Lifeline Makes a Difference in St. Louis

Written by Christina Ward, Staff Writer, RedCross.org

Phone reassurance volunteer Diana Humphrey helps with safety and companionship.

Volunteer Clayton Fenter is often reminded of the value of Lifeline, a safety service provided by his local American Red Cross chapter for people who live alone. Every day, Lifeline brings a sense of security to users and their loved ones, according to the St. Louis resident. But one particular afternoon stands out in his memory more than others.

Fenter arrived for the first time at the home of a new Lifeline "subscriber," ready to install and demonstrate the service.

"I knocked and knocked, and finally heard a voice yelling for help," Fenter recalled. "I opened the door and found the resident on the floor, in need of assistance."

Fenter is also a CPR and First Aid instructor for the Red Cross, so his training kicked in. Fortunately, the elderly resident was fine — just a bit shaken. However, the incident demonstrated the critical importance of Lifeline. It gives people who live alone access to a "personal help button" at all times, to summon emergency assistance if needed. If he had not been outside the door, the resident may have been stranded for hours — or days. Next time, Fenter knew the person would be able to call for help with the touch of a button.

Through a partnership with Lifeline Systems, Inc., many American Red Cross chapters offer a "Personal Emergency Response Service" (PERS) to anyone who lives alone and may benefit from easy access to an emergency phone call at all times. PERS consists of a personal help button, which is worn directly on the person who lives alone and is connected to a small in-home communicator. The communicator automatically dials the Lifeline Response Center if the button is pushed.

Users have their choice of how to wear their personal help button — on a pendant around their neck, or on a wristband.

Although most of the Lifeline users are senior citizens who live alone, the services are also valuable for disabled residents or people with other health problems.

The Lifeline program at the St. Louis Area Chapter is one of the most successful in the country. Launched in 1995, it has experienced steady growth ever since, according to Betsy Johnson, Lifeline specialist at the chapter. She reports that the chapter now provides Lifeline services to 850 local residents, with an average of 40 new Lifelines installed each month.

"Our success is thanks to our 90 Lifeline volunteers," Johnson said. "Our volunteers are the heart and soul of our program, and in many cases, are literally the first face and voice of the American Red Cross a new subscriber will know."

Each Lifeline subscriber is set up with personal communication tools. Click here for more information about Lifeline.

The chapter has recruited and trained 38 "home service representatives," like Clayton Fenter, for the Lifeline program. Each of these volunteers is responsible for delivering and installing the equipment at a new subscriber's home, and then training the subscriber and his or her family members on how to use the service.

To follow-up on this contact, the Red Cross has trained 53 "in touch phone reassurance" volunteers. These volunteers make weekly phone calls to make sure subscribers are wearing their buttons and testing them regularly.

Phone reassurance volunteers often provide a dose of companionship, as well. "I check in on four elderly residents about once a week," said Diana Humphrey, now in her third year as a phone reassurance volunteer. "I remind them to test their Lifeline buttons, but I'm also calling just to talk. There's a 'lonesome factor' in place for many of them."

"Lifeline is valuable because it gives a feeling of independence to people who didn't have it before," Humphrey continued. "They feel like they can do activities on their own again."

Lifeline volunteers also emphasize how much they enjoy being a part of the program. Humphrey, who has been a Red Cross volunteer for many years, has a muscular disease that limits her ability to move around. When she heard about Lifeline, she was eager to become a part of it. The phone reassurance role was perfect for her.

"I tell everyone, once you get the Red Cross in your blood, you can't get it out!" she said.

Lifeline specialist Betsy Johnson also loves the work. "With Lifeline, there is huge opportunity to prevent disaster - rather than react to disaster, which I did in previous relief work," Johnson said. "Lifeline does save lives, proven by the feedback our chapter receives following calls for help…No one could ask for a better, more satisfying career, don't you agree?"

Clayton Fenter said his discovery of the fallen subscriber also illustrated how the service is a benefit to him, as a volunteer. "After we got things under control, I noticed a package of cheese on the floor. The subscriber had been fixing a cheese sandwich and had fallen while getting the bread. So together we finished fixing the sandwich, chatted about life, etc., … I enjoyed that visit a lot."

Fenter has an even more personal connection to Lifeline, he added. "My in-laws have Lifeline buttons — both are in their 90s. My mother-in-law has pressed her button times, including once in a life-threatening situation," he said. "She is sure she would have died without the quick response of the service. Lifeline makes a difference to the person wearing the button, to their loved ones … and in my life, too."

For more information, visit the St. Louis Area Chapter's Web site.

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