The generation that vowed it would never grow old has broken that promise. As baby-boomers become elderly, living independently for as long as possible has become increasingly important. This presents a set of unique challenges for senior citizens, including the realistic possibility of suffering a medical emergency. Wearing a cellular medical alarm with GPS reduces those concerns.
Nearly one third of all seniors takes a serious fall each year. In an effort to avoid losing personal independence, some try to conceal this from their physicians, even though falling remain a significant source of disability and permanent injury. Without the ability to call for help even when alone, loss of balance resulting in a fall can very quickly turn into a life-threatening situation.
The need for a personal system that automatically summons medical personnel prompted the development of the earliest home alert devices. They typically utilized a simple network tied to a remotely operated speaker phone. It could connect directly to a dedicated emergency center via an existing land line. While this was a vast improvement over a regular phone, there were still issues of portability and range.
Subsequent improvements include communications pendants worn around the neck. When activated, they automatically connect to the speaker phone, which calls for help via a land line. These systems are still quite popular, although limited to in-home use. Some also include sensor technology that summons aid when a victim cannot talk. Most have an available monitoring service, while others are simply programmed to call 911.
While these advances have been valuable, there are additional features that were not available until recently. Standard alarms previously worked only at home, but are now able to summon assistance no matter where the user may go. They do this by linking the wearable units directly to the existing cell phone network, and use GPS location capabilities to determine the physical location of the victim.
Although there are major privacy concerns about digital technology, this type of personal tracking has proven popular with concerned family members. GPS tracking is already standard on most smart-phones sold today, and the reality is that most users do not take the time to deactivate the service because it can be beneficial. The same cell-tower triangulation methods are used by alarm companies to locate users quickly and accurately.
When a sick or confused older person pushes the help button, it not only displays their personal identification information, but also their current whereabouts. The caller enjoys voice communications with an emergency center, and can usually contact help from any spot that has cell phone coverage. Unlike an actual smart-phone, the units are small enough to be worn, are waterproof, and easy to see.
It is now even possible to relay pertinent medical information directly to first responders, making field treatment safer and more accurate. Even if a senior citizen has no idea where he or she actually is, assistance can still be on the way in a short time. Similar to cell phones, these units need recharging every few days, but that is a small price to pay for greater peace of mind.
Nearly one third of all seniors takes a serious fall each year. In an effort to avoid losing personal independence, some try to conceal this from their physicians, even though falling remain a significant source of disability and permanent injury. Without the ability to call for help even when alone, loss of balance resulting in a fall can very quickly turn into a life-threatening situation.
The need for a personal system that automatically summons medical personnel prompted the development of the earliest home alert devices. They typically utilized a simple network tied to a remotely operated speaker phone. It could connect directly to a dedicated emergency center via an existing land line. While this was a vast improvement over a regular phone, there were still issues of portability and range.
Subsequent improvements include communications pendants worn around the neck. When activated, they automatically connect to the speaker phone, which calls for help via a land line. These systems are still quite popular, although limited to in-home use. Some also include sensor technology that summons aid when a victim cannot talk. Most have an available monitoring service, while others are simply programmed to call 911.
While these advances have been valuable, there are additional features that were not available until recently. Standard alarms previously worked only at home, but are now able to summon assistance no matter where the user may go. They do this by linking the wearable units directly to the existing cell phone network, and use GPS location capabilities to determine the physical location of the victim.
Although there are major privacy concerns about digital technology, this type of personal tracking has proven popular with concerned family members. GPS tracking is already standard on most smart-phones sold today, and the reality is that most users do not take the time to deactivate the service because it can be beneficial. The same cell-tower triangulation methods are used by alarm companies to locate users quickly and accurately.
When a sick or confused older person pushes the help button, it not only displays their personal identification information, but also their current whereabouts. The caller enjoys voice communications with an emergency center, and can usually contact help from any spot that has cell phone coverage. Unlike an actual smart-phone, the units are small enough to be worn, are waterproof, and easy to see.
It is now even possible to relay pertinent medical information directly to first responders, making field treatment safer and more accurate. Even if a senior citizen has no idea where he or she actually is, assistance can still be on the way in a short time. Similar to cell phones, these units need recharging every few days, but that is a small price to pay for greater peace of mind.
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