North County : 2 St. Jude Hospitals Make Lifeline Available

A 24-hour Lifeline program at St. Jude Hospitals in Fullerton and Yorba Linda is now available for senior citizens and disabled persons in north Orange County.

Lifeline, a 24-hour home-emergency-response system linking subscribers’ homes to a hospital’s emergency department, is designed to help seniors feel more secure, program coordinator Sharon Cohen said.

Each Lifeline subscriber receives a small “personal help” button, connected to a conventional telephone by an electronic transmitter, that can be worn around the neck or wrist. When activated, the transmitter automatically dials the hospital emergency room, even during a power failure.

Cohen said trained personnel contact the subscriber immediately when a call goes off. If no one answers the hospital’s call, one of several pre-designated responders--friends or family members who live nearby--will be contacted. Paramedicas will be dispatched if none of the responders can be reached.

Cohen said five transmitters will be available beginning Monday at St. Jude Hospital in Yorba Linda. Twenty units will be available beginning Nov. 21 at St. Jude Hospital in Fullerton. Installation of the system is free to subscribers with a $12 monthly rental fee.