As our bodies mature, they become more susceptible to falls, injuries, and accidents. It is merely our body’s way of keeping us aware that we are aging. When we fell during our youth, we were physically and mentally capable of alarming others and seeking help. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily always the case for senior citizens.

A good family member will typically keep a landline or perhaps even a wireless phone by their elderly relative. Nonetheless, a very stressful of traumatic condition may leave the elderly relative incapable of using it. Suppose they suffer a horrible fall down the stairs and are too hurt to reach the landline phone? So they reach for their cell phone, but they are too injured and befuddled to remember how to press the buttons correctly? The bottom line is that although telephones (regular or wireless) are okay for basic communication, they are inadequate for medical emergencies.

What we need is a 24/7 system capable of providing simple access to medical assistance during the tensest and traumatic emergencies. Medical alert devices for elderly relatives & senior citizens do just that. Medical alert devices are digital buttons worn on a senior citizen that can trigger a medical alert.

Using a medical alert device first involves connecting a surveillance monitor to the elderly relative’s telephone. The actual medical alert device is then placed on the relative. They are oftentimes worn either over the wrist like a watch or around the neck like a necklace. And they are worn 24/7, including in the shower.

When confronted with a medical emergency, an elderly relative or senior citizen need merely press a large button on the medical alert device attached to their body. The medical alert device sends a signal back to the surveillance unit, which then proceeds to call into an emergency call center line. Communication between the agent to the elderly relative and vice versa is then relayed between the telephone, the surveillance device, and the medical alert device. The agents at the call center are well trained emergency dispatchers who will start by asking a few questions to determine whether immediate medical attention is needed. If they feel that urgent care is necessary, they will then proceed to dispatch an EMS unit to the elderly individual’s location.

While the hurt elderly man or woman waits for the ambulance to arrive, the call center agents will keep speaking with them to provide support. Furthermore, they will immediately contact the injured individual’s family to let them know of what has occurred. In addition, the individual’s entire medical history, including notes on medications and allergies, will be immediately uploaded from the medical alert device to the call center agent for review. The call center agent will then forward this information to the EMS unit.

Thousands of elderly relatives and senior citizens have begun to experience the benefits of wearing a medical alert device. More often than not, wearing such a device can mark the difference between life and death.