By KEVIN CHIRI

Publisher

EDGARD — St. John Deputy Monica Swinney had gone through the routine hundreds of times.

As one of the many officers on the St. John force involved in Sheriff Wayne Jones’ &#8220Cop-of-Tea” program, Swinney always had a daily list of senior citizens to stop by and check on in the parish.

&#8220It varies,” she said. &#8220Sometimes it’s a couple, sometimes five or six. We just try to always check on them regularly.”

Swinney, a seven-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, had never had anything life-threatening before when she made her visits. Mostly it was visiting seniors who needed help in many forms, and often it was just to provide company for some who had little family or friends who checked on them.

But last Tuesday things were different, and the benefits of the program proved to be a life saver,

Swinney was making her normal rounds on the West Bank and stopped by the home of 84-year-old Ournia Boudoin, an elderly woman who lived alone and didn’t have too many people checking on her, according to the St. John officer.

&#8220I knocked on the door like normal, but she didn’t answer, and then I heard some noise near the back of her house. She kept making noises, kind of like moaning, and I knew something wasn’t right,” Swinney recalled.

Boudoin lives in a small house, so Swinney was able to go to the back door where a screen door was locked, but the door to the house was not.

&#8220I cut through the screen to get it unlocked, then got in the house and found her lying on the floor in the living room. She was on her back and was in a lot of pain,” Swinney said.

The rescue was a lifesaver for Boudoin, since everyone involved agrees she might not have made it if she hadn’t been found. Boudoin was taken to River Parishes Hospital where she had a broken hip from the fall.

St. John Sheriff’s Office Public Relations Officer Leroy Mitchell, who oversees the &#8220Cop-of-Tea” program said the program has been useful for many reasons in the past, but never anything quite this dramatic.

&#8220Mrs. Boudoin definitely could have died, since she didn’t have many people who ever checked on her and she might have been there a long time had Deputy Swinney not made it,” he said.

The program was begun by Sheriff Wayne Jones in 2004, not only to help seniors in dire circumstances, but also to improve the relationship between seniors and the officers.

&#8220A lot of older people are afraid of anyone coming to their door, but when they begin to have an officer check on them frequently, it makes them comfortable and especially, helps them feel safe,” Mitchell explained. &#8220Sheriff Jones doesn’t want people to just be safe, but he wants them to feel safe knowing we are around.”

The program has also proven to be helpful since the officers are instructed to look for any problems in the home that can be fixed to help the seniors.

&#8220We fix doors, build ramps, or whatever we can to help these folks with problems they might not otherwise get fixed,” Mitchell said.

There are currently 700 seniors in the program, and they are checked on at different levels depending on their need.

Boudoin is currently at Luling Rehabilitation Center, doing just fine, and hoping to return home soon. Mitchell said the sheriff’s office will be getting her on the medical alert program to help.

Even though she is unable to speak very well, Boudoin did have one comment about the group visiting her this day.

&#8220God bless all of them,” she said, holding Swinney’s hand.