Some elderly couples maintain their independence by relying on each other. He’s a good driver, but he gets confused in traffic, so she tells him when to change lanes and where to turn. She’s a good cook, but she can be forgetful, so he reminds her to turn off the burner underneath the teapot. Together, they can get to the doctor’s office and back. They can go to restaurants and buy groceries. Together, they can do a lot of things that neither of them could do alone.
For these couples, temporary separations can be frightening and disorienting. If he has to be hospitalized for a few days, she wants to spend all her time by his side, and she dreads going home alone at night. If she flies off to see a new grandchild, he loses track of what day it is and gets dressed for church on a Monday morning.
Alone, each of them worries about what would happen if they slipped and fell in the kitchen or got too sick to get out of bed. The phone would lie useless in the next room, and even if they could get to a cell phone, they’d never be able to use it under that kind of pressure. Without the other spouse there, who would make sure they got assistance? An adult child might be willing to help out, but they always seem to be busy — what if they called and it went to voicemail?
A medical alert system call device can ease the anxiety that comes with temporary separations. These devices are worn around the neck like a pendant on a necklace, so they’re always easily accessible. They’re water-resistant, so seniors can wear them in the shower, and there’s no need to fumble with a phone book or keypad. With a medical alert call button, there’s just one button to push, and emergency help is summoned immediately.
A call made from an emergency alert device never goes to voicemail. All emergency calls are answered by a trained professional who communicates with the caller through a speaker phone in a proprietary base station located in the home. It’s the professional, not the senior, who assesses the situation, sends aid on its way and keeps the line open until help arrives.
An emergency alert call button takes the anxiety out of temporary separations. Senior couples — and their loved ones — need never worry again about what might happen when one elderly spouse is home alone. In a crisis, help is as close as the push of a button.