Lifeline serves all the County

    PRESQUE ISLE – The Aroostook Medical Center’s Lifeline service, a personal emergency response service that provides help to local seniors and people with disabilities at the touch of a button, offers peace of mind to people living all over Aroostook County. Lifeline service in Aroostook County started in 1984 with 68 subscribers.     By the time TAMC’s Lifeline monitoring system became computerized in 2002, the number of subscribers to the service had grown to 400.
    Today, TAMC’s Lifeline service is used by over 550 people of all ages living throughout our region, from Allagash to Sherman.
    “We take great pride here at TAMC Lifeline in providing a service that ensures the safety of our subscribers and gives them the ability to live in their home more independently,” said Cheryl Boulier, Lifeline supervisor. “When a subscriber experiences an emergency, he or she simply presses a button on a mobile pendant that hangs around their neck or attaches to the wrist. A local operator at TAMC begins talking to the subscriber within seconds, and the appropriate help is summoned. In some cases, the Lifeline operator calls a family member, friend, or neighbor called a first responder to check on the subscriber. If needed, the operator dispatches an ambulance or contacts the police or fire departments in the event of a non-medical emergency.”
    Donations, grants and fundraising events subsidize the service and help keep the cost as low as possible. TAMC Lifeline was recently granted $34,500 from an anonymous donor to replace 65 existing Lifeline units. This donation allows the Lifeline service to update equipment to ensure that subscribers have the most reliable equipment available.
    Subscribers appreciate the fact that when help is needed, a local person is there for them.
    “The great thing about Lifeline is that everyone involved – from the people who install the units to the operators who respond when a button is pushed – are local,” said Dave Peterson, President/CEO of The Aroostook Medical Center. “Since it’s available throughout Aroostook County and the cost of the service so low, it’s really a great option for any senior, person with disabilities, and even somebody with short-term needs.”