Smart911 Highlights November Health Awareness Campaigns by Offering Additional Support to Individuals and Family Caregivers

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Nov. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- November hosts a number of health awareness campaigns, including: National Epilepsy Awareness Month, National Diabetes Month and National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. At the same time, it's National Family Caregivers Month, and each year more and more Americans are caring for loved ones with chronic conditions, disabilities or health issues related to old age. With this in mind, the public safety experts at Smart911 are encouraging family caregivers to take advantage of their services.  The acclaimed national safety service enables 9-1-1 to be aware of those with such conditions and related personal and medical details, resulting in faster, more precise emergency response, while offering greater peace of mind to family caregivers. For more information, please visit: Is 9-1-1 Aware?

Recent statistics illustrate the tremendous need and extent of assistance provided by family caregivers:

• Caregiver Contributions: According to the Caregiver Action Network (CAN), there are more than 65 million people in the U.S. providing care to a chronically ill or disabled friend or family member. Almost one in three people - 29 percent of United States - are caregivers, with 1.4 million of them under the age of 18. Family caregivers provide $375 billion worth of unpaid care each year, almost double what is spent on homecare and nursing home services combined.
• The Extent of Alzheimer's: The Alzheimer's Association reports that there are more than 5 million people living in the United States with Alzheimer's Disease. Last year, 15.5 million caregivers provided an estimated 17.7 billion hours of unpaid care to friends and family, valued at more than $220 billion.
• The Need for Diabetes Awareness: The Centers for Disease Control reports that 29.1 million Americans have diabetes - 9.3 percent of the entire population. Of these, more than 8.1 million do not know they have the disease.
• Understanding Epilepsy: The Epilepsy Foundation states that approximately one in 26 Americans will develop epilepsy at some point, one in 10 has had a seizure, and 150,000 new cases are diagnosed annually. Caring for someone with epilepsy can involve ensuring medications are taken properly, administering first aid during seizures and much more. Seizures, especially complex partial ones, can produce involuntary movements that may be erroneously viewed as aggression, impeding effective medical response from those unfamiliar with the condition.

Smart911 allows individuals and family caregivers to create a free, private and secure Safety Profile at www.smart911.com, which can include any information they want 9-1-1 to have in the event of an emergency. The profile is then delivered automatically to the 9-1-1 call-taker when an emergency call is made. Details in a Safety Profile allow 9-1-1 to have a better understanding of a situation and can be passed on to emergency response teams in the field to help support fast, precise action.

A Safety Profile can include such things as medical notes that enable emergency responders to approach and treat a person with Alzheimer's, epilepsy or diabetes properly and quickly; a particularly useful feature if the person cannot communicate, is suffering from a seizure or is confused. Information can also include family caregiver emergency contact details. Should someone with Alzheimer's dial 9-1-1 and be unable to recall personal details, the Safety Profile can provide a name and exact address. If they wander away from home and a family caregiver dials 9-1-1 from a phone number included in the profile, a photo can be immediately distributed to emergency responders to expedite a search.

For more information on how Smart911 can help, and additional tips and safety information, follow Smart911 on Facebook and Twitter (@smart911). 

Introduced nearly three years ago by Rave Mobile Safety, the trusted software partner for campus and public safety, Smart911 has been adopted in 37 states and more than 1,000 municipalities. It has been credited with positively impacting emergency situations across the U.S., including a missing child case in Arkansas, and saving lives, such as a heart attack victim in Nashville.

About Rave Mobile Safety
Rave Mobile Safety is the most trusted software partner for campus and public safety. Used by leading primary and secondary schools, institutes of higher education and state and local agencies, the award-winning portfolio of Rave Panic Button, Rave Alert, Rave Guardian, Eyewitness, Smart911 and SmartPrepare enables millions to feel safe, secure and connected. Rave Mobile Safety is headquartered in Framingham, MA. For more information, please visit http://www.ravemobilesafety.com.

Contact:
Marty Querzoli
Davies Murphy Group
Public Relations for Rave Mobile Safety
[email protected]
(781) 418-2433

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140305/NE77531LOGO

SOURCE Smart911