A Life Tube could save your life in an emergency

The St John medical alarm is a good place to start.

I always remember one day when I went to get a snack out of my mother’s fridge, I noticed a small white tube at the back, lingering among the cheese and her vast yoghurt collection.

It was emblazoned with a large red sticker on the front that read, LIFE TUBE. Pretty small to fit a defibrillator I thought, what could possibly fit in that small cylinder?

The Life Tube contains vital information.

Well, it was one of the most important and useful small containers she could have had in her fridge. It contained all her vital information and emergency information.

I then noticed she had a red sticker on the outside of her fridge, so it was visible for any person who urgently needed to know about my mother’s health in case of an emergency like a fall, etc, and especially if she was unable to communicate to whoever found her, whether that be family, a care person, fire, police, ambulance services or the neighbour next door.

The red sticker will alert whoever is in attendance and straight away they will know all the vital information they need is inside the fridge. It is a good idea to have one in the car as well ... especially if your parents are ageing, but still driving.

Endorsed by the St John Ambulance, Neighbourhood Support and the police, if your elderly parents do not have a Life Tube in their fridge try and get one sorted for them. They are available from most Age Concern branches.

Medic alarms

While there are various medical alarms on the market, the alarms made available by Hato Hone St John are a good place to start. I have often heard of incidents when medical alarms have proved so worthwhile. It means you or a family member can still have the freedom to do things, but you know that at a push of a button, you can be connected to expert care.

You are able to talk to a person who monitors the response centre who will assess the situation and arrange the most appropriate assistance. This may be an ambulance, a paramedic in a smaller vehicle, another emergency service or expert advice. Having that peace of mind is invaluable.