By Sandy Quadros Bowles
Copyright 2007 Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
SUTTON, Mass. — Sutton Senior Center Director Michelle Edelstein was having a heart attack.
Emergency medical technicians immediately told her to sit down. They took her blood pressure, gave her oxygen, lifted her onto a stair chair and transferred her to a stretcher for the drive to the hospital.
Before she left the center, though, Ms. Edelstein had a parting comment. She lifted her head, waved to onlookers and said, “I’m off to Foxwoods.”
Someone can say things like that when the heart attack isn’t real. But, despite the levity, this simulation was meant to show visitors to the Sutton Senior Center what to expect if emergency personnel were ever called to their homes.
The demonstration was among activities at the center’s open house, held Aug. 24.
Emergency personnel performing the drill encouraged people not to be embarrassed about calling 911. If someone is worried that something is wrong, they should call the paramedics, who prefer to check out situations before they turn into full-blown catastrophes, said Michelle Sheppard, an emergency medical technician with Pathways EMS, Milford.
The open house honored Tri-Valley Services, which has provided meals to seniors for 23 years.
Ms. Sheppard said she decided to combine the celebration for Tri-Valley Services with an open house to showcase the center and its offerings. “People don’t know what we do here.”
The event also featured participants an opportunity to meet outreach coordinator Fritzi Petrie; attend demonstrations and a question-and-answer session with the Sutton fire and police departments; and obtain information on senior tax relief from the Sutton Tax Assessor.
The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office brought its iris scan equipment to sign up seniors for safe returns. This iris biometric recognition system, administered by the sheriff’s office, allows local seniors to have their irises scanned and their identities entered into a national database. In the event of a missing person, the iris scanner can be used to not only determine the person’s identity, but also their address and emergency contacts.