How Do Safety Alarms for the Elderly Work

There are millions of elderly individuals across the globe who live in fear every single day. With increasing age comes increasing vulnerability and this is a huge cause of worry and anxiety for the elderly population.

One of the most effective ways to reduce this fear and anxiety is by providing elderly individuals with a personal safety alarm. This way, they can rest assured knowing that help is always nearby. In fact, response times or an average of five seconds with a personal safety alarm!

What is a Personal Safety Alarm?

Personal safety alarms are small electronic devices that can be carried on your person. They connect directly to rapid response teams or emergency services.

They are very simple to use and are often worn around the neck. If subtlety is a concern, they are small enough to fit in your pocket or a small bag.

They can be activated within seconds. Usually, they contain one large activation button that, when pressed, will immediately place you in touch with the right people who can bring you to safety.

There are a few different types of personal safety alarms that can be used.

• Basic alarms that use a loud sound to alert those nearby
• Pendant alarms that connect directly to emergency response teams to provide two-way communication, and can be activated at any time of the day.
• Fall detectors that are provided as an add-on feature to existing personal safety alarms and become activated when someone takes a fall.
• GPS tracking alarms that can be used for those with dementia who need close monitoring.

How Do Personal Safety Alarms Work for the Elderly?

Often, people associate personal safety alarms with protection from attackers or intruders. However, these alarms can be extremely beneficial for elderly individuals if they have a fall in their home and need help.

If an elderly person is particularly prone to falling, the built-in fall detectors work through a motion sensor. This sensor detects any downward motion or pulling and immediately raises the alarm so that rapid response services, carers, or family members are alerted.

Fall alarms are one of the few types of safety alarms that don’t require manual activation. The elderly individual doesn’t have to physically press a button to raise the alarm and receive help. As they are nice and lightweight, they can be comfortably worn by elderly individuals for the whole day and during the night.

Why Personal Safety Alarms Can Be Beneficial for the Elderly

Safety is important for anybody, at any age. However, as we grow older, it becomes more of a priority. The chances of falling increases significantly with age, and this puts our health and safety at risk. 

According to Age UK, around 4.3 million (36%) of older people worry about falling over more than anything else. Providing elderly individuals with personal safety alarms can alleviate some of their worries. They can relax a little more knowing that if they need it, help is just the press of a button away.

Personal safety alarms allow for older individuals to maintain their independence. They can continue living in the comfort of their own home and enjoy freedom in their own home. This is a vital part of maintaining the mental well-being of the elderly population.

Falls contribute to a large proportion of hip fractures in older people and, sadly, they are the common cause of injury related deaths in those above the age of 75. Many of these falls can be prevented with the right safety measures.

Even if the falls can't be prevented, the use of a personal safety alarm enables help to be called immediately. The quicker the individual gets medical attention, the quicker the recovery and the lower the chances of serious injuries occurring.

As awful as it may be to think about anybody wanting to cause harm to any elderly relatives, unfortunately, there is always the risk of attacks occurring. Because older people tend to be weaker and more fragile, they can often be a target for intruders or attackers.

Personal safety alarms can provide protection for your loved ones in the event of an attack. Emergency services can be called to the scene immediately to supply any necessary medical attention. The quicker the older person receives help, the more likely they are to survive an attack.

Not only do personal safety alarms provide some much-needed relief for the elderly person, but also for their family members. When an elderly person requires lots of additional support or care, it can put a strain on the whole family.

If they have a fall whilst at home, it can cause everybody a lot of worry. Personal safety alarms can remove some of this concern and enable relatives to know that their loved ones are as safe as possible.

Hearing can become significantly impaired with increasing age. If your elderly loved one is deaf or hard of hearing, you can set up Next Generation Text with the alarm. This is a system that enables those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, or speech impaired to communicate effectively with call centres or emergency services through their personal safety alarms.

Many people worry about the personal safety alarms accidentally activated. However, all safety alarms have a cancellation button that, if pressed, will cancel the alarm. The emergency services team may still contact the alarm owner to double check that they are safe and well.

In fact, many elderly individuals who own a personal safety alarm will be asked to activate it every few months as a test run to ensure it is fully functioning.

Final Thoughts

Providing personal safety alarms to the elderly population can bring so many benefits. Not only do they maintain a high level of safety for users, but they alleviate the many worries that older people have around falling and getting injured.

With help being just moments away, personal safety alarms are the perfect solution to keeping the elderly population safe.