The Problem With Panic Buttons
You Must Wear Your Panic Button 24/7/365
The main problem with Panic Buttons is that they only work if you happen to be wearing them during your emergency. Medical pendants are ugly and uncomfortable, so many seniors do not like wearing them. In fact, studies have shown that in 80% of falls, seniors are not wearing their panic buttons or cannot activate or chose not to activate their panic buttons, rendering them useless.
Panic Buttons Only Help In Emergencies
In addition to the proximity problem, traditional panic alerts only work in an emergency, when the seniors quality of life has already deteriorated. It would be better if caregivers and family members could stay updated as to how their senior citizen is doing while there’s still time to preserve their independence. What is needed are wellbeing monitoring systems that allow the caregivers to figure out the Senior’s activity levels and stay in touch with the Senior everyday and in emergencies. Wellbeing monitors can let caregivers know the activity levels of Seniors on their own, their adherence to their medication routines (non adherence are the cause of over 20% of hospitalizations among Seniors) and allow seniors to maintain social contact with their loved ones.
Doing Better Than Panic Alarms
Several new products are addressing this problem in unique ways. Perhaps the most promising devices are those which rely on sound and monition sensors to detect movement (and the lack thereof), and can call for help even if the senior is unable to reach the panic button. While these devices do include a panic button located on a central console or multiple panic buttons placed around the home where a fall is most likely to occur, pressing the button is not required as the device can sense trouble automatically if unusually high or low level of activity is noticed.
By recognizing the signs of aging, caregivers can help protect their seniors and their ability to live independently by staying involved on a daily basis. In the event of an emergency, next gen PERS devices can reach out to caregivers automatically, informing them of the trouble and helping to speed up reaction time.