An elderly woman has been confirmed OK after police were called to her home for a welfare check, only to find her playing video games–and trying to break a personal record.
News 5 Cleveland reports that authorities were dispatched to the woman’s home on April 9 after she did not answer a call from an automated welfare-check system. This was part of the city’s use of the “Confirm OK” system, whereby people can agree to get calls for welfare checks.
The woman did not answer these calls, or a call from a police dispatcher. Authorities then called the woman’s daughter to confirm that her mother should have been home at the time. Police then went to the home for a wellness check and initially “became more alarmed” because the woman did not answer their knock.
Officers entered the home to find the woman playing a “bubble pop” video game and attempting to break her previous record. Body camera footage was released as part of the police activity, but it doesn’t show the moment that officers found the woman due to privacy reasons.
“Everyone was a little bit alarmed that she was missing these contacts, ” Westlake police department captain Jerry Vogel said of the welfare checks. “It turned out to be OK. Everyone got a good laugh out of it.”
According to the ESA, 36% of Americans aged 80-90 play video games weekly, but there doesn’t appear to be data from people aged 90 or above.
