VNS of Newport and Bristol Counties hits milestone

PORTSMOUTH – Visiting Nurse Services of Newport and Bristol Counties’ Personal Emergency Response program recently announced a major milestone of having surpassed the 500 mark of seniors currently using the personal emergency response service. VNS utilizes Philips Lifeline, the leading medical alert device in the industry, as a strategy for individuals to reduce the risk of living alone. In the event of a fall or emergency, help is available at the push of a button. Since 2002, Visiting Nurse Services has been offering seniors the Lifeline service that gives them, for a little more than a dollar a day, the confidence to continue to live independently at home.
Through educating seniors and professional caregivers in the community, the VNS Personal Emergency Response program has been able to grow its subscriber base since 2002 to more than 1,400 clients in the Newport and Bristol County areas.
“We are proud to have touched the lives of so many individuals.” said Susan Dugan, a registered nurse. “By offering a personal emergency responder like Philips Lifeline, we give seniors in our community a meaningful and needed service, allowing them to have the confidence to continue to live in the homes they love, knowing that help is available at a push of a button.”
On average, one of every three adults old than 65 falls each year, making falls the most common cause of death or injury in the home.