June 01, 2002
A Lifeline - Security is as close as the push of a button
Lying on her bathroom floor, wedged between the toilet and the wall and out of reach of her mechanical scooter, Karen Coulter of Davenport knew she was in a dangerous situation.
She had become increasingly debilitated with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis since her diagnosis in 1983. She was acutely aware that remaining in this position for long could result in broken bones, impaired circulation, and quite possibly death. Unable to do anything else, she reached for her Lifeline necklace and pushed the button to call for help.
This was not the first time she had found herself in serious trouble. “If I didn’t have this Lifeline, I could possibly be dead,” Coulter, 60, says. “It would be a long time before someone could find me.”
Help In An Emergency
Lifeline is an emergency communication system that uses electronic equipment, hospital staff, and relatives and friends to form a link for immediate assistance when you need it. With Lifeline, you are able to live in your home free of fear and isolation in case of an emergency.
Lifeline begins in the home with two pieces of equipment. A lightweight wireless transmitter in the form of a necklace or bracelet (your personal help button) is worn at all times. Whenever you need help, day or night, you simply press your personal help button, and it immediately signals Genesis Medical Center’s Lifeline response center.
The Lifeline unit works as an intercom system, so if you are near the unit you can let staff know what you need. The first question they ask upon contact is “Are you okay?” You can let them know if you need an ambulance or if you need to have your first “responder” – a friend or neighbor whose name has been provided -- contacted. If you’re unable to verbally communicate with the Genesis response center, your first “responder” will be automatically contacted. The Lifeline home unit works around the clock from anywhere in your home or outside in the yard. Even during an electrical power failure, the Lifeline system will operate.
Joe Curta, Genesis’s Lifeline Program Manager, says that there are more than 500 Lifeline units in homes throughout the Quad City area as part of the Genesis Lifeline program. Although Lifeline customers are often elderly or permanently disabled, the device can also benefit those who are temporarily impaired or recovering from an injury or surgery.
“Often times, people will install the service as a temporary measure but then decide to keep it permanently because of the sense of security it provides,” he says.
Lifeline can even be used as a security system. “Sometimes people become so panicked that they can’t think to call 911, but they remember that they are wearing a life-saving device around their neck. One woman used Lifeline when she heard someone breaking into her home, and the police came immediately and caught the guy,” Curta says.
Local Help
Unlike other emergency communications systems that are monitored from a distant state, Lifeline is monitored locally by Genesis Medical Center’s emergency response staff. Not only do Lifeline users feel reassured by the prompt and dependable medical response but also by the personal attention they receive and the trust they have developed in the Lifeline caregivers.
“From Joe Curta to all of the EMTs who take you to the hospital and even Ernie, the technical repairman for the system, the amount of caring that the Lifeline people have shown me is unbelievable,” Coulter says. “I have been blessed in that way.”
Not only is this a reassurance for Coulter, but for her family as well. At one point, her daughter was encouraging her to move into a living center for the disabled near her home in Lisle, Illinois. Although she considered the move, ultimately she decided to stay in Davenport because of the network of people she had developed through the support of Lifeline and other care providers. Thanks to Lifeline, her children were able to support her decision without feeling guilty for pursuing their own lives away from their mother.
For someone like Coulter who treasures her independence, Lifeline provides freedom. She can maintain her daily routine and rest assured that she will receive prompt attention if an emergency arises. “I used to hesitate to call,” Coulter says. “Now I understand how the system works and that there is more than one team of people to respond. They will even talk you through something if that is what you need. Now I don’t hesitate to use it.”
For more information on Genesis Lifeline Program, please contact Joe Curta at 563-421-1095 or 1-800-383-2555. Units can be rented for $35 per month, and a one-time installation charge of $20, which includes maintenance of all equipment. During the month of June, there is no installation charge!
