The healthcare-qualified staff of SOS Center experienced in emergency control respond to 4,000 calls on average per month. The 24x7 emergency hotline designed specifically for elderly people and their family members accepts calls from people in need on every day of the year, be it about falling, a household accident, asking for directions or hearing suspicious noises around the house.
The hotline is usually contacted for help by people over 65. The most common reasons for calling include dizziness, loss of consciousness, fluctuating blood pressure and blood sugar levels, bathroom accidents, but many people call with mental issues as well. Some people call the hotline because they lost their way in narrow downtown streets or outdoors in nature. Such incidents may happen during the pandemic as well, and the lockdown makes it more difficult for the elderly to get immediate help from their family members.
When in emergency, users of the service can get immediate support by pushing an SOS button on a special gadget. The number of the hotline can be pre-programmed in their device. The operators resolve the issue as soon as possible either by talking to the caller on the phone or sending a family member or ambulance onsite.
Unusual cases: from Sweden to holes
Most fall-related calls are made in the morning or early in the afternoon when elderly people leave their homes to do their shopping or go for a walk. Health issues such as dizziness, headaches and fluctuating blood pressure are very common during weather fronts.
In addition to common daily calls, the hotline also has some unusual incidents and stories with a lucky outcome. Once an elderly person called the hotline from abroad to ask for help to identify his location. He turned out to be aboard a ship near the coast of Sweden where he wanted to give directions to the captain of the ship. Another time, someone called because he fell in a hole and couldn’t climb out. The operator was about to dispatch a rescue team and the fire service to the site when the affected person managed to get out of the hole by himself.
More old people are alone because of the pandemic – this is how you can contribute to their safety
Based on Telenor’s survey1, two out of three people aged 60 to 69 (64%) reduced their number of contacts because of the pandemic. With immediate help not always available, their isolation and health condition are a cause of concern for many relatives.
This is where the SOS Center service available from Telenor can provide valuable assistance. Telenor recommends that customers of this service use MyKi Spot, a device with location and tracking features, as well as an SOS call button. On the wearable device that can be fitted to one’s neck, bag or clothing users can set up to three emergency phone numbers that are simultaneously dialled when the SOS button is pushed. Relatives can see the location of the device right in the app installed on their phone. If MyKi Spot is combined with the SOS Center service, the hotline number can be added to the SOS button. If, in the event of an emergency, the call is not answered by any relative, the victim can call hotline staff immediately by pushing the SOS button.
MyKi Spot is available with the Telenor Mini tariff plan and it can be combined with SOS Center as a supplementary emergency service for a monthly fee of HUF 990.
More information: www.telenor.hu/sos-kozpont and www.telenor.hu/mobiltelefon/myki-spot-sos-gombbal-ellatott-gps-nyomkoveto-p1118618-residential
[1] The survey was conducted between 28 October and 5 November 2020, on a sample of 1,000 Hungarian internet users aged 18 to 69, representative of Hungary’s population in terms of age, sex, type of settlement and region. (Impetus Research)