Many of our customers, especially those older in age choose our Pearl Fall Detection Pendant. Below is a customer story about a gentleman named Tom. He lives in suburban Victoria.
The Background
Tom is 76 years old. He has early stages of Parkinson’s Disease. Mornings are his most unsteady time, and he often showers when no one else is home.
In 2019, Tom invested in the Pearl Fall Detection Pendant, so if he ever has a fall, the pendant will alert our 24/7 Care Team.
Our Solution
Tom wears the Pendant in the shower. He wears it around his neck. We pre-programmed the Pearl Fall Detection Pendant for Tom so that:
- The pendant’s fall detection sensitivity was set to the highest setting and we keep an eye on accidental alarms. We discuss with Tom if he feels he needs us to adjust the sensitivity. This process tailors the device to him while minimising false activations.
- Part of the Emergency Escalation Plan we collaboratively assembled with Tom (with his input), was that his trusted neighbour would get notified if he falls. They have his Keysafe details, so they can open his house door, to let the ambulance in.
- We also went through our normal testing process.
If Tom was to have a fall, but can’t press the alert button, the Pearl Fall Detection Pendant detects the fall and notifies our Care Team. We then respond accordingly.
What would actually happen in an emergency? Consider this scenario: Tom slips in the bathroom and cannot reach the base unit. The pendant detects a hard fall and raises the alert automatically. Our care team operator opens a two-way voice call through the Home Companion base unit. We ask Tom if he is hurt and needs an ambulance. Tom confirms he can’t stand, and informs us of his situation and condition. We call an ambulance and contact the neighbour to open the door. If the neighbour is not home, we provide the Keysafe access code (pin number) to the ambulance and let them know where the Keysafe is located outside his house.
If it’s a false alarm, Tom can cancel the call with us during the voice check. If Tom is away from the base unit or we cannot hear him, we follow his pre‑arranged emergency instructions immediately.
The Outcome: Tom is attended to quickly, spends less time on the floor, and has fewer complications during recovery. Depending on the seriousness of any injuries, Tom would be taken by ambulance to the Hospital. False triggers are sorted on the call without sending emergency first-responders unnecessarily to his home.
Why it works: The system automatic alerts our 24/7 care team if the button can not be pressed. The base unit provides clear two‑way voice communication within the home. Emergency Services can gain fast entry into the house, because of the exterior Keysafe.
The Results
Thankfully Tom has never had a fall.
The pendant and base unit do regular self-tests to make sure the system is working correctly at all times. It sends the Care Team an alert if there is a problem.
Tom tells us he is very glad he invested in our device and system, and always feels safer and reassured knowing he is wearing his Pendant, and has the APERS Home Companion system set up in his home.
