An elderly woman falls from her bed in the middle of the night and breaks her hip. She lies there for hours, alone but unafraid because she knows help is just a phone call away. 

Such tales are why the Edgewater Police Department is re-instituting its We Care program -- where police officers make well-being checks -- after an almost three-year hiatus. 

The idea is to provide daily contact with residents living alone who might not have regular communication with family members or friends, said program coordinator officer Tim Ball. 

"We are hoping to prevent a problem or catch one before it becomes a problem," he said. 

Under the plan, residents can sign up to have a volunteer call them at 9 a.m. daily. If they answer and tell the caller everything is OK, the volunteer will go on to the next name on the list. If there is no answer, an officer will be dispatched for a well-being check. 

The department provided the service in the past, but stopped when public interest waned, Ball said. However, there have been renewed requests, prompting the program to start again. People are asking for this," Ball said. 

He said Edgewater's Citizens Assisting Police volunteers will man the phones. 
Residents can sign up by filling out one of the fliers available around the community in churches, hospitals, doctor's offices and other public places, or by calling the Citizens Assisting Police volunteer's line at (386) 424-2499. 
Edgewater is not alone in providing such checks. New Smyrna Beach Police Sgt. Denise Johns said her agency has offered its Police Care service for almost two decades. 

Unlike the Edgewater program, New Smyrna Beach residents call the department between 8 a.m. and noon daily to check in. If they are not heard from by the deadline, calls are made to emergency contact numbers to see if everything is normal. If that fails to produce results, officers are dispatched to the participant's residence for a one-on-one check. 

That is how an officer found a woman with a broken hip, Johns said. 
At one time, Johns said the Police Care list consisted of about 30 names, but participation now numbers closer to 10. 

New Smyrna Beach residents wanting to participate in Police Care can contact the department at (386) 424-2220. 

Oak Hill keeps a list of elderly and disabled individuals that officers check on during emergencies, , or when they get word of a problem, but there are no daily calls made by the department, Officer Diane Young said. 

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office has no daily check program either, spokesman Gary Davidson said.

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