CVMC Offers Breakthrough Medical Alert Service

CATAWBA VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER OFFERS BREAKTHROUGH MEDICAL ALERT SERVICE

AutoAlert can detect falls with high rate ofdetection and low rate offalse alarms and automatically call for help.

HICKORY, NC –Catawba Valley Medical Center’s Health First Center at Valley Hills Mall now offers Lifeline with AutoAlert, an enhanced medical alert service that helps enable continued independence for seniors by improving access to help in the event of a fall. This integrated solution offers an added layer of protection by combining the industry-leading Lifeline medical alert service with automatic fall detection capabilities. Lifeline with AutoAlert features the only pendant-style help button that can automatically call for help if a fall is detected and a senior is unable to push his or her help button. According to an internal laboratory study of simulated falls, Lifeline with AutoAlert detected 95 percent of many types of falls and had a low rate of false alarms.

According to the CDC, 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. This statistic translates to 13.3 million people who will fall in 2010, or one person falling every 2.3 seconds on average, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The care and treatment of these potentially preventable complications are costly to the healthcare system and negatively impact quality of life for seniors.

If a fall victim receives help more quickly, that may reduce emotional distress and potential costs of extended treatment, rehabilitation, and supported living. With AutoAlert, if a fall is detected, subscribers still have the opportunity to receive quick access to assistance even in situations where they cant push their button, for example, if they lose consciousness, become immobilized, forget to push their button or wont push their button because they feel they can manage the situation independently.

“One of the greatest threats to seniors’ health is falls and associated injuries, said Carol Robinson, Lifeline Coordinator “For the cost of a cup of coffee a day, Lifeline with AutoAlert can help seniors maintain their independence and provide their caregivers even more piece of mind.”

With a simple press of their lifeline button, seniors receive assistance without delay. Personal Response Associates are available 24 hours a day. For more information about Lifeline with AutoAlert, please visit http://www.catawbavalleymedical.org/lifeline or contact Carol Robinson at 828/485-2696.

Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, N.C., is a not-for-profit, public healthcare system providing and promoting the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventative medicine and acute care. Located in Hickory, N.C., CVMC has received three Magnet designations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and has been recognized for providing “An Outstanding Inpatient Experience” for a third consecutive year by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information, please visit http://www.catawbavalleymedical.org.