When you, or a family member may need emergency services quickly, having a medical alert system can increase your peace of mind. You may feel very uncomfortable and nervous leaving a senior parent at home alone. Adding a medical alert system can allow them fast access to help during a emergency.
You can select from two major types for your medical alert system. A professionally monitored system, or a system which just gives you easier access to your local emergency services. A professionally monitored system often includes access to trained medical professionals at the monitoring center.
A good example of a professionally monitored system is the Philips Lifeline system. With this system you get a base station, which incorporates a powerful speaker phone for communications with the monitoring professionals. For your safety, you can wear an alert bracelet or necklace, which allows you to call for assistance with the push of a single button. This button activates the base station, making the call to the monitoring center. They will quickly respond the proper help to your location. If you are unable to respond, they will still call for assistance. The Lifeline medical alert system also makes a call to people you have listed as next contacts. This can include a spouse, or other family members who may be needed.
If you are prone to falling, then you should select a medical alert system which includes fall detection. In a serious fall, you may become unconscious, and unable to request assistance. With fall detection, your alert system can be activated, and the system calls the monitoring service. If you are unable to respond, they will call for assistance to check on your condition, possibly saving your life, or the life of a loved one. Falls cause more serious medical problems for our aging population than any other type of accident.
With a non-monitored system, you will be directly contacting your 911 service by pushing the button on your medical alert system. These can also include a bracelet or necklace like the monitored systems. One challenge to a non-monitored system is verifying it is functioning properly. With a monitored system, you will be instructed to perform regular testing, which goes only to the monitoring service, and does not alert your local 911 Emergency services. With a non-monitored system, if you want to do any testing, you will need to contact their non-emergency number and arrange a time to perform your test. This makes a call directly to 911, so in situations of many emergencies, you may need to wait to do your testing.
While the cost of a non-monitored system is much lower, with no recurring fees, a monitored system increases your safety, giving you more options, and better testing. Whichever system you choose, having a medical alert system can offer higher security, and faster response in case of an emergency. Knowing you have an alert system at your fingertips can give you more confidence for yourself or family members, allowing you to relax in the knowledge you have a system ready.
