News

VNC Lifeline always welcomes positive feedback from its customers, just like this one, recently received from the family of a new customer.

"I am so thankful for the expedient and impressive service we received from VNC Lifeline.

My mother (who is 84yrs old) recently underwent a knee replacement operation, and as I live in Shropshire, I took time off work to look after her whilst she recovered. I became anxious as the time for me to leave became nearer, and as I was concerned about times that she would be alone and vulnerable, I was advised by the District nurse to contact VNC Lifeline.

From the very first contact the service was excellent, the staff were kind, courteous and very understanding of an anxious daughter wanting advice on what was available to provide peace of mind both for my mum and us, her family.

Within a few days an engineer called to fit the Lifeline unit, who was professional at all times, informative, warm, kind and caring. We were very impressed!

Now that I am back at home, we all now have peace of mind that should mum need help, she has access to it through Lifeline. The service is great, and the staff involved in delivering the service need to be congratulated for their professionalism, kind, understanding and caring attitude in dealing with anxious, vulnerable people".

Sue Lewandowski, daughter of Mrs Brown, Lifeline Customer

VNC Lifeline has been spreading the message for almost two decades now that telecare works. This comes from our vast experience of delivering a first-class telecare alarm service, which saves lives and promotes independent living across Merseyside. However, we have not had the academic and clinical data to underpin this conviction - until now that is.

Last month, the results of the largest randomised controlled trial of telecare and telehealth in the world (the Whole System Demonstrator, or WSD) were published*. The results indicate that telecare can deliver:

• A 15% reduction in A&E visits
• A 20% reduction in emergency admissions
• A 14% reduction in elective admissions
• A 14% reduction in bed days
• An 8% reduction in tariff costs
• A 45% reduction in mortality rates

Put simply; telecare saves lives. There are over 1.6m households across the UK who already receive a telecare and/or telehealth service. Telecare gives individuals the choice, security and more control over their long term health condition, using technology-assisted services, tailored to their individual needs.

In real terms this includes the many older and vulnerable people living across Merseyside who have a telecare alarm service with us. Having an emergency help button around their neck, which they can press for help, 24 hours a day from anywhere in their home brings invaluable peace of mind and security.

We offer a range of telecare solutions from gas, flood and smoke detectors to enuresis monitors, bed occupancy sensors and extreme temperature monitors. More information about all of these technology-assisted services are available within this site.

There may still be a long way to go to ensure that everyone who needs telecare in the UK receives the service, but we work tirelessly in this region to spread the message about telecare; ensuring that people know about the options available, appreciate the benefits and can access the services to improve their health and independence.

*The findings from the WSD trial can be found at http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2011/12/wsd-headline-findings/

A number of weeks ago, one of our customers living in Speke had a very fortunate escape from a nasty robbery thanks to her Lifeline alarm. The lady who was home alone in the early evening was confronted by burglars in her house. She immediately pressed her Lifeline pendant which perturbed the burglars who then frantically tried to unplug the Lifeline from her phone. The alarm call still reached us and we were able to check that everything was ok. The lady was not hurt in the incident, nor was anything stolen from her home.

Thankfully, the beeping noise from her Lifeline unit, along with her pressing the emergency button, deterred the burglars and potentially saved the lady from a terrible ordeal. Since news of this incident has spread in the lady's estate, we have been contacted by other residents who want a Lifeline for their own peace of mind following a spate of burglaries in the area.

If you have neighbours or friends living on their own in a similar situation, please urge them to contact us to have a Lifeline fitted. It could be the best decision they ever make!

The next Lifeline Afternoon Tea event has been confirmed for Friday 28th October, from 1.00pm - 2.30pm at Our Lady Immaculate Social Club at York Terrace. Whether you're already a customer, or would like to become a Lifeline customer, why not come and spend a lovely afternoon with friends. Enjoy a cup of tea with a jam and cream scone, a good old chin wag, and perhaps even a sing and a dance! Transport can be provided, but it is limited, so will be offered on a first-come-first served basis.

If you're interested in attending, give us a call on 0151 298 2440 and put your name down now!

VNC Lifeline has recently won the contract to supply a telecare alarm service for Cumbria County Council which sees our customer base expand significantly northwards. From 1st October, Lifeline will take over the monitoring of all of Cumbria County Council's existing customers ranging from Ulverston and Barrow-in-Furness in the South Lakes region right up to Carlisle on the Northumbria border.

As we now have the capabilities to install and monitor Lifeline in the Cumbria region, we welcome any new private customers in Cumbria who require the Lifeline service. Please contact the team on 0151 298 2440 for more information, or to arrange a free demonstration, or an installation now. It costs only £2.99 per week, with a one-off installation of £25.

Lifeline is like a silent carer in the home, allowing people to live independently and safely, knowing that help is only the press of a button away. Don't put it off - have Lifeline installed for your own peace of mind.

Councillor Roz Gladden, Cabinet Minister and Deputy Leader of Liverpool City Council, will be visiting VNC Lifeline on 13th October. She and her husband Councillor Roy Gladden are coming to see first hand how the Lifeline service works, and how it makes such a difference in many people's lives in Merseyside.

Wednesday 21st September sees World Alzheimer's Day, a day on which Alzheimer's organizations around the world concentrate their efforts on raising awareness about Alzheimer's and dementia; and to tie in, VNC Lifeline is offering free installation (which usually costs £25) to anyone who joins Lifeline between 19th and 23rd September*. Lifeline costs only £2.99 per week, and really does save lives.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, a group of disorders that impairs mental functioning. At the moment, Alzheimer's is progressive and irreversible. Every 71 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer's disease in the world. Today, it is estimated that about thirty million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer's disease.

The Lifeline service is great for people suffering from Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia as it allows the person to press for help at any time of the day, from anywhere in their home. This reduces the needs for carers to be with the person 24 hours a day, as the pendant button is like a silent carer, always there to be pressed when the person needs help. What's more, there are a range of additional sensors or triggers that can be added to the Lifeline base unit which are particularly aimed at dementia sufferers. These include gas detectors / flood detectors / door exit sensors which means that if a patient were to leave the tap running, or the gas on, or were to wander out of the front door, a trigger would be sent to Lifeline's Control centre who could then get the emergency help needed.

Join Lifeline today, and take advantage of this week's free installation offer by calling 0151 298 2440.

* Callers must cite this website article as reference, when calling to claim free installation.