If you have an elderly loved one who lives alone, few things are more worrisome. If he falls or feels ill and cannot reach a phone, the results could be tragic. Whether your loved one is sick with a condition or just older and weaker, unfortunately, there is always the possibility that something could go wrong.
Your loved one may also be well enough to live alone, but may experience health incidents frequently enough that you want to find an option aside from always calling an ambulance. For example, if they have asthma, they might be able to go days, weeks, even months where they are fine on their own. But an asthma attack can occur at any time, and can occur frequently. It does not have to be a serious emergency, but it needs immediate attention. Dale Anderson is president of Right At Home in-home care agency in Tacoma, Washington. There, the agency offers a personal response system as part of their services, so your loved one can contact a caregiver at any time and receive emergency attention, without first calling the hospital. (Personal response systems that do instantly contact the emergency services first are available, as well.)
A personal response system is small, light, portable, and able to be transported everywhere your loved one goes, usually within a couple hundred feet away from the home. It is always on, always monitoring. If something should happen, your family member simply presses the button on his monitor. This immediately sends a signal to send help to the home. Many systems also have a two-way voice interaction feature, where the operator at the system’s call center can speak to your loved one and see what’s wrong.
Deciding who the system should connect to is usually based on the condition of your family member. Those with illnesses that have them experience dangerous attacks should connect right to emergency services. But those who have a less serious condition can connect to their caregiver to let them know they need help. The personal response system can determine when the caregiver visits the home to provide medical attention and assistance. Or, it can also be used in addition to regular care. Unless you and your loved one choose 24-hour live-in care, there is always the chance of an emergency occurring when the caregiver is not present. With a caregiver on hand, either on a set schedule or on an as-needed basis, as well as a personal response system, your family can rest assured that your loved one is safe. You can feel confident that they will never be alone in an emergency, and will always get the attention they need.
