If you are looking for a medical alert system to protect an elderly loved one, be sure to do your homework. There are many companies that offer personalized emergency response systems with a number of features and benefits that are very useful, and others with serious limitations. For example, medical alert telephones may be a practical solution for your elderly loved one if they are comfortable with this technology, and you believe that they do not risk becoming incapacitated. A medical alert telephone is a more or less cordless telephone that you can program by using the automatic dialing feature. It allows the user to transfer the phone and be able to display the auto-dial button and connect to friends, relatives or emergency response specialists, but this requires that they have access to the phone, control the phone and communicate with the person they are calling.
The problem with these medical alert phones is that in the event of a sudden illness, malfunction or slip and fall, an elderly user may not be able to find, use or even remember that they have a phone. On the other hand, these systems are cheaper than medical monitoring systems, since the monthly monitoring service does not pay. By providing your high-ranking citizen with a reliable mobile phone and pre-programming your personal contact numbers in automatic mode, you pretty much perform the same effect. We do not knock on these phones, we just want to note that, although they give a remote user access to the telephone service, the system is as strong as its weak connection.
When an elderly person risks, they will be disoriented. If they are too embarrassed to find and use remote phones with a medical alert, they will not be able to use this system to call for help.
A more practical solution is a medical alert system, which can be activated using a button that fits around your neck in the form of a suspension or wrist, like a watch. These medical alarm systems will allow parents to maintain an independent lifestyle, because you will have peace of mind knowing that they can get help just by pressing a button.
A typical medical alert system has a transmitter that is carried by a user and a receiver located somewhere in the house. The range on these devices will usually cover the inside of the middle house, but they will not provide any protection as soon as you go beyond your radio range. Some systems will notify the monitoring station when the signal is lost in the call, will be placed in the house to determine if everything is in order.
The basic system works according to the scenario, when an elderly person falls and cannot get up to contact the phone to ask for help. By pressing the panic button on the suspension transmitter or wristwatch, a coal chamber is activated in the house that connects the caller to the monitoring station. The monitoring agent speaks with the user to determine how best to help remedy the situation. If the user is consistent and can give directions to the monitoring station, these instructions will usually be followed. If the caller cannot be reached or understood, the monitoring station will follow the predefined emergency call protocol, which may include a call to 911 respondents, relatives, friends, and neighboring neighbors.
In the worst case, an elderly person falls and becomes unconscious, or they suffer from a stroke. In this state, they cannot press the panic button. This is where the automatic drop sensor can be the difference between life and death. A senior monitoring system with an alert function should theoretically generate an alarm at a monitoring station that will force the operator to contact the user to find out if everything is in order.
Other more sophisticated monitoring systems can actually provide more detailed and reliable fault detection. Sometimes when people fall, they do not bend face down and knock loudly on the ground. Sometimes they just fell slowly to the floor or chair. Most drop detection systems are activated only if the device is heavily overloaded. A more subtle and advanced system will be able to detect positioning and activity, as well as changes in body functions to alert the monitoring station.
These more advanced monitoring systems, which are capable of controlling heart rate, skin temperature and mobility, are slightly more expensive, but provide much greater protection. The disadvantage is that a device that controls physical functions needs to be worn around the chest, and some users may find it too invasive.
There are no simple solutions to ensure the complete safety of the senior citizen living at home. All medical monitoring and emergency response systems for the elderly have their pros and cons. A system that may be suitable for your grandmother may not work for your grandmother. It is important that you explore the features and benefits of all the leading brands in order to decide which features you can live with and which ones are not worth paying for.
If you had personal experience with a monitoring service that you would recommend or suggest that we critically look at, please contact us, leaving a comment below.
Manifestation - Senior Monitoring Service
myHalo - Medical Monitoring - True Fall Detection and Medical Monitor
Medical VRI warning systems
Freedom Warning - Medical Warning Phone
Wellcore Personal Emergency Response
Philips Lifeline with AutoAlert
Debris detection
Reply Link Medical Warning
Medical Alarm Life Guardian
Connect America Medical Alert
