Marie, 92, Says the PERS “Safety Button” is like an “Insurance Policy” that Helps her Live Safely at Home
Now recovered from fractures in both hips, Marie, 92, lives at home, knowing that help is in reach at the touch of her Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) “safety button.”
Marie calls the “safety button” her “insurance policy.”
“If I don’t need it, it’s fine, but as long as it’s there, it makes me feel safer.”
Barb, Marie’s second daughter, says “We feel very comfortable, very confident that when Mom pushes the safety button somebody will call out to her on the speaker.”
“We know they will ask, ‘Marie, are you okay?’ They will determine what has happened and they will notify our family and first responders if necessary.”
Barb notes that even with two hearing aids, her Mother can hear the operator talking to her over the “Safety Button” speaker.
The Personal Emergency Response System connects people to a national monitoring service. In West Michigan clients of Elders’ Helpers in eight counties* are served by PERS.
Marie no longer relies on calling a neighbor if she needs help.
“Now I know if I push the button, someone will help me and let the kids know,” Marie says.
When Marie came home from the hospital after her hip fractures an Elders’ Helpers caregiver was on duty daily for several weeks. Soon the family felt comfortable that Marie could stay at home on her own.
Now Elders’s Helpers’ caregivers visit once a week. They perform light housework and cook Marie’s favorite recipes.
Marie enjoys being able to reheat her dinner in the microwave. She makes her own breakfast and lunch.
Barb and her four siblings are involved in helping Marie live in her home. Barb helps her mom shower and dress, and everyone takes turns accompanying Marie on her daily walk.
Marie says, “I’m very lucky. I feel very fortunate thanks to my family and Elders’ Helpers.”
Barb says of her mom, “She probably couldn’t be here on her own, but between our family, Elders’ Helpers and the safety button, she can live here.”
Could a Personal Emergency Response System help your parent or loved one live more safely at home? Call our office at 616-454-8305. We can usually visit your home and install a PERS within 24 hours.
Some people may qualify for a PERS through the Area Agency on Aging of West Michigan. Ask our office when you call to inquire about installing a machine in your home.
*Elders’ Helpers provides Personal Emergency Response System services in eight counties: Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Mecosta, Allegan, Ionia and Ottawa.
