My last post described the various problems associated with using a cell phone as a home safety device for an elderly person.
So what can you do to keep your elderly loved ones safe in the home? The most reliable method to date is still the Personal Emergency Response Service or help button, ie. help I’ve fallen and can’t get up. It is simple to use, waterproof and does not require periodic recharges. You can be visually impaired or have a hearing loss and your safety will not be compromised.
The button component (remote activator) is comfortably worn on the wrist or around the neck. The buttons are also exposed to vigorous shock, heat and water testing to ensure they can withstand soaking, temperature extremes and being dropped on a hard floor. This is true if the PERS unit carries the UL (Underwriter’s Laboratory) certification. Check your provider. Not all PERS units are UL-certified.
Additional features include text and voice messaging to responders (for those of us who do use cell phones daily) and online/email reporting to keep other family members in the loop if they live too far away to be physical responders.
Adaptive switches are available for people whose motor functions are severely limited by stroke, Muscular Sclerosis, spinal cord and head injuries or even near-complete paralysis. Many reputable companies sell these services including SafeCall www.safecall.biz, the company I started in 1995. This service costs about $1/day and has a long history of providing home safety to the elderly and disabled.
The PERS unit is the gateway to numerous other beneficial products. Automated medication dispensers, motion sensors, pressure-sensitive floor pads, door alarms and smoke detectors are among numerous accessories that integrate with a PERS to contact caregivers within seconds of alarming.
While the cellular phone industry has begun to recognize the safety needs of the elderly (which don’t include texting, music players and downloading apps), they still need to overcome issues of battery life and signal loss in large apartment buildings and rural communities. And cell phones still need to be designed for users with unsteady hands, poor sight and hearing. Home medical alarms manufacturers resolved these issues years ago.
© Sanford Freed 2009.
