Review : Medical Alarms

A medical alarm is a device used to call for help when you've fallen or are injured and can't get to your telephone. With the baby boom generation beginning to reach retirement age, the number of senior citizens in America is exploding. Medical advances have made it possible for many seniors to live complete and full lives without becoming a burden on their families. They enjoy their retirement and cherish their freedom.

More seniors live alone as the sole occupants of a private dwelling than any other population group. A Labour Force Survey 2001 shows that nearly 3 in 10 seniors live alone, rising to almost 4 in 10 senior women. As more and more seniors choose the freedom of living alone, increasing numbers of seniors will face the risk of injury while alone.

That's where a medical alarm can become a life saver. A medical alarm enables an injured senior to call for help simply by pressing a button on a wrist band or necklace pendant. Many systems offer two way communication with caring staff members who stay on the line to keep the senior calm and comfortable until help arrives.

There are two parts to a medical alarm system, the hardware and the service center. The hardware, or medical alarm device, automatically dials a service center for assistance and may include a desktop base unit and a pendant or a wrist strap with a call button that triggers the dialer. The service center is a call center facility that is usually staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to receive calls from the desktop base unit.

This review is reprinted from and is credited to The Consumer Advisory Council