Stay ready to respond and on-guard

Mary Lou Huffman, who was featured in billboard advertisements located at the corner of Maple and Collins in Marysville earlier this summer, knows the importance of automatically dispensing her medication. Because her picture is plastered as a reminder all over town, she is considered to be a “celebrity.”
Union County Senior Services’ Director Dick Douglass assists in helping seniors maintain their lifestyles within their own homes by offering the reminder system and the emergency response units that are installed within the homes of area seniors.
Emergency response buttons, like the pill dispensers, let seniors, their relatives and caregivers rest easier.
Pill dispensers remind seniors to take their medication at regular intervals and on time and are often a lifesaver because they can be set to measure out exact doses. Integral in the caretaking process, these products are available through Union County Senior Services.
The Personal Emergency Response Service, an on-guard unit that acts in case of emergency situations, is always on call. The personal emergency response systems, monitored by emergency dispatchers, are placed within individuals’ homes and connected via the system office to allow for monitoring at the center. When the care center dispatcher answers an emergency call, they are connected to medical and emergency contact source information. When a senior presses the help button it activates an alarm. The activation of an alarm may be for one of various reasons – the pressing of the help button, detection of fire or missed dose of medication – which causes the alarm to be activated.
After the information is received, the unit turns on its speaker and microphone at the monitoring center, allowing the emergency dispatcher to respond by asking how they can help and what they can do. If help is needed, contact persons, the paramedics or fire department will be called. The dispatcher also will follow up on the requests that are made in order to confirm that the appropriate response was followed through completely. The monitoring is there to make life fuller for the seniors.
Monthly fees are $29.96 /month for the response system and $69.00 /month for the combined pill dispenser / emergency response service. Call Senior Services at 937-644-9629 if you would like more information.
Installation and first month fees for seniors who meet service qualifications are paid for by Union County Senior Services.

Edited by UCP staff.