Ron SmithPublished on Medical Alert - Do I Need One!
Last week I was helping my wife with the delivery and the installation of a home key box to a Province resident when she asked me what I knew about medical alert systems. It was a good question. I knew quite a bit about them back 10-12 years ago when I did the research to pick a system for my mother who lived alone in Florida. The stimulus was a fall that she sustained in her home where she was on the floor for hours before a neighbor found her. She ended up being okay that day thanks to the neighbor. However, my sister and I both lived hours away and knew that the odds of another fall were good. We researched medical alert systems to help protect our mother and improve our peace of mind.
About that time, the first systems including a fall detection option along with a monitoring service were being introduced. Along with her panic button and monitoring pendant, we installed a realtor style lock box with a key for her door. A few years later, she fell getting out of bed and broke her hip. This time because of the medical alert, the medics were dispatched quickly and used the key from the lock box to get into the house quickly. That lock box had a coded lock. The service dispatcher had given the lock box code to the medics when they were dispatched. The fall detection and the lock box did their job.
The home key box that I installed for our neighbor was purchased through a program offered by Maricopa Seniors, Inc. and the Maricopa Fire & Medical Department. The home key box provides an alternative to a forced entry resulting in a quicker response and no damage to the front door. Boxes can only be opened by a member of the Maricopa Fire Department. For more information on this valuable program go to www.maricopaseniors.org . Mounting assistance is available upon request at no additional charge. Financial assistance may be available if needed. For individuals living alone, this is a great program and it is very affordable. Check it out for yourself or for a relative or friend who might be living alone.
You also need to consider the medical alert device. Why? Around 20,000 people die from unintentional falls every year! The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Preventions says that one-fourth of Americans aged 65+ fall each year. Each year about $50 billion is spent on medical costs related to non-fatal fall injuries and $754 million is spent related to fatal falls. As I said earlier regarding my mother, if you have fallen once, the chances of another fall are good.
Falls are the primary reason that I promote home safety assessments. For a DIY assessment guide, go to AARP and either download their Home Fit Guide in a PDF format or request one to be mailed to you. The AARP website is: https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/housing/info-2020/homefit-guide.html .
For many people, the medical alert pendant falls into the same category as the grab bar in the bathroom shower. It is a reminder that our active adult years may be passing. Well good news! Modern medical alert systems now come in many forms. For example, some smart watches can provide the fall detection, GPS location finder and communication to allow a person to maintain an active lifestyle in and out of the home and the device doesn’t shout “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up.” All of those features can cost a bit, but how much do you value peace of mind for yourself and your loved ones?
Before selecting a solution, you need to consider your lifestyle, your budget and possible medical conditions. Your lifestyle will help determine what kind of alert you need. Are you primarily a home body or are you regularly on the go? There are devices available for each of those scenarios
In their simplest form, a medical alert has a button that when pushed communicates to a 24/7 emergency monitoring service. The service determines your status and places a call to dispatch an emergency response unit to aid you.
Those people primarily staying in or near their home can use any system but usually won’t need GPS. However, they should check the communication range of a potential system to be able to communicate with the base console. People living in a large house or who are often outside definitely need to consider communication range. People who are on the go want to have GPS tracking and you will need to consider what underlying technology (3G, 4G, 5G) is used for communication to their monitoring service. (NOTE: Many, if not all cell phone companies no longer support 3G or 4G systems.) For home systems, check the system battery life for backup if the power should go out.
Your alert system devices need to be waterproof so that they can always be worn whether you are in the shower or at the pool or beach.
Fall detection is the game changer. Based on the circumstances around the fall you might be unconscious or unable to push a button. Like your car’s automatic crash detection, your fall detection system can make the call for you. The emergency monitoring service agents have scripts to walk through and if there is a doubt, they will alert emergency services for you. Good fall detection systems rely on multiple technologies to better assess the situation and minimize false alerts and possible charges for unnecessary emergency responses. Also check to see if fall detection is included or if it is an option. Note that some of the older alert systems have added fall detection through additional devices rather than having a single integrated device. Some fall detection systems may only alert an emergency contact rather than a 24/7 emergency response center that can actually dispatch an emergency responder.
When it comes to cost be prepared for a monthly cost between $50 to $75.Some companies may also have upfront costs for equipment or activation. In your analysis, consider what benefits or other options may also be included in the cost. For example, sometimes spouses are free. The plan might also include caregiver tracking, medication reminders, extra devices, a choice of cellular networks or extra wellness features. Check to see if the service has multiple emergency response centers in case one goes offline due to a power outage. Some of these extra features may be the differentiating factor in your evaluation.
Most importantly, none of these devices are helpful if you are not wearing them. So, prioritize comfort and convenience when making a selection and don’t let social stigma keep you from enjoying the peace of mind, independence and safety that these devices can provide.
Ron Smith is a living-in-place advocate, a member of the Age-Friendly Maricopa Advisory Committee, a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) and a Certified Living in Place Professional (CLIPP™)
A very similar article was published under a different title in the April 2022 issue of InMaricopa Magazine.
