Many people who live alone or are alone most of the day have taken steps to avert such a crisis by subscribing to an emergency response system (ERS) that can bring them quick assistance in a crisis situation—even if they are 200 feet from the nearest phone.

An ERS is only one of the many inexpensive and free services that can help people in urgent situations. Local agencies that supply ERS units are the Council on Aging of Silicon Valley, Inc., and Good Samaritan and El Camino hospitals.

An electronic device the size of a small radio that is linked to the telephone and an electric outlet powers an ERS unit, which works even in a power outage. The ERS subscriber wears a 1-ounce, waterproof pendant or bracelet that contains a battery, transmitter and small button. When the button is pressed anywhere inside or outside of the house, it activates or dials a communication system that alerts a central operator that the subscriber is in trouble.

At the press of the button, the subscriber's address, complete medical history and primary language are immediately available on an operator's computer screen at headquarters. Within seconds the pendant wearer hears an operator's voice and can call emergency medical help to the scene. If the subscriber is OK but fell in the garden or is stuck in the bathtub and can't get up, a relative or support service will be called. If the subscriber does not respond to the operator's query or if alarming symptoms are reported to the operator, emergency medical personnel are summoned to the house.

The voice-to-voice Life Line ERS run by Good Samaritan Hospital volunteers costs $30 for installation, with a $20 service fee per month. The service extends from Los Gatos to Cupertino. El Camino Hospital, also a Life Line supplier, installs units as far north as Palo Alto.

The Council on Aging's Care Call ERS program is available for installation countywide, Gilroy to Palo Alto. Prices on ERS systems available through local programs vary by only a few dollars. But consumers are advised to comparison shop before ordering an emergency response system. An ERS unit advertised on television functions the same as Life Line and Care Call but requires self-installation, a three-year contract, and a fee of $150 for mailing and handling, plus a service fee of $50 per month.

Cell phones are another popular means of summoning emergency help. Fifty-four percent of people 65 or older say they keep these phones handy for security more than convenience or pleasure.

Thanks to the Lions Club service organization, the Los Gatos, Santa Clara and Willows seniors centers provide free cell phones for seniors to use for emergencies.

Campbell Lions volunteer Jim Malone, a retired banker has tested, charged and delivered 2,500 cell phones to senior centers, and he encourages other senior centers to join the program.

Tim Cannard, CEO and owner of Motor Cellular in Los Gatos, says that his shop and a few other cellular phone sellers also give away donated used cell phones to seniors when they are available.

For people who live alone and don't have an ERS or a cell phone, the home telephone may still be their best friend in a time of need. But some people might find the phone hard to get to or use if they are disabled. California Telephone Access Program provides free, specially equipped phones designed for use by people with a variety of disabilities, including those who have limited vision or arthritis or are deaf, non-ambulatory or cognitively impaired. These phones' features include red-button one-touch dialing for calling 911, automatic dialers, volume control, ring signals, hands-free speaker phones, large keys and other features. A doctor must provide certification for those who wish to use the phones provided by the program.

Another way the phone can keep us connected to the community is through local telephone reassurance programs. Volunteers at Good Samaritan, O'Connor and El Camino hospitals run free programs that provide a phone call five days a week to check in with people who live alone. If no one answers the phone at the designated time and if the senior has not called in, the volunteer calls to inform a contact person who has a key to the house. In rare circumstances, if no one is reached after repeated phone calls, the police are called.

In an emergency it's important to have available identification and information about health conditions, medications, allergies and implants, as well as physician and emergency contact names and phone numbers.

But there are other options. People with complex medical histories can subscribe to the nonprofit MedicAlert Foundation. Medic-Alert subscribers carry a card and wear a bracelet or pendant that contains a medical symbol, an identification number and a toll-free number to reach a 24-hour central data center that lists subscriber-supplied medical information. Medical personnel are trained to automatically look for the MedicAlert bracelet or pendant.

Almost everyone who lives in a senior apartment residence uses the Vial of Life identification/information system. When summoned to the home, emergency responders—firefighters, paramedics and others—know they can quickly locate helpful information about a person's medical history when they see the Vial of Life symbol sticker or magnet on the refrigerator door. Kept on a shelf inside the refrigerator is a small plastic vial that contains a medical information form about the subscriber.

The free Vial of Life kit is available through hospital volunteer programs and at many fire stations.

For high-tech types, a tiny medical identification chip called VeriChip will soon be available. The microchip can be implanted under the skin (see the Aug. 7 Seniors column for more information). Many already use the implantable microchip system to identify and retrieve household pets in the event that they are lost.

An emergency can occur anytime, anyplace, to anyone of any age without warning. Are you ready?

Emergency preparedness

Emergency response systems

Care Call, Council On Aging, 408.296.8290

Life Line, Good Samaritan Hospital chapter of the National Association of Senior Friends, 408.559.2345

Life Line, El Camino Hospital, Older Adult Resource Center, 650.988.7558

Phones

Lions Club cell phone donations and information, 408.378.4195

Drop off unwanted cell phones with battery packs at Lions Silicon Valley Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 101 N. Bascom Ave., San Jose, 95128, or give to an older friend or neighbor.

To obtain a free cell phone for emergency use, call or visit one of the following.

Los Gatos Senior Center, 108 E. Main St., 408.354.1514

Santa Clara Senior Center, 1303 Fremont Ave., 408.984.3266

Willows Senior Center, 2175 Lincoln Ave., San Jose, 408.448.6400

To obtain a free home telephone equipped for special needs through the California Telephone Access Program, call 800.806.1191 (English) or 800.949.5650 (Spanish).

An application will be mailed to the applicant for signing by a physician. The telephone arrives by mail.

Check-ins

Telephone reassurance programs providing free daily check-in phone calls

The Good Samaritan chapter of the National Association of Senior Friends serves seniors from Los Gatos to Cupertino. Call 408.559.4386.

The O'Connor Hospital Tele-Care Program serves Santa Clara County. Call 408.947.2830.

El Camino Hospital's Older Adult Resource Center serves Santa Clara County. Call 650.988.7558.

Call the Los Gatos­Monte Sereno Police Department CARE program at 408.354.6842.

Vial of Life

The Vial of Life can be picked up at one of the following locations.

The Good Samaritan Hospital chapter of the National Association of Senior Friends, 408.559.2346

El Camino Hospital's Older Adult Resource Center, 650.988.7622

City of San Jose fire stations

MedicAlert

MedicAlert medical identification and information bracelet—$35; registration $20 per year. 800.432.5378