.

"We don't want to just walk away," he said.

These dilemmas inspired Kalispell Fire Chief Randy Brodehl to write a research paper on the issue. Next, he pursued and won a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the seniors connections concept.

"Chief Brodehl worked on forming a coalition," Stewart said.

It includes representatives of a wide array of social services like the Area Agency on Aging and Adult Protective Services. Monthly meetings opened up the lines of communications and identified resources available for seniors.

Stewart became the point man for senior connections. He traveled to Mesa, Ariz., to learn about a successful program that helps emergency services deal with thousands of seniors living in that area.

He expects the Kalispell program will follow the Mesa model, which uses a cadre of volunteers who carry pagers and serve as connectors with at-risk seniors to services they need.

"These people will be trained in all the different programs that are available," Stewart said.

A crew would call a connector to the scene of an emergency to serve as a bridge to the next phase of community assistance after a fire, medical crisis or accident.

In Mesa, he said, aspiring firefighters and paramedics make up 95 percent of the volunteer connectors. Stewart anticipates Flathead Valley Community College student paramedics or future fire-science students may fill this role.

Along with helping seniors in emergencies, Stewart said connectors could also work as educators to reduce problems like falls. He said the department spends a lot of time dealing with these sorts of calls.

"We've known for 50 years that fire education works," he said. "If we educate for fall prevention, our community is healthier."

Stewart said the emergency crews would identify a person who has fallen several times. An educator would pay a visit to the senior and try to reduce hazards or find ways to prevent falls like grab bars in critical areas.

Now in the planning stage, senior connection participants haven't begun recruiting volunteers yet. He said the next step involves forming a steering committee.

Stewart emphasized that senior connections is not a new social service agency but a way of linking existing resources.

By communicating with agencies, he said the department has shortened the bureaucratic phone tree for more efficient service when an elderly customer needs help.

"Our community is growing and the incidents are going up," Stewart said.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com