A new service available through St. Elizabeth Healthcare offers discounted rates on personal emergency response systems to older adults who live alone and are at risk of falling.
St. Elizabeth announced a new partnership with Home Connection, which offers personal medical emergency monitoring and response services at a discounted rate to members of PrimeWise, St. Elizabeth’s free older-adult membership program.
Through Home Connection, PrimeWise subscribers can choose from a traditional system that connects with a person’s landline, a system that works with cell phones, or a GPS system that can be activated anywhere. Each system includes the option for medication management, and prices range from $29.95 to $44.95 per month.
“The evidence is clear that older adults fall, and this service provides their loved ones, and the individuals themselves, with peace of mind,” said PrimeWise director Jenelen Dulemba.
Decrease your risk
Falling is the leading cause of death in older adults.
Each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every three older adults (aged 65 or older) falls. In 2013, about 25,500 older adults died from fall injuries, and 2.5 million older adults received treatment for fall injuries.
And the numbers are on the rise.
According to the CDC, from 2004 to 2013, the unintentional fall death rate among adults aged 65 and older spiked from 41 percent to 57 percent.
“Falls are huge for us as we age,” Dulemba said, “and so many times when you break a hip, there is a pretty high percentage of individuals who don’t recover from that. This service doesn’t prevent falls, but it does get you the help you need quicker, which increases your chance of recovery. The longer you lie there, the less chance you have of recovery.”
The CDC reports that 20 to 30 percent of people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries such as lacerations, hip fractures and head traumas, which make it hard to get around or live independently, and increase the risk of early death.
To prevent falls, Dulemba suggests low-impact exercise classes or walking clubs, which help increase balance and strength. Also, the CDC recommends asking your doctor or pharmacist to review your medications – both prescription and over-the-counter – to check for medicines that may cause dizziness or drowsiness, having your eyes checked by an eye doctor at least once a year, and removing tripping hazards and adding railings and grab bars to stairs and bathrooms in your home.
For more information on Home Connection and other resources available from PrimeWise, click here or call (859) 301-5433.
