The Truth About Medical Alert Pendants

Those of us old enough to remember TV before streaming when you had to sit and watch commercial breaks are no doubt familiar with the line “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”. This memorable line from the Life Alert commercials in the 80s and 90s is a cultural touchstone, and the ubiquity of it made it a source of humor and laughter for years and years. And while the poorly acted lines of the commercial made it the butt of many a joke, the subject that it was dealing with is anything but comedic.

Medical alert systems have existed in one form or another since the 1970s, and have saved the health and lives of thousands of seniors over the years. Falls are the most common source of preventable injury for seniors, causing much unnecessary suffering and sometimes fatal medical emergencies. Medical alert systems for seniors, also known as personal emergency response systems, provide elderly people living on their own a fast and easy way to get rapid medical help during emergencies such as falls, medical issues, or any other event that requires an immediate and swift response from the emergency medical system. Most plans offer 24/7 coverage and call centers, as well as automatic notification of designated contacts when incidents occur.

Unlike the 1970s, when Life Alert was the only option available, these days there are numerous different services to choose from, each offering different features and functionality allowing you to tailor one to your specific needs. There are several different factors to consider when researching different services.

The biggest decision in selecting a service is where the emergency pendant works. Some models will only work at home, while others can provide medical service when on the go. Basic models rely on a connection to a home landline, and are limited to use just in the home and perhaps sometimes a limited distance outside, usually just as far as the yard. Two-way communication, which allows the user to inform the call center of their specific emergency, will be limited by the proximity to the receiver, which will be plugged into a phone outlet. It should be apparent to anyone reading this that such limitations diminish the value and utility of the service.

Alternatively, on the go solutions allow the system to be used wherever there is cellular service, which in this day and age, means pretty much everywhere apart from extremely rural or wilderness areas. Most use their own cellular service and cost in the neighborhood of $10 a month. An additional benefit is on the go pendants will include GPS trackers that make locating your loved one a breeze, which is particularly helpful for seniors suffering from dementia and a propensity to wander.

Many base models also don’t include features like automatic fall detection, which is very important. Many seniors become disoriented, confused, or unable to speak or move after falls, which renders the call button pointless. Units that automatically detect falls can, after sensing a fall, call the client and if no reply is received, dispatch emergency services quickly.