Falls are a large problem for the elderly. 1 in 3 people over the age of 60 experience at least one fall per year.
We first wrote this blog post in 2021. We have recently updated it.
As you would know, both minor and major falls can cause life-long health problems and extensive stays in hospitals. In some cases, falls can be fatal. This is worsened when help cannot be contacted immediately and the person may be left in a vulnerable situation for hours.
Fortunately, medical alert alarms can help.
Although personal medical alarms cannot prevent falls, they can help the person get in contact with help quickly. This may decrease the amount of time spent fallen and long-term health consequences.
What We Will Cover
- What Is A Personal Medical Alarm System?
- Be Aware: Not all Personal Alarms on the Market are Created Equal
- Who Can Benefit From Medical Alarms?
- What Types Of Medical Alert Alarms Are Available?
- How Do Personal Alarms Work?
- What Personal Alarm Should I Choose?
- Where Can I Buy A Personal Alarm?
- How Much Does A Personal Alarm Cost?
What Is a Personal Alarm or Medical Alert System?
Personal medical alarms which are also referred to as Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS for short) are portable electronic devices that you carry on yourself at all times. They are small, light-weight and discrete.
These medical alarms have a large tactile button in the centre that is designed to be easy to press, in order to get assistance.
If the user were to have a fall or health complication, they would simply press the large button. Once pressed, the medical alarm sends a message to a care team, who would be able to get the user assistance as soon as possible.
Quality personal medical alarms offer wireless cellular data connection on the 4G Telstra network. This means that these type devices do not need WiFi or a phoneline to operate.
Be Aware: Not all Personal Alarms on the Market are Created Equal
Some 3rd-party personal alarms only attempt to contact several of your nominated contacts, instead of calling a 24/7 monitoring centre. If you or someone else were to press the SOS or help button on these 3rd-party devices, there is a risk that the person or people the device is trying to contact have their phone turned off, or have a flat mobile phone battery, have left their mobile phone in another room, are asleep, have their phone on silent, etc. The same thing can occur when trying to contact someone using your mobile phone.
Additionally, if a device dials 000, the caller must still be able to speak, explain what has happened, and provide their location. Without this information, emergency services may not be able to send help. In a real emergency, this can be difficult or even impossible, especially if the person is injured, confused, or unable to speak.
In an emergency, you need to know that when the button is pressed, someone is going to respond straight away.
An additional note: Not all 3rd party providers meet best standards. Some ungraded centres have no set response time, which can result in dangerous delays when someone needs urgent assistance.
At APERS, our 24/7 monitoring centre is an A Graded Monitoring Centre, which means it operates to strict Australian Standards. As soon as the help or SOS button is pressed, we are on the line to help. Our response times are fast. This ensures help is arranged as quickly as possible, where every second counts.
We are graded to AS2201.2:2022 – Alarm and Electronic Security Systems, Part 2: Monitoring Centres, giving you confidence that your safety is being handled to the highest professional standard.
Who Can Benefit From Medical Alarms?
Although personal alarm systems are most often used by elderly people, many people can benefit from a medical alarm!
Individuals with disabilities, long-term health problems or mobility problems may benefit from a medical alarm, no matter their age.
Lone workers, young children and individuals that live alone may also benefit from medical alarms.
Not only do personal alarms provide peace of mind for the user, but also for family and loved ones.
What Types Of Medical Alert Alarms Are Available?
There are many types of personal medical alert alarms currently available.
These range from alarms used exclusively inside the home, to those used when the user is out and about.
- Home Companion: for in-home usage
- Pearl Pendant: for in-home usage
- Pearl Fall Detection Pendant: for in-home usage
- Pearl Wriststrap: for in-home usage
- Wall Mount Help Button: for in-home usage
- Freedom Friend Pendant: when away from home
- Freedom Friend Watch: when away from home
How Do Personal Alarms Work?
Although they may sound complicated, personal medical alarms are easy to use and operate.
Home Companion
When a compatible device is activated, it will connect to the Home Companion.
Then, the Home Companion transmits an alarm to the APERS 24/7 Care Team and will open a two-way voice channel via the Home Companion. The Care Team will speak to the user to determine what assistance is required.
Depending on the nature of the emergency, the Care Team will notify a pre-determined emergency contact or emergency services.
Freedom Friend
The Freedom Friend works similarly to the Home Companion.
During an emergency, pressing the emergency button on the Freedom Friend will send an alert to our 24/7 Care Team. The Care Team will also receive the devices last known GPS location.
The Care Team will then open a two-way voice channel directly to the Freedom Friend device and will speak to the user to determine what assistance is required.
The Care Team will either notify a designated emergency contact or call emergency services.
In either case, one of our Care Team members will stay on the line until physical help arrives.
What Personal Alarm Should I Choose?
What personal medical alarm you should choose depends on your circumstances.
If the user stays home most of the time, the Home Companion would be a great choice. This is because it is designed for exclusive use within the home.
Whether you use the Pearl Pendant or Pearl Wriststrap with the Home Companion Base Unit is up to personal preference.
If the user frequently leaves the home, the Freedom Friend would be more suitable. This is because it is specifically designed to operate anywhere in Australia with a stable 4G network.
If you are not sure which personal medical alarm would work best for you, get in contact with our team of experts today.
Where Can I Buy A Personal Alarm?
Purchasing a personal medical alarm is easy. Medical alarms can be purchased from trusted suppliers, such as us at APERS.
At APERS, we supply and monitor medical alarms Australia-wide. You can either buy or rent. More information about our range of Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) and devices is here.
To seek expert help when choosing the right personal alarm system, call our friendly team on 1300 852 148 or send us a message via our contact us page.
If you or someone you love lives alone, a personal alarm can be a lifesaver. Many elderly couples also choose PERS devices.
How Much Does A Personal Alarm Cost?
The price of personal medical alert system and/or device depends on which option you’re looking at purchasing or renting.
As personal alarms are essential for seniors in Australia, these devices are generally affordable.
The pricing of each device is available on their individual product pages. You can access each via our product page.
At APERS, we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
If the user thinks the device isn’t suitable, they can return the product within 30 days of purchase.
To suit the users’ budget, APERS offers different payment options, including renting or buying the device.
About APERS
At APERS, we understand that keeping your loved ones safe is the most important thing in the world.
For more information about our personal medical alarms, please call us on 1300 852 148 or send us a form enquiry via our contact us page.
