Red Cross offers quick way to call for help

Eyana Adah Mcmillan

Jul. 10, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- In a time of emergency, help will be just a button press away with Lifeline Services offered through the York County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Lifeline Services, run by Philip Lifeline -- based in Framingham, Mass. -- is designed to summon emergency assistance for people who are living at home and have physical limitations and medical issues.

People also can get reminders to take medications, said Victoria Connor, spokeswoman for the Red Cross.

The chapter is now helping local families sign up for the medical-alert program.

"It falls in line with the mission of the Red Cross to help people prepare for home emergencies, so they can receive the services they need as soon as possible," she said.

Connor said the Red Cross initially offered Lifeline Services referrals in 2003, assisting 300 families in signing up for the program. The effort was discontinued three years later because a larger local organization began offering the program.

The chapter did not want to waste services or funding by having a duplication of Lifeline programs in the area, she said.

The other organization no longer offers the program, so the Red Cross will do it, Connor said.

How it works: The chapter has a staff member, Marnie Sippel, who will meet with families interested in Lifeline Services and will assist them with the signing-up process, Connor said.

Equipment includes high-volume speaker phones, and watches, necklaces and bracelets with help buttons that

can be pressed in emergencies to reach a personal response associate who will get medical assistance.

Equipment is available for people who are hearing and sight impaired, Connor said.

Costs include a $70 equipment installation fee and $40.75 per month for services, she said.

"No long-term contracts are required, and the family does not have to purchase the equipment," Connor said. "It's very affordable."

About the program To learn about medical-alert program Lifeline Services, contact Marnie Sippel with the York County American Red Cross at 771-3571.

Lifeline Services is run by Framingham, Mass.-based Philip Lifeline, which can be reached at 1-800-959-6989.

The Red Cross has a coupon code that families can use to get free service activation and $5 off the monthly service fee for a year, said Victoria Connor, the chapter's spokeswoman.

She said the coupon code is AC4 and can be used by families calling Lifeline. The coupon expires Sept. 30, 2009.

More information is available at the chapter's Web site at www.redcross-yorkadamspa.org. --Reach Eyana Adah McMillan at 505-5438 or emcmillan@yorkdis patch.com.

Newstex ID: KRTB-1008-36379677