What do you expect from a medical alert system? This answer can be surprisingly varied, depending on the person being asked. However, all of their responses have at least one thing in common — get help quickly when needed.
That’s the primary purpose of every medical alert system.
Every single medical alert system that’s reviewed on our website, as well as other systems that are available, exist to help you or a loved one get help easily and quickly, so a healthy lifestyle can be maintained. If you’re experiencing a medical emergency, you simply push a button on a neck pendant or a wristband and get the help you need exactly when you need it.
Medical alert systems have expanded to include automatic fall detection, which is something that most people know about. It’s also something that saves many lives. Instead of pushing a pendant for help, the pendant registers a fall and contacts help for you automatically. That’s a big deal when a fall can be so devastating to independence.
If getting help fast was the only thing your medical alert system did, it would still be worth the money, but providers have come a long way since the very first system was invented in the 1970s. There are some extras you may not be aware of that will make a medical alert system more appealing than ever.
Smartwatches
One of the biggest arguments against a medical alert system is they may not look that attractive. You can usually tell right away if someone is wearing a medical alert pendant. Even the wristband buttons are pretty obvious. Some seniors don’t like the look of those buttons. While you want to be independent — you don’t want to show the world that you’re trying to keep it that way!
That’s one of the reasons why we love the new smartwatch options. And no, we don’t mean the Apple Watch – we don’t think the Apple Watch is a good solution for a medical alert system.
However, the newest watches offered by Medical Guardian and MobileHelp are specially designed as medical alert systems. They offer everything you expect from a traditional medical alert system (e.g., easily get emergency help fast), but they look a heck of a lot more stylish than the traditional button pendant. Plus, they can do other things too, like track your steps, monitor your heart rate, and more!
Family Monitoring
Medical alert systems can bring peace of mind to those who wear them, but they can bring peace of mind to family members too. Mom and dad can sometimes be stubborn, but with good reason about wanting to remain independent in their own home. Knowing help is on the way if they fall can encourage family members to support a loved one’s independence.
You can get even more peace of mind with family monitoring services. Although many medical alert systems have been offering apps that notify family members if the emergency button is pushed, Medical Guardian takes this one step further by offering a special family monitoring package with Family Guardian.
This system utilizes three in-home safety sensors that enable loved ones to monitor the activity level of mom and dad. Notifications are sent if a loved one isn’t going about their normal routine. That’s perfect for seniors that may be struggling, but don’t feel like they’re struggling enough to push the button on their pendant.
Touch screen systems
The standard medical alert pendants may look old-fashioned, but so do the base stations. If you’re a senior who isn’t afraid of the latest technology, you may be interested to learn that the MobileHelp Touch is an option.
Instead of a base station that just tells you the time and temperature, the touch base station can provide you with additional features, such as medication management, cognitive games, and you can even access video-based doctor consultations 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.
Not to mention, a touch screen system looks a lot more modern in the home than a traditional base station.
Medication dispensing
Medication can be a huge challenge to remaining independent in the home. Traditional medical alert systems couldn’t do anything about it, but modern systems can.
As mentioned above, the MobileHelp Touch system can help with medication reminders, but Philips Lifeline goes even further by offering an automated medication dispensing service. This device is added to your medical alert system. It’s a great solution for people who have complex medication schedules, or seniors who often forget to take important medications.
Lastly, did you know most medical alert systems can help with other emergency situations, besides medical emergencies? Most will help in the event of a fire or a burglary too.
Check out our list of the best medical alert systems and contact information.