Medical alert systems were pretty rudimentary, nothing more than a big button on a pendant, a base station connected to the landline, and hope someone answered when you pressed it. That was about it. This was sufficient for legitimate emergencies, but there were many gaps in day-to-day safety and peace of mind.
Today’s systems pack in features that, just a few years ago, would seem like science fiction. These improvements don’t just concern smaller buttons or a stronger signal. Medical alert technology has developed technology that tackles issues that the original systems never did.
Understanding these developments helps explain why newer systems cost more than basic devices; more importantly, it can help explain why these systems might be worth it, especially for seniors, who want more than just emergency coverage.
Real Functioning Fall Detection
The biggest advance has been automatic fall detection. There was no button to press, which is the beauty of it. The original versions of this technology created many false alarms. The fall detection would go off if you were simply sitting down too fast or possibly dropped something. People would turn the fall detection feature off due to the annoyance, creating more problems than it solved.
Current fall detection uses its own independent system or algorithm that can measure and determine normal movement patterns from actual falling with a reasonable level of accuracy. The system takes a matter of days to learn someone’s movement patterns, but once it does it will minimize false alarm detection while having higher sensitivity for detecting emergencies.
This is important because many times, after a serious fall, the person cannot press anything. Head injuries, broken bones, or even being knocked out can prevent a person from using a traditional alert system, even if it’s on them. Automatic detection by a Life Assure personal medical alert system solves this critical need for help requesting when it is most needed.
Some systems are now incorporating impact detection, in addition to fall detection, for instances when someone might be hurt, but is not necessarily on the ground. These nuances are what make the technology much more functionality come into play in the day-to-day world.
GPS In More Than Just Location
Mobile medical alert systems that provide GPS have changed the game for active seniors who do not want to stay at home. However, modern-day GPS capability does so much more than just allowing emergency responders to know where a person is located.
Geofencing, for example, makes virtual boundaries and sends an alert when someone crosses a safe boundary. This offers an option for families to track seniors that have memory issues without being overly intrusive. This can send quiet notifications when a senior is wandering outside of familiar neighbourhoods and allows family to intervene before a situation becomes dangerous.
The location history
An alert system provides offers valuable information for both families and healthcare providers. What appears to be a common habit can actually indicate a significant change in mobility, social engagement, or cognition before they turn into significant issues.
Some systems have added features that allow for integration with ride-sharing services and public transit apps. This can help guide seniors to navigate unfamiliar situations while keeping their whereabouts known to family members or caregivers.
Enhancements in Two-Way Communication
The typical medical alert communication system has traditionally had limited functionality: press the button and speak to an operator via the speakerphone at the base station, surmise that the connection is strong enough so that both parties can understand one another! The systems we have today have fully reversed this interaction.
Many of the devices manufactured today incorporate highly manageable and clear two-way voice communication directly through the device being worn. While previously it was necessary to be in shouting distance of the wall-mounted base, with two-way communication it’s possible to summon help and coordinate care while in any position throughout the home, yard, or neighborhood.
Some systems utilize voice recognition technology so that they respond to spoken commands when buttons cannot be accessed. While wearing a device, simply stating “help me” or “call 911” is enough to initiate emergency protocols. This option promotes greater accessibility for individuals with mobility limitations and during medical emergencies when conditions affect patients’ ability to move their hands in any fashion.
New generation devices also integrate smartphone technology so that family members are automatically involved in a call to emergency response teams. The family member can relay critical information and a history of the patient’s current medical situation that the patient may not be able to articulate ahead of time when an emergency arises.
Monitoring General Health Treatment Beyond An Emergency
Modern medical alert systems too are increasingly mass-produced to overcome the objective limitations and function as health monitoring harmonies in which the advanced diagnostic features of fully general home monitoring systems have now deceptively replaced alarm systems because most failing health issues in reality develop over months and years – they are not sudden disasters.
For example, heart rate monitoring enables the identification of patterns of irregular heart rate, which suggests immediate medical attention in advance of a heart attack or a similar crisis emerging. Certain systems observe shifts over time, and alert clinicians about changes that merit evaluation.
Medication reminders incorporated into alert systems assist in averting missed doses that can lead to hospitalization among elderly patients managing several prescriptions. The same solution that provides emergency response assurance is also a help for daily health maintenance.
Activity monitoring provides insight into changes in mobility, sleep schedule, and general health. This provides families and clinicians early opportunity to identify problems, as well as provide seniors and established objective metrics about their health.
Many families find that alternatives like the can provide both advanced monitoring capabilities, and reliable emergency response options, and together this makes a complete safety solution and the added assurance of monitoring for problems, in both the short-term and longer-term health concerns.
Smart Home Integration
Newer medical alert systems, provide integration with larger smart home ecosystems, creating safety networks that extend far beyond wearables. The smart home solutions in this case makes the home a part of the safety monitoring solution.
For example, with smart doorbell integration, emergency responders can gain access without breaking down a door or waiting for the property manager. The medical response system can simply unlock the door when emergency responders arrive thereby reducing response times when every second counts.
Environmental monitoring provided through the same service, and is as simple as connected smoke alarm monitoring, carbon monoxide sensor monitoring and flood sensor monitoring provides an even greater scope. The same monitoring service for health emergencies can coordinate services and be engaged at the same time for home safety risks.
Voice-assisted solution integration means seniors can use their devices to ask for help, meaning that there are multiple ways for emergency services to be contacted, and regardless if the watch or pendant wearables were accessible in the moment.
Battery and Reliability
Battery life has improved significantly behind the scenes, improving medical alert response systems over their predecessors. The battery life improvements means fewer worries that devices will fail when they are needed at the most critical time.
Engineered backup power solutions reduces what would historically be a significant risk for the once common, older land-line based systems. The newer systems with cellular connectivity means two or more different avenues of connecting and responding to a medical emergency, and systems do not depend on local service relocations, outages, etc.
Waterproof designs mean has meant seniors can take these cards with them where falls and accidents most warn occur – trapped showers and baths. It may seem simple, but for older systems this population was limited in coverage.
Systems are regularly tested in the back ground; meaning if there are problems, users are provided notifications regarding their systems, thus removing the risks that users often incur, albeit inadvertently.
Evolution of medical alert systems represents greater changes in general thinking of senior safety and independence. Rather than simply responding to emergencies, as desired, medical alert systems provide solutions to help avoid incurring issues, provide alerts, and help with overall wellness, in which enables seniors to carry out greater independence while having their protection ready if needed.
These challenges and benefits do result and ultimately combine into meaningful upgrades to the medical alert systems of yesterday’s technologies, thus highlighting the value of the systems from both peace of mind over the day and around emergency factors.
