A new feature has been added to Griffin Hospital’s “Lifeline” service, hospital officials announced.
Griffin offers residents Philips Lifeline, a medical alert service available through a subscription. It is designed for older people who live alone.
The device is worn like a necklace. If the person falls or suffers some other medical condition, they are able, through the push of a button, to be put in contact with a representative who can get them help.
Now the service offers “AutoAlert” to the Lifeline program. AutoAlert uses internal senses when a person falls — and can automatically place a call for help, even if the person is unable to press the button.
The AutoAlert feature uses a sophisticated computerized algorithm to provide users with an “added level of security and safety,” according to Griffin Hospital Lifeline Program Manager Jeff Gell. The microprocessor embedded in the Personal Help Button is “essentially a smart button that can detect a fall and call for help.”
Lifeline with AutoAlert is not replacing the current standard service, Gell pointed out. Rather, AutoAlert is an optional added feature that subscribers can get “on top of their standard service.”
The AutoAlert feature was launched in March and is “being rolled out nationally,” Gell said. “We’re bringing the new option to our community.” Since the AutoAlert capability is so new, Gell was unable to say how many people in the Derby area have signed up so far.
Gell did say, however, that he expects the new service option to catch on quickly. “We’ve gotten a lot of interest from other health care officials and caregivers who love the idea,” he said.
If a current Lifeline customer wants to upgrade to Lifeline with AutoAlert, he or she must get a new Personal Help Button and exchange their existing two-way speaker for a new one. The only new charge is an additional monthly monitoring fee.
Lifeline with AutoAlert costs $13 per month more than the standard Lifeline service. While this may be difficult to afford for seniors on a fixed income, the added protection could be well worth the price.
Lifeline’s goal is “continuing to help seniors live safely and independently in their homes,” Gell said. “This is a new way to help them do that.”
Anyone interested in ordering the standard Lifeline service or ordering or upgrading to Lifeline with AutoAlert may contact Griffin Hospital Lifeline at 1 – 800-242‑1306, extension 4722.
