5 Situations When Your Aging Parents May Need A Handy Medical Alert System

When senior / geriatric medical alert systems can be of great help

A senior/geriatric medical alert system can be immensely helpful in numerous circumstances. Here we discuss what these situations are and how medical alert systems can benefit your elderly parent or in-law. We also take a look at the top 5 senior/geriatric medical alert systems that you can purchase right away.

Key circumstances when senior/geriatric medical alert systems can be of great help

1. Medical emergency

The most obvious usage of a senior/geriatric medical alert system is of course, in a medical emergency. Elderly individuals are at very great risk of slipping and falling or getting faint/dizzy and falling. They can get very hurt, especially if they hit a hard surface during the fall. In addition to this, elderly individuals who cook may accidentally burn themselves due to slower reflexes. Not getting immediate treatment can cause the burn to be infected.

Senior/geriatric elderly monitoring sensors can recognize when older individuals have fallen down. They can give them the tool they need to call in specialist medical help. But that’s not all.

These senior/geriatric medical alert systems can also be very helpful when elderly patients with mental health issues or PTSD trauma feel afraid either at home or behind the wheel. By pressing the alert button, they can seek help from trusted medical practitioners quickly.

2. Fire accident

We did speak about senior family members at risk of burning themselves while cooking. But that’s just one type of fire accident.

As people age, their memory may start to fail them. They may forget that they’ve left an open flame burning or an electrical device operational. These could lead to huge fire hazards that can be a danger both to your elderly relative and their neighbors.

A senior/geriatric medical alert system can be a very handy mechanism for your aged parents or in-laws to inform someone of the fire hazard in their home. The medical service provider can reach out to the fire department or the police to help your loved one escape the house safely. Additionally, since these alert systems have a two-way microphone/speaker, they can allow the medical provider to calm and soothe your scared loved one, ensuring they don’t do anything to hurt themselves.

3. Break-in and/or burglary

This is another really key situation where a senior/geriatric medical alert system can be a lifesaving tool.

Many older people today prefer to stay independently in their own homes. They may not want you to hire a night caregiver either. Sometimes, criminals do canvas such homes and may choose to break in and burgle the house at night.

This can be a frightening situation for your elderly relative. But the presence and availability of room monitors for the elderly can give them a way to seek help. Since many systems come with a remote/portable transmitter that can be worn as a necklace or watch. Your elderly parent or in-law doesn’t even need to get out of bed to call for help.

Plus, when the voice of a medical service provider booms through the microphone on the base unit, the sound may scare the burglars out of the house.

4. Gas poisoning

Gas poisoning is a very real threat, which unfortunately is difficult to identify. In particular, Carbon Monoxide can fill the home of your older loved one without them knowing what’s actually wrong.

Usually, carbon monoxide accumulates when there’s some problem with the boiler, furnace, oven and other HVAC systems. The first symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning is dizziness, blurriness, shortness of breath, headache and nausea. If the person being poisoned isn’t evacuated and given medical assistance quickly, this can turn fatal.

If your elderly loved one experiences these symptoms, they can quickly call for medical help using the medical alert system.

5. Medication or medical equipment failure

Many older people use medication or medical equipment. If they run out of medication or their equipment becomes faulty, it can lead to serious health concerns for them. This is especially true if you live in another city or are unable to help them immediately.

In such cases too, senior/geriatric medical alert systems can come in handy. By contacting medical service professionals through the alert system, your elderly parent or in-law can inform them of the end of their medication or the medical equipment failure.

Medical service providers will send in supplies or paramedics (and sometimes medical technicians as well), to help your loved one quickly.

Why Should Life Alert not be your only choice?

When it comes to senior/geriatric medical alert systems, Life Alert is usually the first one that people remember. While it’s not a bad alert system, it does suffer from a few challenges, such as:

· No Life Alert device has a fall detection feature.

· Buyers have to sign a 3-year contract to use Life Alert.

· The actual price of Life Alert medical alert systems is one of the highest in the industry.

This is why it becomes important to find alternative monitoring systems for the elderly in the home.

Top 5 Life Alert alternatives you can consider for your loved ones

1. Bay Alarm Medical In-Home Mobile Alert

The Bay Alarm Medical In-Home Mobile Alert is very easy to install. The alert has a very long-range transmission coverage, making it a great choice if your elderly loved one likes to move about, garden or take walks around the house a lot. Bay Alarm offers both landline and cellular options. The alert has a very quick response time and you don’t need to sign any long-term contract.

2. MobileHelp Classic

One of the most budget-friendly medical alert systems on the market, MobileHelp Classic is completely water-proof and maintenance-free. It offers 4/7 emergency call monitoring. You can add features like fall detection, medication reminders and PIN-protected lockboxes for just a couple of dollars.

3. Aloe Care Health

Aloe Care Health medical alert system is a smart alert system that comes with a voice-activated hub. There are essential features like motion sensors, fall detection, location detection and two-way calling. Aloe Care Health has a dedicated mobile app that caregivers and registered persons of contact can also download. They can track where their elderly loved ones are. The app connects to the smart hub at the elderly individual’s home and gives caregivers insights about air quality, temperature, motion metrics, weather and more.

4. WellBe Medical Alert Plus

Another smart geriatric medical alert system is the WellBe Medical Alert Plus. In addition to the usual must-have alert features like fall detection and GPS, this device comes with special smart reminders feature. These remind you when to refill your medications, take your medicines and attend doctor’s appointments. This is a voice-operated system as well and is completely hands-free. The remote wearable transmitter – which looks like a smartwatch - also has a pedometer and heart rate monitor.

5. LifeFone At-Home and On-the-Go GPS Voice-in-Necklace

The LifeFone At-Home and On-the-Go GPS Voice-in-Necklace is renowned for having an excellent battery life. You can run the device for 30 days on just a single charge. This alert device comes in different variants, each with a few additional features. But for the basic model – which is extremely affordable – you get GPS location detection and 24/7 medical monitoring. Higher models have fall detection, medicine reminders, wellness calls by designated medical providers and alerts sent to registered family & friends about the elderly person’s health.