How A Cellular Medical Alarm With GPS Can Help Save Lives

By Sally Delacruz


Although they were the first generation who vowed never to grow old, baby-boomers have reneged on that promise. As this demographic group inevitably ages, retaining personal independence becomes increasingly important. All seniors eventually face the unique issues of the elderly, including the possibility of a serious medical emergency. Having access to a cellular medical alarm with GPS helps eliminate those concerns.

Nearly one third of all seniors takes a serious fall each year. In an effort to avoid losing personal independence, some try to conceal this from their physicians, even though falling remain a significant source of disability and permanent injury. Without the ability to call for help even when alone, loss of balance resulting in a fall can very quickly turn into a life-threatening situation.

The need for a personal system that automatically summons medical personnel prompted the development of the earliest home alert devices. They typically utilized a simple network tied to a remotely operated speaker phone. It could connect directly to a dedicated emergency center via an existing land line. While this was a vast improvement over a regular phone, there were still issues of portability and range.

Subsequent improvements include communications pendants worn around the neck. When activated, they automatically connect to the speaker phone, which calls for help via a land line. These systems are still quite popular, although limited to in-home use. Some also include sensor technology that summons aid when a victim cannot talk. Most have an available monitoring service, while others are simply programmed to call 911.

While these advances have been valuable, there are additional features that were not available until recently. Standard alarms previously worked only at home, but are now able to summon assistance no matter where the user may go. They do this by linking the wearable units directly to the existing cell phone network, and use GPS location capabilities to determine the physical location of the victim.

Although there are concerns about digital surveillance, this is one form of tracking that has been welcomed. All smart-phones today come with the GPS tracking activated, and most users do not take the time to deactivate that feature. Based on the last recorded call, satellites are able to triangulate a signal between cell towers, revealing its precise origin.

When a sick or confused older person pushes the help button, it not only displays their personal identification information, but also their current whereabouts. The caller enjoys voice communications with an emergency center, and can usually contact help from any spot that has cell phone coverage. Unlike an actual smart-phone, the units are small enough to be worn, are waterproof, and easy to see.

Some centers are even beginning to transmit important personal medical information to first responders before they actually arrive. If a senior citizen is unable to say where he actually is, help can still on the way within a few short minutes. Although these devices require recharging every few days, that is a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes from knowing that assistance is available when needed.




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