
It is common knowledge that many seniors who live alone or with a spouse rely on a medical alert necklace to keep them safe if they happen to fall in their homes or need any type of medical assistance. But it is less common to understand exactly how these devices work. Let’s take a look at this fascinating technology that has saved the lives of countless people over the past few decades.
Whichever company you use, you will almost definitely get a pendant to wear on a chain around your neck or on a bracelet. The alert necklace itself is very small, weighing just about an ounce or so. You will also get some kind of a base unit that is connected to your phone line. It can be either a standard, old fashioned telephone line or one of those newfangled ones that operate through the Internet, which have been growing in popularity in recent years.
If you get into any kind of trouble, whether it is a fall or chest pains or any other type of medical situation, you simply press a “panic” button on your necklace alert system. That will send a wireless signal to the console unit, triggering an automatic phone call to the monitoring center.
Seconds later, you will then be able to communicate directly with your monitoring company through the base unit and tell them exactly what is wrong. The microphone on the base unit is very sensitive; you will be heard from any room in your house. The speakers are loud so you will be able to hear the monitor. They will then call an ambulance, and help will be at your doorstep within minutes. If for some reason you are not able to speak, the monitor will take that as a sign that something is seriously wrong and will call for help. Either way, medic alert necklaces protect you.
Keeping up with 21st century smart technology, medic alert necklaces do not only just transmit your voice. Some of them are able to send your medical history to the first responders, giving them vital information on how to treat you – information that could save your life in case of a dire emergency.
One of the advantages of an alert necklace is that you never have to take them off – not even in the bath or the shower. They are waterproof, so don’t worry about getting them wet. They are also made to be very durable, so you shouldn’t be concerned that they are going to break down when you so desperately need them.
If you insist in maintaining your independence and living without help from your children or medical professionals, a necklace alert system is virtually a requirement for you. For what amounts to around a dollar a day, you can have the comfort of knowing that help is just a press of a button away – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When you think about it logically, why wouldn’t you get one?