Lifeline Personal Response & Support Services is endorsed by NYSUT Member Benefits Trust. This easy-to-use personal response service ensures adults living alone at home get quick assistance whenever it is needed, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
A simple push of a button, worn on a pendant or wristband, activates the Lifeline home unit. This unit dials the Lifeline Monitoring Center and establishes two-way voice communication. Within seconds, a certified Lifeline personal help associate has complete access to the subscriber’s pertinent health history and personal profile on his or her computer screen. The associate communicates with the subscriber through a speaker, assesses the situation and summons appropriate help, whether it is a neighbor, relative or ambulance. The Lifeline associate then follows up to ensure that help arrived.
Lifeline personal help associates are caring professionals extensively trained in gerontology, stress management and monitoring. They undergo annual mandatory recertification.
Lifeline is not only for medical emergencies. It allows the subscriber to answer the telephone without rushing to grab a handset, a major cause of falls. Another major cause of falls is slipping in the shower or bathtub, which is why the help button is waterproof.
Lifeline also includes a reminder capability that can be used for medication reminders, appointment reminders, etc. Knowing that help is just a press of a button away, Lifeline lets the subscriber and his or her family maintain peace of mind.
Bargaining unit members have special reduced pricing for this service. Subscribers pay an initial enrollment fee, plus shipping, handling and taxes. Thereafter, a monthly fee is charged. While no contracts need to be signed, there is a minimum commitment of three months. For more information, call Lifeline at (800) 543-3546, ext.1500.
Some communities offer Lifeline through hospitals, social services or groups for the aging. The Trust suggests members check these facilities for availability and pricing.
(For information about contractual expense reimbursement/endorsement arrangements with providers of endorsed programs, call NYSUT Member Benefits Trust at (800) 626-8101, visit www.memberbenefits.nysut.org, e-mail to benefits@nysutmail.org or refer to your NYSUT Member Benefits Trust Summary Plan Description.)