Medical Alerts for Elderly People

If you are caring for a senior citizen who lives alone then you’re probably thinking about getting a medical alert system for them that will give you the peace of mind knowing that if anything goes wrong help is just minutes away.  A good medical alert system like one from LifeStation can give a senior an added level of safety.

We all know how dangerous it is for an older person to live alone. Elderly people are injured every year in accidents that leave them incapacitated.  If your mom or dad, grandma grandpa or any other elderly loved one is suddenly taken ill they may not be able to call out for help.  They may not even be able to get to the telephone or be mentally alert enough to figure out what numbers call.  That’s where senior monitoring devices make so much sense.

We always recommend that you install a telephone with pre-programmed speed dials, large keypad in easy-to-read navigation at several locations in the home where senior lives.  One spot  is on the nightstand right next to the bed, another near the toilet or elsewhere in the bathroom as well as extensions in the living room and kitchen.  It’s a lot of work to install these telephones at first but they can save the life of an elderly person in need.

Medical Alerts Systems vs. Telephones

The trouble with relying on telephones is that an incapacitated person may not have the mental or physical wherewithal to get to the telephone and operated even if it is pre-programmed.  Having an elderly emergency alert system means that all that the  senior citizen needs to do is push the button on the pendant around her neck to be instantly connected with a call center. The train professionals at the call center will connect your aging loved one with the appropriate care provider.   Based upon the information that the emergency system provider gets from the caller they can call 911, the next-door neighbor or relative nearby to send help.

911 Response to Medical Alert Distress Calls

When you sign up for one of these life-saving devices be sure to ask about a lock-box feature (available at LifeStation). When you have a lockbox installed you don’t have to worry about emergency workers having to kick down the door to get inside the home.  The lockbox is a secure, safe like box that is attached to an area near the home and it has a combination lock.  In the event of an emergency the monitoring company will be able to tell responders where to find a lockbox and how to open it. This is an important feature because sometimes seniors who have a panic system in place are afraid to hit the button because they imagine that the fire department will have to bust open the door.

It’s really important that when you invest in one of the systems that the user really understands how flexible the response can be.  Let them know that pushing the button doesn’t mean that they are going to be taken away by the police in an ambulance just because they felt dizzy and wanted to get in touch with a family member. The only time that type major response is going to happen is when it’s warranted.

If the monitoring company gets a distress call and they determined that the client is in danger, yes they will call 911. But if they are able to speak with the user and figure out a less extreme response they’ll do that instead.

For more information see our Medical Alert Reviews

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