Welcome to the
St. Luke's Magic Valley Health
Foundation's
Lifeline Program - Freedom and
independence for Magic Valley residents!
Helping
seniors live with confidence is a
mission the St. Luke's Magic Valley
Health Foundation Board
holds close to their hearts and
takes seriously. Since the
Foundation established the Lifeline
emergency response program in 1986,
more than a thousand seniors in the
Magic Valley community have been
encouraged to keep an active and
independent lifestyle.
“My family insisted that I get
Lifeline, but now that I have it, I
feel more comfortable moving around
the house. I can go downstairs to my
quilt shop or outside to work in my
garden knowing that I can get help
with just a touch of a button.
Everyone always thinks it happens to
someone else and not to them. But
you never know when you might fall
where no one can see or hear you and
not be able to get help. I have
recommended it to my friends.” M.
DuBois
By
pushing a lightweight waterproof
button that can be either worn
around the neck or wrist, a
subscriber has immediate access to
SLMVRMC staff that take time to fully
understand the caller’s situation.
Hospital staff efficiently help the
subscriber obtain quick assistance
if personal support is needed,
especially in a medical emergency.
The subscriber only has to be within
100 to 400 feet of the unit
(depending upon the structure of the
home) in order to activate the
system.
“I
have fallen 7 times in the last 2 ½
years, of which 2 times I was taken
to the hospital in an ambulance.
With Lifeline, I know I can get help
immediately from the Buhl Quick
Response and St. Luke's Magic Valley Regional
Medical Center Paramedics. I feel
that Lifeline has allowed me to stay
in my own home. It is very simple to
use and the Lifeline ladies have
been wonderful to me.” B. Smith, 71
Lifeline is there when loved ones or
caregivers can’t be. It allows both
seniors and their families to go
about their day-to-day activities
with peace of mind. The local
program is the second largest in
Idaho at 350 units and provides a
sense of freedom for subscribers no
matter their age. Currently the
program serves individuals aged 48
to 102 in six of the eight Magic
Valley counties.
By 2030, 20% of the U.S. population
will be over the age of 65 years.1
As of 2002, 13% of Magic Valley’s
165,289 residents are seniors over
the age of 65.4 For most people, the
years after the age of 65 are a time
of good health, independence, and
integration of a life’s work and
experience. But eventually, most
adults will have one or more chronic
illnesses to contend with.
Senior year's may be characterized
by physical and psychological
distress and frailty. Anxieties
about falling or being
incapacitated, and ability to get
help can also lead to less physical
activity and a decline in ability to
live on their own. Research tells us
that 30% to 50% of elderly people
fear falling - a fear that can cause
them to lose confidence and restrict
their normal range of healthy
activities.5
Each year over a quarter of elderly
people have at least one fall.2,3
For seniors, falls in and around the
home are the most frequent accident.
In 2002, Idaho reported 58 deaths
from falls in the home.4 Could some
of these deaths have been prevented
if help had been received in a
timely manner? For elderly people,
falls can be dangerous and
debilitating, often marking the end
of independent living and increased
needs for family and external
support.5 Even a minor fall or
incident can have serious physical
and psychological consequences if
help doesn’t arrive in a hurry.
Early intervention can prevent
unnecessary medical complications
for a senior in the event of a fall.
Lifeline, the leading Personal
Response Service, ensures that
homebound, at-risk older adults
receive the immediate assistance
they need 24-hours a day, 365 days a
year.
“Not
knowing when I could get help was
very scary! I fell outside in my
yard and broke my leg. I lay there
yelling for help quite awhile before
a stranger finally stopped to help
me. After that, I got Lifeline. It
is nice to know they are there and
it gives me a feeling of security.”
B. Glasgow, 84.
No matter what the age, health
concerns or special needs for
Lifeline clients, they will always
be in close touch with Magic Valley
people who care and are ready to
send the needed assistance, whenever
needed. Seniors are free to go about
daily activities with more
confidence and less worry. Life is
unpredictable and a call for help
could be needed at anytime day or
night. The confidence and
peace-of-mind that comes from the
Lifeline emergency response system
helps ease anxieties and potential
feelings of isolation.
-
Learn
more about St. Luke's Magic
Valley Health Foundation's
-
Senior's Services.
The
St. Luke's Magic Valley
Health Foundation Board is proud to
provide Lifeline as a way for
families to protect their loved ones
and experience the comfort and peace
of mind that comes from living with
the security of Lifeline. For more
information on Lifeline call
208.737.2065 or
email Kerin DuBois at the
SLMVRMC
Community Connection office. For
other MVRMC Foundation programs,
email Larry W. Baxter,CFRE, Executive
Director of St. Luke's Magic Valley
Health Foundation or call
208.737.2480.
-
Field MJ, Cassel CK, eds.
Approaching death: improving
care at the end of life.
Washington, D.C.: National
Academy Press, 1997.
-
King
MB, Tinetti ME. Falls in
community-dwelling older
persons. J Am Geriatr Soc
1995;43:1146-1154.
-
Wolinsky FD, Johnson RJ,
Fitzgerald JF. Falling, health
status, and the use of health
services by older adults: a
prospective study. Med Care
1992;30:587-597.
-
Idaho Vital Statistics 2002
Annual Report.
-
The
New England Journal of Medicine
1996
-
Lifeline web page.
www.lifelinesystem.com
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650 Addison Ave. West,
Suite 270, P.O. Box 2231
Twin Falls ID 83303-2231
Office 208.737.2480,
Fax 208.737.2724
