This blog courtesy of VRI, a leading provider of medical-only monitoring services in the healthcare industry.
Did you know that one in three seniors will experience a fall this year? ¹,²
This is a frightening statistic considering falls can result in debilitating injuries such as broken hips and head trauma. Moreover, people who fall and lie helpless for hours or days can suffer serious complications, including dehydration, hypothermia, pressure ulcers, muscle breakdown, and renal failure, says geriatrician and associate professor Bruce Kinosian, of the University of Pennsylvania.³
In honor of the upcoming Independence Day holiday, Caring Hearts and VRI have joined forces to educate people on the benefits of medical emergency alert systems, such as those provided by Direct Link.
In fact, clinical studies indicate that the use of monitored Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) reduce mortality rates by nearly four times, reduce hospital utilization by 59 percent, and yield a positive benefit-to-cost ratio of over seven to one (every dollar spent on PERS results in $7.19 in health care cost savings). 4
A medical alert unit gives seniors and those with chronic medical conditions the peace of mind, security, and confidence to continue with their daily activities and maintain independence in their own homes.
Download our quiz to see if you or a loved one could benefit from using an emergency medical alert system, such as the Direct Link PERS.
To locate a Direct Link office near you, click here.
Important note: Our evaluation is useful for evaluating the relative need for a medical alarm, but every situation is different, so if you have any particular questions, contact your local Caring Hearts or Direct Link office.
If you or your loved one could benefit from Caring Hearts and Direct Link services please contact us at (866) 721-3499.
¹ Hausdorff JM, Rios DA, Edelber HK. Gait variability and fall risk in community–living older adults: a 1–year prospective study. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2001;82(8):1050–6.
² Hornbrook MC, Stevens VJ, Wingfield DJ, Hollis JF, Greenlick MR, Ory MG. Preventing falls among community–dwelling older persons: results from a randomized trial. The Gerontologist 1994:34(1):16–23.
³ Medical Devices to the Rescue by Loren Stein. AARP November, 11, 2010
4 “Low-tech” personal emergency response systems reduce costs and improve outcomes. Bernstein M. Manag Care Q 2000;8:38-43. [PubMed]
⁵ Medical Devices to the Rescue by Loren Stein. AARP November, 11, 2010
6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web–based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [online]. Accessed November 30, 2010.
7 Stevens JA, Corso PS, Finkelstein EA, Miller TR. The costs of fatal and nonfatal falls among older adults. Injury Prevention 2006b;12:290–5.