Millions of the elderly live on their own. Their family may live within a few miles or perhaps half way across the country. Being able to maintain independence is a common goal for most individuals as they age, but concern can grow over time about their safety due to problems with balance, strength, endurance, or other health related issues. The concern centers around the question of whether or not they will be able to summon help when needed.
Once you"ve determined that you or a loved one could benefit from a medical alert system then it"s time to begin checking out several medical alert reviews both on and offline. The first step in evaluating a medical alert system to make yourself aware of the two major types of systems as this will help immensely in narrowing down your decision. Along these same lines it"s vital that you accurately evaluate the needs of the person requiring the medical alert system. For this discussion, we"ll limit our focus to senior alert systems in particular as opposed to medical alert system in general. There are medical alert systems for conditions and diseases such as diabetes, epilepsy, and allergies that are based on a medical ID bracelet tied to a medical record stored at a call center.
The most common elderly alert system is a monitored system. Most of these offer a two-way speaker phone which is activated by a help button that the user wears. An attendant contacts the user over the speaker phone once activated. They can converse directly with the user to determine what, if any help is needed. They can then send EMS or another designated person to their home to provide assistance. If the user is unable to communicate, then the attendant generally contacts EMS to respond immediately. Most of these systems charge a monthly fee for monitoring.
The other type of elderly alert system is unmonitored. In this instance, the equipment is purchased but there is no monthly monitoring fee. The user programs in phone numbers for the device to call when they activate the help button they're wearing. Generally, the user will program the device to call 911 after it first attempts to contact other responders that they designate. Most of these are one way speaker phones and so, two way conversation isn't possible but help is summoned.
The basic requirements of a medical alert system for seniors are as follows:
"Reliable technology and equipment "" the speaker box should have a good range so the operator or call contact is able to hear a senior a fair distance away. All the components of the system, including batteries should have a long life without frequent failures.
"The call button (pendant or wristlet) should be comfortable to wear even while sleeping. A big plus is waterproof pendants so that seniors can wear them safely in the shower or bath as many slips and falls with seniors occur in these locations.
"Ability for seniors to take the system with them when traveling. This is a big benefit and allows the entire system and access to the call center or contact list to travel with users either when on vacation or when visiting friends and relatives. Some systems include this with the basic price while others require purchasing additional equipment.