Senior citizens of Hillsborough now have a better way to ensure their safety at home with a little help from the Hillsborough Police Department.

“Are You Ok?” is a free program that caters to Hillsborough residents living alone above the age of 60 with medical concerns and issues. Currently serving 10 senior citizens, “Are You Ok?” sends officers to the doors of the seniors’ homes or provides calls to their homes for scheduled check-ups. If there is no response to an officer’s call or visit, an immediate alert is sent to emergency services.

Seniors have the option of choosing when they receive their scheduled visits between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., excluding holidays and weekends. Enrolled seniors can also provide their patient information and family contacts to assist officers in case of an emergency.

Community Coordinator of Hillsborough Police Department, Tashia Mayo, told WCHL the program assures the families of the elderly that they are being taken care of on a “proactive basis versus a reactive basis.”

“Right now, being that we only have 10 applicants, everything is personal,” Mayo said. “Sometimes (seniors) will come in and out and they will call us if they’re out of town, but with there being a small amount of people we have involved we kind of wanted it to be personal to start out with.”

If you or a loved one are interested in applying, contact Officer Tashia Mayo or Sr. Cpl. Tereasa King at the Hillsborough Police Department substation, 501 Rainey Ave., by visit or by phone at 919-732-2441 Ext. 26.