Longboat Link aims to reduce nonemergency 911 calls from older adults

Longboat Link is live, providing residents with a place for older Longboat Key residents to turn when they need help and don’t know who to call.

“The whole goal of the program is to provide residents with services and resources that can help to address any health concerns that they may have,” said Youthful Aging Home Care president and owner Nicci Lieberman. “We know that 5% of patients account for 25% of emergency room visits.”

Patients like that are referred to as “frequent flyers” and often utilize paramedics because they have no one else to call. 

For those repeat callers to 911, Fire Rescue has a new tool in their toolbelt to provide: the number to Longboat Link. 

Longboat Link is a free, optional service for residents that will hopefully reduce the stress on Fire Rescue.

The service can send Youthful Aging staff to residents’ homes after a 911 call as a follow-up, connecting them with any needed services and helping them manage chronic illnesses and other issues. 

“It’s an alternative for them to call for service that is not provided by the fire department,” Dezzi said. “Sometimes there’s people that use 911 just because they don’t have another means of getting to the hospital. They’ll have their bags packed, suitcases ready to go and ready to go to the hospital, but that’s really not why we’re there. We’re there for emergency service. 

Image courtesy of Youthful Aging Home Care

“But if we’re able to go ahead and link them to Longboat Link after our initial contact with the patient, what that prevents is them calling back for service when they know they have this other resource as a way to get to the doctor or hospital for nonemergencies.”

Dezzi said Fire Rescue responds to about 2,200 calls per year, with about 700 ending up with ambulance trips to the hospital. Dezzi said Longboat Link will hopefully reduce dispatches to nonemergencies.

“When we take a rescue out of service for a nonemergency call, that prevents a person who does need our service from getting the most timely service,” Dezzi said.

He gave an example of one of the first people to use the service, which launched in early October.

“In the last month we probably went to this house eight times,” Dezzi said. “He needed services, but not from the fire department. When he made contact with Links, they provided those services.”

With that goal of reducing calls in mind, Longboat Link was born, a partnership between the town of Longboat Key and Youthful Aging Home Care years in the making.

A membership with Longboat Link includes a “red emergency folder” which will hold a form where residents or their family members can fill out important medical information like medications, diagnoses, do not resuscitate orders and other vital information. 

When a Longboat Link member receives a red folder, they also receive a decal to be placed at a conspicuous place. That alerts paramedics who may respond to the house that there is a folder with vital medical information inside.

Membership with Longboat Link is free for Longboat Key residents and includes unlimited support calls to the Longboat Link hotline, follow-ups by Youthful Aging staff after 911 calls, the red emergency folder and window decal.

Lieberman said the program uses the John Hopkins Guided Care model, which clinical trials show decreased emergency home care visits, hospital readmissions and days in skilled nursing facilities.

“John Hopkins nurses assess the situation, determine what their needs are and prevent and provide early intervention to enable them to resolve any issues that they have,” Lieberman said. “It’s very prevention focused and early intervention focused.”

The free service also aims to connect the community. Lieberman said many who live on the island may feel alone. For someone who moved down south with their spouse to retire on the Key, the passing of their loved one can lead to a lack of support for an aging widower, which can lead to other health issues. To help bring the community together, Longboat Link will soon offer get-togethers for its members.

Those who utilize Longboat Link may be recommended paid services by Longboat Link which they may find useful. Some of those added services include transportation, meal preparation, home safety reviews to reduce falls, nutrition guidance and housekeeping.

Lieberman said Longboat Link will hopefully allow residents who live on Longboat Key to remain in their home rather than moving to a nursing home.

“Residents end up having to relocate to a higher skilled facility because they can’t manage their health issues on the island,” Lieberman said. “We want to help give residents the experience of aging in place.”