Medical Alarms
A medical alarm system or personal medical alarm is typically a communication system that uses existing telephone lines to provide two way communications with a medical alarm monitoring service, which is contracted to either summon emergency personnel or contact friends and family.
It's Just For Old People
Most people think of medical alarms as being something for elderly people who might fall down and not be able to get up. Like all stereotypes, there is an element of truth in that picture. However, medical alarms are not just for the old and frail – they can be invaluable to patients who are recovering from surgery and have limited mobility, healthy seniors who live alone, and parents of children with special needs who can take advantage of the security provided by medical alarm systems.
How Do They Actually Work?
A personal medical alarm is made up of four parts:
- Wireless transmitter (panic button)
- In house console
- Telephone line
- Monitoring service
The wireless transmitter remains with the user at all times. They are often in the form of a wrist band or a necklace or pendant. Pressing the “panic” button on the transmitter sends a signal to the receiving console that is usually preprogrammed to call the monitoring service (using the existing telephone line). Once the telephone connection is established, the personnel at the monitoring service can speak directly to the client through the in house console and determine what the problem is. If there is no response, the monitoring service will dispatch emergency personnel to the house.
What Should You Look For in a Medical Alarm?
- The wireless transmitter is a key component. These are battery powered so you need to be sure the batteries are charged, and replace them on a regular basis. You also need to remember that even though the transmitters are said to be “waterproof”, they may still allow some leakage so it's probably not a good idea to actually wear them into the shower or bath.
- The strength of the wireless transmitter's signal determines how far their signal can travel. The higher the power, the further the signal can carry. This could be a concern if, for example, a person falls in the bathroom, and it is a long way from the console. Primarily because of the distance limitations of the wireless transmitters, some medical alarm manufacturers are developing transmitters that use cellular and global positioning technology, so a person can transmit a signal from virtually anywhere. The FCC is developing transmission standards for digital cellular panic buttons, and these standards are expected to be available by mid to late 2005.
- The console itself should have battery back up, in the event of a power failure. They should also provide some way to test the condition of the backup battery.
- Some alarm systems have the console programmed to call designated family members or friends. If these people are not available, no help will be dispatched. It is much safer to have the console programmed to call a central monitoring site which is staffed 24/7.
- Some services may reduce staff or actually close on holidays, and do not provide 24/7 monitoring, it is important to be sure that the center is actually staffed 24/7
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By Murray Anderson
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