More and more seniors are living longer and want to stay in their residence but you worry about them. The medical alert business has grown leaps and bounds in the last few years and there are some very good products available.

What features should you be looking for?

1. Flexibility of wearing multiple places (wrist and over the neck)
2. Battery backup on main station in case of power outage.
3. Fall Detection Options – If falling is an issue, some of the systems have “help” buttons that can be positioned on the lower part of the wall and can be “crawled to” in each room.
4. Some have passive alarms on the main station, which is a switch, or button that the resident pushes every few hours. If there is an extended period of no pushes, the medical alert company will call to check on the resident.
5. Ability to have multiple contacts – sometimes a 911 call is needed while others a neighbor can look in on the senior.
6. Pricing that works – Some systems have low monthly rates but high startup and disconnection fees and vice versa. 

There are some newer video systems that put cameras up in the residence and a family member or friend can assess the video feed from a computer or smartphone.

Action Step: Look over these contracts (or have someone help you). There are a couple of companies that have competitive rates but require a 36-month commitment. 

Golden Nugget: The Future – There are companies that are incorporating video cameras and “medical information sensing” bracelets that will send vitals signs (heart rate, temperature, and oxygen levels) data via Bluetooth technology to a central office and all can be accessed by family. Glucose levels can also be sent for patients with an implantable device.