Needless trips to the ER are stressful to older adults and their families and take the time of emergency room medical providers. These needless trips will cost individuals, hospitals and Medicare thousands of dollars.
My mother, who lives in Assisted Living, uses oxygen and can have episodes of forgetting how to adjust her oxygen and all its cords, buttons and dials. When she does she becomes short of breath, she tends to call 911 and in the last 30 days she has had three trips to the ER.
So, I decided to install an emergency response system in her apartment, which she was familiar with because she had used it when she lived alone in her home. She is aware that pushing it will get her help. She can’t remember to call the front desk when she feels ill – so the necklace works for her.
On Saturday morning, less than 24 hours after installing the “button”, she pushed it requesting transport to the hospital. The Emergency Response company called me first (should have been the front desk but since cleared that protocol up) and I was able to direct them to the front desk who sent the medical technician and nurse to check on her – sure enough her oxygen tube was pinched and once corrected, she was fine and walking down to breakfast within minutes and not on her way to a hospital!
This monthly cost of $30 saved Medicare thousands of dollars and Mom and me hours of stress.
If you are looking for an emergency response system for a family member, never sign contracts that have high costs. Installation should run under $50 at the most and monthly fees from $29-60, depending on all the enhancements. You should have the ability to stop service whenever it is no longer needed and not be billed any fees for discontinuing.