Venice Regional offers free Lifeline necklaces

Each year, 2.8 million older people are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries. More than 800,000 patients a year are hospitalized because of a fall injury, most often because of a head injury or hip fracture, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Each year at least 300,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures and more than 95 percent of those are caused by falling, usually by falling sideways. Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries and one in five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury.

Lifeline is a necklace that can tell when a person is no longer vertical and recognizes the sudden change in position. It automatically produces a signal, contacting a central monitoring station, which alerts a nearby first responder.

The Hospital Volunteers of Venice organization in partnership with Venice Regional Bayfront Health and Gulf Coast Medical Group clinics is offering 60 days of Lifeline monitoring service at no cost to Venice area residents and snowbirds who are at risk for falls.

All patients for whom the service would be beneficial on being released from the hospital or the clinics are being informed with their discharge papers. Hospital volunteers are available to answer questions and they will visit locally to ensure the recipient understands the Lifeline services.

The 60-days free service can become permanent or if no longer required, would be removed after the trial period.

This offer also applies to the general public, because monitoring a person for falls contributes to the individual’s safety, peace of mind and may reduce hospital readmissions. Patients of the hospital and clinics who may be visiting from northern states are also eligible for the 60 days offer and can use Lifeline wherever they are within the monitoring services areas.

“Since starting the service in the past 30 days, the response to our offer has increased by more than double,” said Dean Laux of the hospital volunteers. “Unfortunately, my 87-year-old mother did not have the service and after a fall was not found until 14 hours later, circumstances which subsequently contributed to her death.”

For more information on the Hospital Volunteers 60 days free offer, contact Dean Laux at 941-460-1817. Additional detailed information on the Lifeline services is available from Kathy Schuck at 941-483-7070.