Lifeline milestone

18 years ago

    PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – Beatrice Murchison, of Presque Isle, relies on her Lifeline button for peace of mind. Without the personal emergency response service, Murchison, like many other elderly and disabled residents of Aroostook County, might not be able to live alone and could face placement in a nursing home or residential care facility.

    The local Lifeline service, a part of The Aroostook Medical Center, recently celebrated a significant milestone: installation of its 500th active unit. TAMC Health Group began coordinating the local Lifeline service in 1984 with 68 subscribers. When the Lifeline monitoring system became computerized in 2002, 400 subscribers were utilizing the service. Today, TAMC’s Lifeline service is used by people of all ages living in every part of Aroostook County.

    When a subscriber experiences an emergency, he or she simply presses a button on a mobile pendant that hangs around the neck or attaches to the wrist.

    A local operator at TAMC begins talking to the subscriber within seconds, and the appropriate help is summoned. In some cases, the Lifeline operator calls a family member, friend or neighbor, called a first responder, to check on the subscriber. If needed, the operator dispatches an ambulance or contacts the police or fire departments in the event of a non-medical emergency.

    Murchison, a subscriber since 1995, is unable to get out of her wheelchair on her own.

    “Once I’m in bed, I’m in bed. I can’t get out of bed, and I cannot walk,” said Murchison. “I’ve fallen in the bathroom twice, and the ambulance had to come pick me up. No matter when I press my button, somebody answers, so it doesn’t bother me to stay here alone.”

    Murchison relies on a neighbor and her brother-in-law to be her first responders if she needs help in a non-emergency situation. Her first responders check in on her regularly and home care providers are around much of the time, but Murchison is sometimes left alone, and the Lifeline service is the only way she has to obtain assistance if she needs it.

    “The great thing about Lifeline is that everyone involved – from the people who install the units to the operators who respond when a button is pushed – are local,” said Dave Peterson, president/CEO of The Aroostook Medical Center. “Since it’s available throughout Aroostook County and fund-raising events help to keep the cost of the service so low, it’s really a great option for any senior, person with disabilities and even somebody with short-term needs.”

    For Murchison, Lifeline is one of the things that allow her to feel safe about living independently.

    “I would feel less secure without it,” added Murchison. “I go to bed and it doesn’t bother me. There are periods of time when there’s a break in my care, and I’m not worried about that. I know that if anything happens all I need to do is hit a button and somebody will answer.”

    The Aroostook Medical Center is part of EMHS, a healthcare system comprised of member hospitals and organizations in Eastern, Northern and Central Maine. EMHS stands behind its members as a tireless advocate so that both immediate and ongoing healthcare services will be available when and where they are needed.