Re: Communication - Donna - Emergency communications

May 26, 2004

Hi, Donna,

Bettie Jo does keep a cell phone in a side pouch on her power chair.

It is set up so she can call be simply by turning it on and pushing

one button. If I get a call and hear her, then I may be able to

understand what she needs, or may not. However, she has had problems

where she could reach that phone.

She also emails me at the office quite often.

The most important means of emergency communication is Lifeline.

This program is operated out of a regional hospital. There is a

piece of equipment in the den, hooked to the telephone line. It does

not require a dedicated line, in face, while we used dial-up service

for ISP, that was the line we used. However, some things may need to

be taken off a line, such as call waiting, in order for the equipment

to work properly.

Bettie Jo wears a pendant when I am not in the house (sometimes when

I am home but out of the house). If she has a problem, she pushes

the button. A call is made to the operator (on duty 24/7). When the

operator answers, he or she asks if everything is OK. If the

operator cannot hear Bettie Jo, then he or she calles he first

contact number, in this case the neighbor across the street. If she

is at home, she then comes over (she has keys) to check. She then

calles Lifeline to advise them that things are under control.

If that neighbor is not at home, there are two others on the list.

If all three do not answer the call, then EMS is call. They also

know where a key is kept outside (replacing doors can be expensive).

Whatever the outcome, Lifeline calls me to tell me that the button

was activated and the results of the call.

There is a charge for installation of the equipment, $45.00 if I

recall. There is a monthly fee, $35. I pay it gladly to insure that

Bettie Jo gets the help that she might need.

She has had to use the button a number of times. The first time, she

had taken a " soft " fall in her bedroom. She had been getting ready to

go to a movie with a friend, and was using her walker to get

something off the bed. She went over sideways, but did not hit

anything.

She pushed the button and the neighbor came over. However, I had not

properly trained the neighbors in what actions to take when they

arrived. She did not call Lifeline back. So, after a few minutes,

Lifeline called the second neighbor. He and his wife responded.

Also, the Boy Scout Leader at the Scout Hut next dore came up with a

couple of Scouts when he saw all the action at the house. Then the

friend and her daughter arrived. Meanwhile, the first neighbor had

called me, said that Bettie Jo was not hurt, but could not get up,

and she wasn't able to get her up easily. I left the office for the

17-20 minute drive home. When I got there, Bettie Jo was lying on

the floor, head on a pillow, a blanket over her, with the first

neighbor, the other neighbor and spouse, the friend and her daughter

(the Scoutmaster and Scouts had just left). So, I checked her over

to make sure that she was not hurt, positioned her to get her up, and

preceded to do just that. Just about the time that she got in the

chair, the EMS were knocking on the door. It was a hoot. Bettie Jo

was not hurt, but after all the excitement, she decided not to go to

the movie.

While Lifeline is more expensive than systems that can be purchased

at Radio Shack and other suppliers, I like the idea that there is a

real person on the line that can make decisions based on information

supplied.

Don

Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but

don't point to their crotch when they ask were the bathroom is?

May 26, 2004

Hey there Don,

Life line is great isnt it. My hubby has it because of his stroke and seizures.

It is very nice to have a voice at the other end.

I love your quoats (sp) at the end of your responses. Sandy

Re: Re: Communication - Donna - Emergency

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