As an older person, owning a life-alert device can save your life. As you get older, you will need assistance from caregivers since your mobility will be impaired at some point in life. Older people are prone to falling and slipping as their bones get weaker and they lose their balance. Some falls can be fatal if there is no one to assist you immediately. Having an alert system can go a long way toward saving your life at the click of a button. The devices are easy to use, GPS enabled and discrete. You can carry out your daily chores without worrying about emergencies. Since you also need to be independent as an older person, you get peace of mind with such a device. Here are three ways in which this device can save your life.
House Fires
Though not very common in modern society, house fires still occur now and then and can pose a serious danger to the elderly and children. Data from the National Fire Protection Association shows that adults above 65 years are more likely to die in a house fire than their younger counterparts. People with disabilities are prone to these fires due to limited mobility, existing medical issues, and impaired vision. In most cases, responders tend to forget the elderly when evacuating individuals and focus a lot on children.
A medical or life alert system can come in handy in such situations. You will not have the need to rush to a phone to call for help. You activate your device and ask for assistance by simply pressing a button. This button sends a distress call to your monitoring center, who responds immediately. It is the best way of saving your life if you find yourself in such a situation. The monitoring center responds by sending firefighters and medics who arrive knowing that you are in the house.
Accidental Falls
Trips and falls are life’s common occurrences to any other person but can cause serious injuries or even be fatal in older adults. According to the Center for Disease Control Prevention (CDCP), most injury-related deaths among individuals 65 years and older arise from accidental deaths. Older adults have numerous risk factors that put them more at risk than younger people. They are frail due to old age, have poor balance, suffer from pre-existing medical conditions, and suffer from side effects from medications and other health factors. If older adults were to fall, they are more likely to hit their head or other delicate parts of their body against objects since they lack the strength to support themselves. If they fail to receive immediate attention, such falls that could seem normal for a healthy younger adult could lead to serious injury and potentially kill the older adult. A seemingly simple fracture could be life-threatening to an older person.
Medical or life alert systems can come in handy in such situations. These devices have built-in sensors that act as communication devices. When an elderly person falls, the sensor sends an alert to the monitoring units and the caregivers. Even if the older person falls unconscious and cannot press the required button, the caregivers will still receive an alert requiring immediate attention.
Assaults, Robberies, and Break-Ins
Assaults, robberies, and break-ins can be scary and traumatizing. It is important to set up a security system that would at least inhibit, if not stop, would-be burglars. Unfortunately for older adults, women, and those with disabilities, robbers always target them as they appear to be easy targets. To some extent, they are. The good news is that there are security measures that you can take as an older person or if you have a disability to protect yourself and seek quick assistance.
Alert devices’ main purpose is to alert relevant authorities in case of a medical emergency. However, you can still take advantage of this technology to protect yourself from non-medical occurrences. If, for instance, burglars invade your house or get assaulted in the streets, you could easily call for help by simply pressing a distress button. You can get rescued in a matter of minutes. Unlike mobile phones or landlines, which you may find difficult to use when in a risky situation, an alert device just requires you to press a button for you to receive the required assistance. These devices are light and easy to carry but are also discrete, ensuring that would-be attackers will not easily realize if you have called for assistance.