Personal medical alarms are something that has been around for decades.
The early alarm systems were simply pull-cords dotted around the house or a wearable device that would connect to a base station for short-range monitoring and alerting.
Compared to these first systems, modern systems have advanced dramatically and are more sophisticated with a lot of new and innovative features.
This includes the ability to contact help centres by the simple press of a button, GPS monitoring for more mobile senior citizens, and lightweight wearable devices that are far more comfortable than the older pendants. Most devices are even waterproof now too, so they can even be worn in the shower.
With the rapid evolution of medical alarm technology, it’s safe to say that we will see many new and even better features introduced in the future.
More Than Just Fall Alerts
While slips and falls are a serious and often preventable issue for senior citizens modern personal alarms already offer more than just ‘push to call aid’ features.
Some of today’s medical alarms offer a fall-detection feature, which detects when the user has had a fall and notifies the emergency Care Team.
As technology advances, there is potential for even more features similar to this.
For instance, medical alarms for the future might be able to determine if the user has broken any bones, or even detect if the user is about to fall.
Tracking Your Vitals
Today there are consumer-grade wearable devices that are being developed to offer metrics which would previously only have been available to doctors.
Continuous Glucose Monitors are a boon for diabetics who are struggling to manage their condition.
This makes it possible for people to keep track of their blood glucose levels and manage their insulin to a fine degree.
Unmanaged diabetes can lead to serious health complications, and keeping track of the condition long term is overwhelming for a lot of people.
In the future, these devices are likely to become a lot more common, accessible and mainstream in the future. These devices may even track other vitals, such as Heart rate, blood pressure, galvanic skin response, blood oxygen concentration and blood glucose levels.
Monitoring Home Safety
During an emergency, the medical alarm user may not know what to do.
This is another area where personal alarms can be useful. Take, for example, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
These devices are the last line of defence against dangerous scenarios.
What would happen, however, if a smoke alarm went off and a senior citizen was confused or distressed and did not know what to do?
Standard carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms are an important part of any home safety plan.
However, thanks to the wonder of the Internet of Things, in the future it may be possible to get alarms that will not only sound an audible alarm to warn the people in the house but also alert a contact centre and any nominated contacts.
This means that emergency aid can come to the assistance of the person living in the house using the same monitoring service as the personal medical alarm.[1]
Retain Your Independence
Personal medical alarms don’t have to be just a tool for calling for help when it is needed.
However, those who do use personal alarms for that purpose may get faster attention and better outcomes in the event of an emergency[2].
The alarms available today, and the ones that are in development now, are small, lightweight and sophisticated.
They also hold computing power that would have required a much bulkier device even ten years ago.
These alarms can be used to improve medication compliance, offer reminders and monitoring, and provide peace of mind.
While a simple pill box is useful, an alarm that will pop up and say “It is time to take your lunchtime pills” adds an extra layer of reassurance.
If that alarm can also monitor the person’s heart rate, then this can be used to provide feedback both to the wearer and their medical team.
If something is out of the ordinary, then they can be encouraged to contact their care team early, with better long term outcomes.
Personal Medical Alarms won’t replace doctors or the family unit, but they are certainly a useful backup.
No one can predict the future, but you can stay prepared for an emergency.
A personal medical alarm is the best device to use and can give you complete peace of mind when you are away from your loved ones.
At APERS, we understand that keeping your loved ones safe is the most important thing in the world.
For more information about our services please call 1300 852 148 or send us a message on our website.