Medical Alert Systems: Making The Right Choice
People now have a much longer life expectancy than they did a few decades ago, and in most developed countries the average person commonly lives beyond 70 years of age. As they reach their later years, people are inevitably more likely to need the aid of others, yet they still want to keep their independence.
The majority of people do not feel comfortable being under the constant care of others. There is a solution to this problem though. By using a medical alert system, elderly people can live as they wish, but can still be supported in the event of an emergency arising.
What a medical alert system does is allows the user of it to instantly contact and speak with a care specialist in the event of an emergency. The user just needs to a press a button on their system.
The difference between this service, and simply calling 911, is that a lot more flexibility is provided. By dialing 911, an ambulance will pretty much always need to be called out, but a medical alert system can be used for minor emergencies as well as serious ones. The user, as well as requesting an ambulance, can, for example, just call for advice, or ask that a doctor pay a visit the next day.
Many companies are offering medical alert systems, but what specifically they are offering is not the same, with some being much better for the purpose than others. Therefore, before making a decision on which one to opt for, answers to the following questions should be sought…
- How easy is it to use?
- Can the medical alert button, or pendant, be easily carried around?
- Does it allow for two way communication?
- How wide is the area of coverage?
- Is the service available throughout the day and night, for 365 days a year?
- What level of medical certification do the Emergency Response Technicians have?
- Can relatives and neighbors be contacted through the service?
- In the event of a power failure or disaster, will the service still operate?
- Are the call center operatives native English speakers?
Any reputable provider of medical alert systems should give open and full answers to these questions. Also, be wary of trying to save a few dollars a month by choosing a service that does not meet the full requirements of the user.
Another point on cost, be sure to get full details on the type of service being signed-up for before making a commitment to it. You should not have to pay a set-up or activation fee, and there should be no long term contract. A simple monthly subscription contract is ideal, one where the user is able to simply return the equipment at any time - no questions asked.
For more information on medical alert systems, or to buy an emergency alert, please visit
