Thanks to an alert and compassionate Florida Power & Light Company field representative, an FPL customer is getting some much-needed help.

When FPL representative Randy Crain visited the customer's home to inquire about an overdue electric bill, he said the customer seemed confused. The customer walked away for a few minutes and when he returned he had forgotten why Mr. Crain was at his house, where he lives alone.

During the next few minutes, the two talked about the overdue bill, and the customer paid the FPL bill. Still, Mr. Crain was troubled and knew the customer needed assistance.

"I noticed his eyes had a glazed look to them and I knew something wasn't right," said Mr. Crain. "I wanted to help, and so I did the only thing I could have done."

Using FPL Special Consumer Services Programs, Mr. Crain and his supervisor arranged for an outside agency to assist the customer with his daily responsibilities. FPL is not releasing the customer's name to ensure his privacy and safety.

FPL, the Elder Helpline, a state network of agencies that specializes in linking senior citizens to various services, and the Alzheimer's Community Care Association have joined in their efforts to assist the customer. Additional services also were arranged from Meals on Wheels and the Department of Children & Families Adult Protective Service.

"ACCA appreciates the opportunity to work with FPL in the community to identify and assist seniors who may be at risk due to confusion or memory problems," said Dolores Lomonaco, a registered nurse and family consultant at ACCA. "We can all be good neighbors and friends by being alert to changes that may take place in someone we know or have contact with."

"Indications that an elderly person may need assistance include wandering off and getting lost, repeating themselves, neglecting personal appearance/ hygiene, weight loss, frequent calls to police and loss of interest in keeping up with yard and/or home chores," said Nurse Lomonaco.

FPL offers an array of services to provide assistance to customers who cannot pay their electricity bills. Further, FPL offers senior citizens similar plans to help remind them that their bill is due and to help those on fixed incomes meet their payments. Other services that FPL offers include:

Double Notice Protection Plan: Through this plan, a customer can designate an additional party to receive notification of any final notices that may be rendered on their account. This service helps protect customers, who may misplace or forget to pay their electric bill, from having their services disconnected.

62 Plus Payment Plan: An optional payment plan designed to extend the pay- by-date for customers who depend on social security, disability or similar benefits. For customers who qualify, the pay-by-date is adjusted to coincide with the receipt of their monthly checks.

Budget Billing: An optional payment plan to assist customers in avoiding the peaks and valleys of monthly electric bills. The monthly electric usage is leveled over a 12-month period allowing the participating customer to more easily budget their payments for electric service.

Medically Essential Service: This program flags the customer's account to indicate special medical needs. A customer is eligible if they have continuously operating electric-powered medical equipment necessary to sustain the life of or avoid serious medical complications requiring immediate hospitalization of the customer or another permanent resident at the service address. Participating customers are advised to acquire back-up power supplies and develop a contingency plan should loss of power occur.

Speech and Hearing Disabled Telephone: FPL provides a special toll-free number (1-800-432-6554) that allows hearing or speech-disabled customers to use their Teletype communication systems to communicate with FPL customer service personnel.

Additional programs such as Automatic Funds Transfer, FPL E-bill with Checkfree and Low Income Home Energy Assistance programs are also available to qualifying customers. For additional information or to sign up for FPL services, please call the customer service number on the lower portion of your bill.

Florida Power & Light is the principal subsidiary of FPL Group, Inc. , one of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related services with annual revenues of more than $6 billion. The company serves 3.8 million customer accounts in Florida. FPL Energy, LLC., FPL Group's U.S. and international energy generating subsidiary, is a leader in producing electricity from clean and renewable fuels. Information is available on the Internet at www.fpl.com.

SOURCE: Florida Power & Light Company