Medical Alert Systems

Medical alert systems save lives. A large percentage of adults are now responsible for looking after their aging parents. It is a difficult transition from child to caregiver; there is a delicate balance between support and interference. Many older folks resent that they are no longer capable of the activities they once took for granted and are not willing to ask for help. These personal systems can support seniors with health issues who do not yet require assisted living.

Medical alert systems, also known as Personal Emergency Response Systems, may consist of a built-in two-way voice communicator unit and a personal help button. If the wearer needs assistance they push the button. The system is monitored 24-hours a day and the person monitoring the system will make contact with the alarm wearer. Emergency response operators are trained to assess the situation and dispatch the appropriate emergency services. Personal Emergency Response Systems ease the minds of family members who may live in different, distant cities and who worry about their parents living alone.

Losing a driver's license or being unable to keep up with household maintenance are just two of the signs that older parents need some assistance and supervision. Medical alert systems can assist in granting continued independence to seniors who prefer to remain in their own homes. While activities such as getting groceries or yard work might have to be contracted out, senior emergency systems mean that support is available for falls and emergency medical situations within the home. Many seniors are frightened by the thought of leaving their homes, most have spent lifetimes there but having medical alert systems could mean the difference between remaining at home a while longer or having to move into an assisted living facility.

Seniors are not the only group who are at risk for falls and emergency medical situations in the home. Individuals with limited mobility and other physical challenges, people confined to wheelchairs, can also benefit from these systems. Living alone and falling on the floor can be life-threatening to someone who is physically challenged or critically ill. Medical alert systems can literally mean the difference between life and death. Medical emergencies are not the only situations where these systems make a difference. Home invasions have been stopped in progress because the homeowners activated their medical alert systems in time for police to come in and arrest the offenders.

Medical alert systems are designed to fit smoothly into an active lifestyle. If the subscriber is going away for a month and calls ahead, it is possible that the system can be set up in the vacation destination if it is within the country. If there is a change in residences, the medical alert system can be moved along with the subscriber. Medical alert systems are available for purchase through many companies. Most alarm systems are installed, tested, and monitored for an affordable monthly fee. In some cases, subsidies are available for seniors or consumers that need financial assistance.

There are many options available for medical alert systems, and choosing a system can be fraught with emotional perils for children and parents alike. Seniors have to come to terms with the fact that they need medical alert systems; they are no longer able to rely on themselves. Children must recognize their parents' limitations, and in some cases might also be financially responsible for the systems that ensure their parents' safety. Communication is especially important so that users know how to program and access their personal emergency systems. Buying medical alert systems will save lives.

"Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils." - Louis Hector Berlioz