Currently, federal regulators are considering the possibility of restructuring 911 emergency services to improve response time and efficiency. However, some people with adult relatives who live alone have decided to take action themselves by purchasing a medical response system.
Medical attention during the first 90 minutes of a heart attack, stroke or fall increases the chances of the victim recovering. With an average response time of 30 to 45 seconds, medical alert systems do everything they can to ensure that emergency personnel arrive on the scene quickly.
Personal Emergency Response System (PERS): Basics
PERS are devices that allow people to get help in case of an emergency. Medical alarm systems usually consist of two components:
Help button: A wireless device that can be worn on the body as a pendant or bracelet.
Communicator: The base unit of the system. This two-way device connects to the user's home phone line.
In the event of an emergency, users can activate the system by pressing a button on their wireless device. Then the emergency dispatcher answers the call, directly talking to the user through a two-way speakerphone on the communicator. After determining the necessary assistance, the dispatcher has the opportunity to call someone from the emergency call list of the user. This list typically includes up to three people who can assist the user if the dispatcher links him. In emergency situations or if it is impossible to establish verbal communications with the user, the dispatcher will immediately contact the medical assistants.
Sense of safety
Research shows that medical signaling systems provide a sense of security for users and their families. But this sense is not just a feeling, because one study showed that medical monitoring systems dramatically reduce the mortality rate and reduce the use of hospitals by almost 60 percent.
Despite the advantages provided by medical signaling systems for the elderly, only 16 percent of the elderly people participating in the study had PERS in their homes. With baby boomers, the elderly are expected to increase to 54 million in 2020, heightened awareness of the benefits of medical alert equipment can extend the independence and well-being of many older people.
