VitalCall
149-155 Milton St
Ashfield NSW 2131
Australia
Tel +61 (0) 2 9930 4222
Chubb Security Holdings Australia Ltd. ACN 003 590 921
EMBARGOED: 00:00 Hours, 14 October, 2009
For more information contact:
Daniel Marks
Chubb Australasia
A UTC Fire & Security Company
149-155 Milton St. Ashfield, NSW 2131
Tel: (02) 9930-4433 Fax: (02) 9930-4233
MEDIA RELEASE
Help for Aussie seniors
66,784 older Australians are admitted to hospitals every year due to falls¹
26,628 emergencies among older people get help immediately, while others wait hours ²
514,382 bed days are taken up from falls¹
Monday mornings and Friday evenings are the most ‘at risk’ times for emergencies
involving older people²
VitalCall says government assistance programs could be extended to help older people at
risk and allow them to stay in their homes
Slips and falls in the home are hazardous for anyone, but they can be life-threatening for older people. On
average, 66,784 Australians over the age of 65 are admitted to hospitals every year as a result of falls. Of
those injured, two-thirds suffer at least one fracture.¹
This problem is set to worsen as the population ages and the issue of state-funded nursing care becomes
more contentious. In fact, over a seven-year study period, age-standardised rates of hospitalised fall-
related injuries have increased.¹ Other factors such as vision problems can contribute to this increase.
Falls represent the most common and serious type of accident among older people, and many of these
injuries are directly attributed to poor sight
4
. In a recent study, Professor Stephen Lord found that as many
as 45 percent of research participants who were multiple fallers had poor eyesight.
A simple way to help people cope with the risks of fall-related injuries at home is to use a back to base
alarm pendant. The VitalCall unit, a product from Chubb, enables people who have been injured, fallen or
become ill in their homes to call for help simply by pressing a button.
“VitalCall is a peace-of-mind technology for both users and their families and relatives. It enables older
Australians and people with disabilities to continue living independently
in their own homes for longer,
knowing that help is available if they need it,” VitalCall General Manager Daryl Woolstencroft said.
The VitalCall unit base station, which is linked to a telephone line, automatically calls the 24/7 VitalCall
emergency response centre if the pendant alarm is triggered. An operator will contact the user to identify
the problem and then send the appropriate emergency services. The Unit also can be pre programmed to
remind a user when it is time to take essential medication to help avoid problems associated with missed
doses.
“The VitalCall unit works even if the user has been incapacitated to the point where they are unable to
move or speak. If the unit senses no movement at a pre-determined time and an automatic alarm is not
cancelled by the user, the response centre is immediately alerted, enabling VitalCall to take the necessary
actions such as dispatching emergency services,” Mr Woolstencroft said.
ENDS
VitalCall
149-155 Milton St
Ashfield NSW 2131
Australia
Tel +61 (0) 2 9930 4222
Chubb Security Holdings Australia Ltd. ACN 003 590 921
Editors Notes:
References
¹Hospitalisations due to falls by older
people, Australia 2005–06 Published 4 March 2009; ISSN 1444-3791; ISBN-
13 978 1 74024 879 2; AIHW cat. no. INJCAT 122; 56pp.;
²Vitallcall raw incidence data captured August 2009. VitalCall handles about 70,000 calls monthly
³Vision problems among older Australians Published 22 July 2005; ISSN 1446 9820; ISBN-13 978 1 74024 484 8; AIHW cat.
no. AUS 60; 35pp.;
4
Lord
1.
The conference ‘Dignity and Independence – Transforming Eye Care for Older People’ was organised by the Eye Health Alliance
is a coalition of optical bodies (Association of British Dispensing Opticians, Association of Optometrists, College of Optometrists,
Federation of Manufacturing Opticians, Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians, General Optical Council, Royal
College of Ophthalmologists) working together to promote eye health for all.
Other references:
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2005. Australian standard geographical classification (ASGC), 2005. ABS cat. no.1216.0. Canberra:
ABS.
ABS 2006a. Australian demographic statistics. December quarter 2005. ABS cat. no. 3101.0. [Viewed: 11th June 2008. Last updated: 7th
ABS 2006b. National health survey: Summary of results, 2004–05. ABS cat. no. 4364.0. [Viewed: 28th September 2006. Last updated:
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) 2003. Admitted patient care National Minimum Data Set. National health data
dictionary. Version 12. Cat. No. HWI 48. Canberra: AIHW.
AIHW 2007a. Australian hospital statistics 2005-06. Cat. no. HSE 50. Canberra: AIHW.
AIHW 2007b. Residential aged care in Australia 2005–06: a statistical overview. Cat. no. AGE 54. Canberra: AIHW.
Berry J & Harrison J 2006. Hospital separations due to injury and poisoning, Australia 2001–02. Cat. no. INJCAT 78. Adelaide: AIHW.
Boufous S, Finch CF & Lord SR 2004. Incidence of hip fracture in New South Wales: are our efforts having an effect? Medical Journal
of Australia 180 (12):623–6.
Bradley C 2007. Ladder-related fall injuries. NISU Briefings No. 11, Cat. no. INJCAT 105. Canberra: AIHW.
Bradley C & Harrison J 2007. Hospitalisations due to falls in older people, Australia, 2003–04. AIHW cat. no. INJCAT96. Adelaide:
AIHW.
Bradley C & Harrison J unpublished. Validating national injury indicators using person-linked data. Adelaide: AIHW.
Dolinis J, Harrison JE & Andrews GR 1997. Factors associated with falling in older Adelaide residents. Australian and New Zealand
Journal of Public Health 21 (5):462–8.
Fildes B, Dunt D, Oxley J & Lee S 1994. Analysis of morbidity data relating to falls among the elderly In: Fildes B. Injuries Among
Older People Falls at home and pedestrian accidents North Blackburn, Victoria: Collins Dove.
Fuller GF 2000. Falls in the elderly. American Family Physician 61 (7):2159–68.
Gill T, Taylor AW & Pengelly A 2005. A population-based survey of factors relating to the prevalence of falls in older people.
Gerontology 51 (5):340-5.
Hall SE & Hendrie DV 2003. A prospective study of the costs of falls in older adults living in the community. Australian and New
Zealand Journal of Public Health 27 (3):343–51.
Hendrie D, Hall S, Arena G & Legge M 2004. Health system costs of falls of older adults in Western Australia. Australian Health
Review 28 (3):363–73.
Hospitalisations due to falls by older people, Australia 2003–04
About Vitalcall:
VitalCall is a Chubb Australasia company which is part of UTC Fire and Security, a US$5.8 billion company
that provides fire safety and security solutions to more than one million customers worldwide.
Headquartered in Connecticut, U.S., UTC Fire & Security is a business unit of United Technologies Corp.,
which provides high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries worldwide.
More information about Chubb/VitalCall and UTC Fire & Security can be found on their Web sites at
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