Life-Saving Wearables: Everything You Need To Know About Medical Alert Pendants and Bands
Retirement and old age shouldn’t be a hindrance to a full, well-lived life — and it’s possible with comprehensive health monitoring. For this, medical alert systems — often body-worn bands or pendants — are growing in popularity among seniors. It’s all because they could mean the difference between life and death, thanks to early health detection and alarm systems.
Medical alert systems allow seniors to live a full life while ensuring that any sign of heart condition, falls, and other health issues are detected and treated right away. It guarantees peace of mind for their loved ones, keeps an eye on their well-being, and provides emergency assistance right away.
A quick press of a button reports an emergency, and help is soon on the way. Here’s what you need to know about this life-saving technology — how it protects your loved ones and extends the care you can provide every day:
MEDICAL ALERT SYSTEMS AS SLEEK WEARABLE TECH
Anyone wearing an accessory on their person considers appearance, first and foremost. A key consideration for people wearing medical alert systems is the appearance. No one wants to wear a device on their person that’s too large and obvious.
As wearables become more common, medical alert systems have evolved into sleek, inconspicuous accessories that function in the background. The goal is to ensure comfort and ease of use among wearers, so they won’t feel self-conscious when wearing a medical alert device.
These devices typically come in the form of pendants and wearable bands that can be worn 24/7 and sync to smartphone apps for routine and emergency alerts. Wearers can then press a button to indicate that they need help, whether with daily activities or emergencies. Family members and caregivers can then keep an eye on wearers through regular alerts about their health and respond immediately.
HOW MEDICAL ALERT SYSTEMS WORK: THREE STEPS
Medical alert devices dispatch emergency and routine alerts in just a few steps. During this short period, caregivers and healthcare providers can identify the cause for alarm, and 911 emergency services can be reached for immediate help:
1. PRESS THE EMERGENCY BUTTON
The wearer can press the emergency button to send a signal to their caregivers, as well as the monitoring centre. This indicates that they need immediate assistance, and the monitoring centre can send someone to their location to help.
2. IDENTIFY ISSUE
Once the alert reaches the monitoring centre, they can connect with the wearer and determine the emergency. Existing health conditions are tracked in these devices, so recurring episodes and emergencies are quickly detected, and appropriate assistance can be dispatched.
Wearers don’t even have to talk — as is often tricky in life-threatening scenarios such as a heart attack. Instead, the sensors on their medical alert device detect the cause for alarm and dispatch the appropriate emergency assistance.
3. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE DISPATCH
Once the emergency is identified, the monitoring centre can coordinate emergency response teams. EMTs, firefighters, and even police services can be dispatched to the wearer’s location, while their family and caregivers receive notifications from alert to the response.
WHY WEAR A MEDICAL ALERT DEVICE
Medical alert systems enhance the quality of life in old age: they empower seniors to live independently, while mitigating the risk of fast and deadly health episodes, such as heart attacks and strokes.
24/7 EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND MONITORING
Medical alert devices make healthcare, well-being, and emergency assistance far more accessible. It takes a lot less time to press a button to call for help rather than dial 911 yourself and explain why you need emergency assistance and where you’re located.
For seniors living independently, even minor health and safety issues can be detected and quickly addressed. Along with the device monitoring centre, caregivers and family members are notified of alerts tied to health issues — like heart rate and falls.
ALARM SENSITIVITY
Medical alert systems are reliable — it’s how they provide unmatched peace of mind. These are designed with highly sensitive sensors for monitoring the wearer’s overall health and can be programmed to send alerts to caregivers and the monitoring centre, so emergencies are detected right away.
EASE OF USE
Medical alert pendants and bracelets are designed for ease of use. The quick press of a button triggers an emergency alert, while family members and caregivers are also quickly notified of any changes or issues in the wearer’s health. These devices are lightweight and portable, so they’re comfortable to wear 24/7. They’re barely noticeable and won’t interrupt your daily activities.
TRY SEVERAL ALERT SYSTEMS BEFORE BUYING
Medical alert systems represent a great leap in healthcare technology, monitoring, and emergency response and prevention — but not all were created equal. Lesser-known devices with few users may be subject to kinks and flaws that impact their long-term wear and function.
These systems come in a range of devices, designed with specific users in mind. Maybe you don’t like wearing a pendant, but a bracelet is less intrusive. Fitting for a medical alert system requires extensive trying before buying, and opting for a reputable model that offers the exact health detection features you need.
OPERATOR DELAYS
A medical alert device may be well-designed but still lags behind other devices in functionality. Reliable function depends on the entire medical alert system — it starts when the emergency button is pressed, or an alert is triggered, the time it takes for the monitoring centre to respond, and the actual emergency service dispatch.
Choose a manufacturer with fast response times that can direct emergencies to 911 emergency services right away — in 30 seconds or less, a crucial time frame for preventing death and severe complications from a heart attack or stroke.
LOCATION ISSUES
Medical alert systems are programmed to store the user’s location and ensure that any emergency assistance required is directed there right away. However, some devices are poorly calibrated or feature older GPS technology, resulting in location errors.
Think of what a second means for a senior suffering from a heart attack or stroke. The complications that could be prevented if help had arrived even a few seconds earlier. When fitting a medical alert device, make sure to examine its location detection features, and ensure that 911 dispatchers can read it correctly.
FALSE ALARMS
Medical alert systems need to be sensitive and responsive to even the slightest health and safety signals, but they also pose the risk of false alarms. False alarms can be triggered, which prompts emergency service dispatch, inevitably delaying response to real emergencies.
While medical alert devices should be adequately calibrated to trigger alarms at appropriate sensitivity settings, it’s equally important to educate users and their caregivers about its proper use and function to prevent false alarms.
For more information about the life-saving benefits of medical alert systems and where to get one, call a.p.i Alarm Inc. at 1-800-897-1039 ext 2245 or contact us here.
