What is a Personal Alarm for the Elderly?

A Personal Alarm for the Elderly is a device used to alert loved ones if the elderly wearer experiences an emergency. Alarm systems like this will often be used to alert you if a person has fallen or if they are in danger at home, but certain types of personal alarm can also alert you to them leaving their house and getting lost.

How Do Personal Alarms for the Elderly Work?

An emergency alarm for an older person can work in a variety of ways depending on what it has been designed for. For example:

• • Wrist Alarms, Bracelets & Watches - Some alarms are worn by the elderly user as a wrist alarm, or even cleverly disguised as a watch [LINK TO TRANQUIL WHEN IT’S LAUNCHED], often with a large and easy to use button on its face which can be pressed in an emergency to alert loved ones.

• Alarm Pendants & Necklaces - You will also often see alarm pendants worn by elderly users, which are simply carried around the neck or on a keyring. These usually work in the same way as a wrist worn alarm bracelet.

These types of elderly alarm systems can be linked to a mobile phone (or multiple), so pressing the button will send out a notification or trigger a call to family and friends on an emergency contact list. This way, family members or other caregivers can quickly and easily respond to an incident. This is especially useful if your elderly loved one lives alone, when help may not normally be able to arrive as quickly.

Some types of personal alarms for the elderly are especially clever and don’t need a manual trigger:

• • Personal Alarms with GPS - With this type of personal alarm system, you can track your elderly loved one if they leave the house and receive a mobile phone alert if they leave a certain area. This is the best type of alarm for dementia patients, who may be prone to “wandering”.

• Automatic Fall Alarms - Some emergency alarms are built to detect a fall automatically and send an alert to family members, friends or caregivers. They can detect a hard fall via a wristband or pendant, meaning they’re perfect alarms for elderly people living alone.

Why Do I Need a Personal Alarm for my Elderly Loved Ones?

There are two main groups of reasons why a person may have a personal alarm for their elderly loved ones:

• • Dementia ‘Wandering’ and Getting Lost

• Falls, Injuries or Other Medical Emergencies

According to Age UK, over a quarter of a million elderly people are hospitalised due to falls every year. From these, over 9,000 per year sadly pass away from injuries and complications resulting from their fall. 88% of elderly people are alone when they fall over, meaning emergency fall alarm systems, especially wearable devices for detecting a fall, are more crucial than ever before.

Overall, injuries from falls result in an extra £4.4 billion in NHS costs every single year. Therefore, fall prevention in the elderly is of paramount importance in alleviating strain on the NHS, and keeping people safer and healthier.

Similarly, 60% of people living with dementia will ‘wander’ at least once, and many will do so repeatedly. Around 50% of those who ‘wander’ or get lost will suffer serious injury or death if not found within 24 hours.

How Can a Personal Alarm Help My Loved Ones?

By alerting friends, family and caregivers in the event of an emergency, a personal alarm system for the elderly can reduce response times and even save a life in a situation where time is of the essence. For example, if your loved one has a fall at home, or gets lost when out and about, you need to know quickly.

An elderly alarm system can help you to do this by alerting emergency contacts via their phones, ensuring a quicker response time.

What is the Best Personal Alarm for the Elderly?

The best personal alarm system for the elderly is entirely subjective, and depends on the needs of the user and their caregivers.

If you’re looking to be alerted in a ‘wandering’ incident, you can’t go wrong with a GPS tracker for dementia. However, if you’re looking to be alerted in the event of a fall around the home of your elderly loved one living alone, a dedicated in-home fall alarm system may be more suitable.

You can shop TechSilver’s range of personal and emergency alarm systems for the elderly above. TechSilver is a specialist UK retailer for personal alarms, emergency alarms, GPS trackers and other devices to keep your elderly loved ones safer and more independent, so take a look at our wide selection today!