Ensuring Peace of Mind at Home
With Meridian At Home working on her side, one woman’s wish to stay in her home is as safe and secure as she now is.

With her pendant around her neck and granddaughter, Kathy Britton, around her arms, Louise Haldeman feels well cared for and well prepared to deal with any health problems that might crop up.

"I’ve been in this house over 50 years, and nothing is going to make me leave — there’s not a chance," 83-yearold Louise Haldeman of Neptune City emphatically states. "I am willing to do and try anything and everything it takes so I can remain at home; it’s where I want to be. I want to remain independent and stay in control of my life. I’m just thankful that Meridian At Home understands my wishes and has services and products to help me stay at home and live my life the way I want to."

A Match Made in Heaven
Happily for Louise, Meridian At Home does indeed understand her wish, one shared by many, many people. That’s why the company offers area residents a full array of in-home health and personal care solutions, and according to Judith Detrizio, Meridian At Home’s director of sales, "that’s also why we’ve partnered with Lifeline Systems Inc. They share the same goal as we do: to help provide people with products and services that will allow them to remain in their home for as long as possible."

"There is an inherent trust of quality of care that comes with the Meridian At Home name," Judith goes on to say. "Being part of the area’s leading health care system, people expect, and rightly so, that the same type of quality care they receive at one of our hospitals will be given to them in their homes. So when we choose a company to work with, we make sure they meet our standards and can deliver those same quality expectations to our trusting community."

Lifeline fits the bill in Louise’s case. By wearing the Lifeline personal assistance pendant around her neck, she is able to maintain her lifestyle while her loved ones are simultaneously assured of her safety and well-being. At any time — 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — the pendant ensures timely help whenever it is needed. When pressed, a certified, extensively trained Lifeline professional calls within seconds and assesses the situation. With instant access to the health history and personal profile of every client, the professional can summon appropriate help right away, whether it’s from a neighbor, relative, ambulance, or the police.

Louise aptly encapsulates the convenience of this home care solution: "It’s easy to use, and help is just a button away."

Her Life, Her Way
Louise’s family is just as happy about this arrangement as she is. Says granddaughter Kathy Britton of Tinton Falls, "I can sleep soundly at night knowing Grandma is fine. There are so many benefits for me — knowing that she can stay at home, knowing that she can get assistance immediately, and knowing that I will be personally contacted if a problem does occur. It takes a lot of weight off my whole family’s shoulders. Just knowing she’s never really alone and having assurances that help will be there within moments if something does go wrong…well, that’s priceless."

The value of her maintained independence is something Louise cannot overstate either. "I’m going to keep doing what I want, when I want, and where I want forever," she asserts. "If I want to go to sleep at three a.m. and wake up the next day at noon, so be it, it’s my life. And thanks to the Meridian At Home/Lifeline partnership, that’s exactly what I’m going to continue to do!"

– Chris Teasdale