The Best Medical Alert Systems Advances in the Last Decade

Medical alert systems have been around for more than three decades, but the medical alert systems of today are much improved compared to their predecessors. The last decade has brought about technological advances only dreamed of before. From tracking to sensing and enhancing communication, all of these advancements have helped improve users’ quality of life.

Here are some of the best innovations to medical alert systems in the last decade.

Cellular Technology

The integration of cellular technology has allowed medical alert systems to become mobile. Emergency assistance is no longer tied to a landline or home-based unit. Instead, the units are smaller and wearable, use top cellular networks like AT&T and Verizon, and provide coverage wherever a user goes.

Users can now wear their wristband or pendant and leave it on no matter where they go until it’s time to charge the unit or change the battery. This greatly promotes a user’s freedom from when they were previously not protected if they left the range of their home-based unit. From running errands to taking a neighborhood stroll, cellular technology made it possible for the protection of a medical alert system to go anywhere the user goes.

GPS

The inclusion of GPS technology in mobile systems is one of the best medical alert system advances to support caregivers. GPS technology allows a user to be located whether they’re lost or suffer an emergency. This allows caregivers to find and escort a user to safety, and enables technicians to dispatch emergency responders to a precise location.

GPS technology has become an especially great support system for caregivers of seniors with dementia and Alzheimer’s. With these conditions, wandering and memory loss is common, and that scenario could turn into a disaster for caregivers. As long as the user wears a GPS-enabled device, a caregiver can quickly reunite with them.

GPS-enabled medical alert systems are often linked with a mobile phone or computer app, allowing caregivers to track a user in real time. Location reports and alerts can also be set based on a schedule and preset boundaries. This technological advance has granted great peace of mind to caregivers who no longer have to worry about where their patient or loved one is.

Fall Detection

Fall detection is arguably the most vital technological innovation to come to medical alert systems in the past decade, given the frequency of senior falls. Falls commonly result in injuries such as fractures to the spine, hip, and limbs, as well as head trauma and lacerations. If a senior does not receive help right away, their injuries can get significantly worse.

Fall injuries may require extensive treatment and rehabilitation, and some seniors may never recover. About 90 percent of seniors who don’t receive medical attention within six hours of a fall end up living in a nursing home. Fall detection made it possible for seniors to receive timely medical attention.

Fall detection isn’t yet an option with all medical alert systems, however. Checking medical alert system reviews can show which systems have this option before making the purchase.

GetSafe Voice-Activated Alert

GetSafe changed the medical alert system industry with its offering of a voice-activated alert system. This system made it possible for users to call out to the device and request help, all without having to press a button. The system also incorporates video monitoring with two-way communication.

GetSafe integrated the revolutionary voice-activated technology into a base console, which is compatible with a wristband or pendant, and also has a fall detection option. Users don’t have to sacrifice another feature just to have a voice-activated system.

Sensors

Another technological advancement is the integration of sensor technology into medical alert systems. Sensors that monitor temperature, smoke, and detect carbon monoxide are either integrated into the base unit, or linked with separate sensors around the home. This enables the medical alert system to immediately request help in the event of unsafe carbon monoxide levels, as well as excessive temperatures or smoke that may be indicative of a fire. This is a critical advance in medical alert system technology as the user is now protected from life-threatening events even if they’re preoccupied or sleeping.

Waterproofing

Waterproofing has been a key advance in medical alert systems that have allowed users to remain protected in one of the most vulnerable places in the home – the bathroom. Users can now continue wearing their wristbands or pendants while bathing, which ensures they never lose access to critical emergency support in the event of a fall.

While wall-mounted buttons can be placed in the bathroom and other areas of high fall risk, they may not always be in reach. Waterproofing ensures an emergency button will always be in reach via pendant or wristband. It has eliminated the need for users to remove their devices before bathing, instead allowing them to retain their emergency buttons through the whole process.

Medical alert systems have already benefited users for decades, and as technology improves, they will only improve to meet the needs of its users. These systems have improved, and will continue to improve, the quality of life for seniors. Acquiring one should be an easy decision for any family.