Welcome to our latest Lifeline Alarm case study. These articles take a look into the lives of our customers, before and after they purchased one of our personal alarms. Our aim is to showcase how our alarms can change the lives of the elderly, frail and disabled for the better.
Today’s case study takes a look at Joan Wood from the village of Bedale, North Yorkshire. Joan, a keen gardener, has had a couple of falls over the past few years and her family were keen for her to have a personal alarm.
Joan said: “The first fall I had was in 2013. I was weeding in the garden and reached to try to pull a weed out when I over balanced, falling flat on the garden. I reached out hoping to support myself on the bird bath, which was within easy reach, but the top was loose and I fell again.
“Eventually I managed to get up and call for my husband but he doesn’t hear very well. The man next door eventually called over the fence to see if I was okay, at which point I was up but still very shaken.”
Joan suffers from osteoarthritis, which is the most common type of Arthritis here in the UK. This condition causes the bodies’ joints to become very stiff and painful which can lead to people with the condition finding difficulty in completing everyday tasks.
I had a knee replacement in February 2015 which was very painful indeed. After this, I went to feed the birds at the bottom of the garden but the grass was very wet and I slipped and was in agony. I couldn’t kneel on the knee replacement, nor on the other knee which needed surgery. I eventually rolled over and got up but I was absolutely soaked, muddy and in a lot of pain.” – Joan
Despite being against getting a personal alarm for a while, suffering from these falls along with the wishes of her family were enough to convince Joan that maybe it was the best option. This was backed up when a close friend fell in her own home.
Joan explained: “A dear friend of mine had a bad fall in her home and ended up breaking a bone in her back. Luckily for her she had an alarm and managed to press it and call for help. The alarm could very well have saved her life as without it there would have been nobody to help her.”
The 79-year-old ordered her personal alarm through our website and chose to wear her new pendant around her neck with the cord provided. During the set-up process she experienced our Response Team for the first time and was left feeling reassured by their service.
She said: “The Response Team were extremely kind and understanding throughout the set-up of my alarm and I have to say that the installation was quite easy for me and my husband to complete. I chose to wear my pendant around my neck and I am proud to wear it, it’s not in any way uncomfortable and I can always tuck it inside my dress or blouse if I don’t want it on show.”
Joan lives in the small North Yorkshire village of Bedale with her husband Don and loves to do things with her family. The couple also enjoy going on cruises and have seen the world over the past 10 years, visiting places such as New York, the Caribbean, Turkey, Spain and Portugal.
Luckily for Joan, she hasn’t been forced into using her Lifeline Alarm as of yet, but just having one in her home has made all the difference to her and her family:
“I certainly have more confidence in myself since having the alarm. It’s a great feeling knowing that if I have a fall, at any time of the day, I can just push a little button around my neck and help will come to me. My family are also very pleased that I have an alarm. They were quite concerned after I had my fall in the garden earlier in the year so they have been given great peace of mind by my Lifeline.”
Mrs Wood has started spreading the word to her friends about the personal alarm system and she is more than happy to show her MyAmie Pendant off to those who are intrigued about the device.
When asked if she would recommend the LifeConnect24 service she said: “I have already recommended the alarm to a few of my friends. Only this afternoon I have recommended one to my elderly neighbour who is 83 and lives on her own.
“I feel that the LifeConnect24 company is excellent and I would recommend them to all my friends. I really am chuffed to pieces about the whole product.”
Remember to use the discount code BLOG2017 when you order a personal alarm on a Monthly or Annual Plan to receive £10 off.
