Every senior — regardless of their socioeconomic status — deserves to be safer in their home and tended to quickly in the event of a fall or other medical emergency. That’s our opinion at Philips Lifeline, and one shared by many of our customers, including a subsidized housing senior living community in the lower income area of a Northeast U.S. city.
Looking to upgrade the Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) available to its residents, the community’s executive director went in search of a powerful, flexible platform that would provide enhanced capabilities and still meet budget requirements.
Technology, Service, Cost-Effectiveness: Finding the Ideal Solution
The harsh reality for seniors who suffer a fall and can’t summon help is that there is a 67 percent mortality rate if help is not provided within 72 hours — a time frame that’s not hard to imagine for seniors who are living alone. By contrast, the mortality rate when help is provided within an hour is 12 percent.1 Reduced lie times can make all the difference to a senior in need.
With those numbers in mind, the executive director was looking for an advanced fall detection system that would:
- Report a fall even if a resident couldn’t press the help button or pull a help cord
- Reduce reliance on onsite staff
- Come from a provider with a recognized service focus
- Conform to budget constraints
The community had another solution in place but was unhappy with the level of service from the provider. The executive director knew that a comprehensive solution is about more than simply the technology installed. The insights and support of the vendor are critical to providing community management and residents with the most effective solution possible. When he spoke with existing Philips Lifeline customers, he was reassured by their reports of solid customer service and monitoring.
AutoAlert Provides Peace of Mind
One of the drivers for this community to seek a solution with automatic notification capability was the peace of mind it would provide to staff. Before selecting and implementing Philips Lifeline with AutoAlert, they had concerns about which team members could be offsite in what combinations, as they could never all be off property at once. Now the executive director and staff can rest assured that residents can get the help they request, even if the staff is not readily accessible.
Flexible Financing and Cost Savings Make Life Safety Technology Affordable
For non-profit organizations operating within a tight budget, a cost-effective solution is a must. This HUD 202(Housing and Urban Development)-subsidized community refinanced their HUD mortgages and was granted permission by HUD to use the savings on the interest in three areas – 1. For a service coordinator position, 2. For a PERS medical alert program, 3. For resident service/programs. This approach allowed them to implement the kind of system its seniors and staff truly need without adversely affecting its revenue stream.
Today, after an initial deployment covering 336 residents got rave reviews, the community has expanded its use of Philips Lifeline with AutoAlert to a total of over 500 residents. What’s more, according to the executive director of this organization, it will be enjoying savings of potentially more than $90,000 over eight years with the system. And its residents have peace of mind knowing that they can receive prompt and attentive access to a Philips Response Center for emergency assistance.
Interested in reading more about senior living? See a resource library here for more education that could be helpful to you.
- Persons Found in Their Homes Helpless or Dead, NEJM, 334: 1710-1716 (June 27), 1996.
