It makes a lot of sense for a Red Cross organisation to promote (for a commission) a medical alert/telecare system. Press release: American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles Working With Philips Lifeline Medical Alert Service to Help Seniors Stay Independent. The puzzle is why the Red Cross doesn’t seem to be providing the responders to go and help people when an alert is raised.
2 thoughts on “LA Red Cross / Philips Lifeline puzzle”
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Red Cross
“The puzzle is why the Red Cross doesn’t seem to be providing the responders to go and help people when an alert is raised”
I’m sorry, but you expect the Red Cross to provide first responders, on call 24 hours a day for persons who suffer a fall? I think the Red Cross should focus on disasters both internationally and within the USA such as floods, fires, earthquakes etc. Not for a person who just needs a lift up off the floor or actual medical attention from trained paramedics for a serious injury (or other medical related problem).
I would highly recommend removing that above-mentioned quote.
Response to ‘Red Cross’
Just because in the US the norm is for medical alert service centers to call up the emergency services does not mean that is the only – or even the best – way of responding. See this service in the UK (Falls squad keeps users out of hospital) which has also had the benefit of reducing emergency service and hospital costs.
So, how do Red Cross branches raise funds for their disaster relief activities? In many countries Red Cross organisations run day-to-day health services. Some run charity shops. Some run medical alert (telecare) services directly. (See this TA post.) In the LA Red Cross item, where they are raising money from commissions on promoting the lifeline service, I was just joining the dots and suggesting that there is an additional money-raising opportunity they appeared to be ignoring. After all, on Philips’s own figures, only 3% of their calls relate to actual medical emergencies. Even if you discount test calls from that figure, there will still be a lot of calls relating to needs other than the kind that the marketing focuses on, and therefore opportunities for new fund-raising services that are being missed.