Catawba Valley Medical Center Helps Seniors to Continue to Live Independently with the Philips Lifeline Medical Alert Service

The industry-leading, standard Lifeline Service provides fast access to highly trained, caring response associates at the push of a button, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Lifeline with AutoAlert* option provides an added layer of protection by automatically placing a call for help if a fall is detected and the subscriber can’t push their button because they are disoriented, immobilized or unconscious. Lifeline is the only medical alert service provider that integrates this capability into a pendant-style help button.

Seniors are living longer and remaining in their own homes; however, falls have become an epidemic problem that jeopardizes seniors’ chances to live independently. Every year in the U.S., one out of three people age 65 and over will fall.1 This statistic translates to 13.3 million people who will fall in 2010, or one person falling every 2.3 seconds on average.2 The Lifeline service gives elders living alone, family members and caregivers’ increased peace of mind not only during the holidays but everyday of the year.

“We are very proud of the service we provide our elders, which helps them continue living in the homes they love. We are especially driven during this holiday season to help more at- risk elders remain independent, so that they can share in the festivities with their family and friends in the homes that they love,” said Carol Robinson, Lifeline Program Manager. ”Holidays should be a time for celebration, not worry.”

“Living alone is not easy at this stage of life, so I was thrilled when my family gave me the service as a gift,” said a current Lifeline subscriber. “ I feel more confident now that I have Lifeline. It’s always nice to see my family during the holidays, but after they leave, we both know that with Lifeline I will always have access to help if I need it. “

For more information or to order Lifeline, call Catawba Valley Medical Center Lifeline at 828- 485-2696.

About Philips Lifeline

Part of Philips Home Healthcare Solutions, Philips Lifeline is the leading medical alert service, dedicated to helping give seniors more confidence and peace of mind to live independently in their own homes. The Lifeline service is offered by more than 2,500 health care and community organizations and provides services to more than 700,000 subscribers.

1. CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Fact Sheet on Falls. http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/adultfalls.html. Original Study as noted in CDC report: Hausdorff JM, Rios DA, Edelber HK. Gait variability and fall risk in community–living older adults: a 1–year prospective study. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2001;82(8):1050–6.

2. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Interim State Population Projections, 2005. Interim State Projections of Population for Five-Year Age Groups and Selected Age Groups by Sex: July, 1 2004 to 2020.

*AutoAlert option is locally available at participating Lifeline programs. AutoAlert does not detect 100 percent of falls. If able, subscribers should always press your button when you need help.