A medical alarm is a monitoring device typically for seniors who may not be able to reach the phone for help during an emergency. I’m sure you have seen those commercials where the elderly person has fallen and is unable to get up. Falling is one of the emergency situations why a medical alarm is most frequently used. Of course a medical alarm is used for much more serious situations too, like a heart attack, stroke, diabetic shock and more…as well as just to notify family or friends that they don’t feel right.
Traditionally, senior citizens wear a transmitter in the form of a necklace or wristband. It is important for the senior to wear their medical alert pendant whenever they are home, since no one truly knows when disaster will strike. When an emergency arises, they just push the button on their medical pendant and wait for an operator to speak to them directly over the medical alarm speaker box. This box has a loud speaker and a very sensitive microphone that lets the monitoring company communicate with the senior without ever having to touch the telephone. The senior has a chance to say that they need help, or if they pushed the help button accidentally they can say that it’s a false alarm. If of course the monitoring center hears nothing, then they will contact the paramedics and assume it is a actual emergency.
Medical alarms are designed to work in and around the home. Seniors are the most vulnerable when alone in the home, even if they have a spouse or family member in the home that can’t always hear their cry for help. They might slip and fall in the middle of the night while others are sleeping. Many accidents also occur in the shower or tub which is why medical pendants should be waterproof. You certainly don’t want to get a medical alarm system that isn’t waterproof.
Good medical alarm systems also work up to 3 or 400 feet outside the home out in the yard. When you or your loved one has an emergency in the yard the speaker box does not help… but when they push the emergency button they are wearing it still notifies the monitoring center…and help will be on the way.
There are now a few “fall detection” and “GPS” medical alarm systems on the market. We have been testing this technology for the last 5 years. At this time, we do not feel they are reliable enough to offer. Should this be a device you want know that they range between $50 and $65 a month for their service along with installation charges. We find that a good GPS enabled cell phone is a better choice at this time along with a traditional rock solid reliable and affordable medical alarm system. The good traditional alarm systems cost between $23 and $49 per month. We have also found that when an elderly loved one has a problem outside the home that someone will call 911 for them. I know that I would.
