In my three years prior to doing marketing here at ASI, I was a sales representative. I spent my days driving to meet with prospective customers and designing solutions to address their needs. I've helped large commercial clients prevent loss, and I've helped families sleep soundly at night knowing that they are safe in their own home. But one group of clients that I've always been passionate about working with is senior citizens. If you've read my previous post Are Security Systems Hard to Use? then you know that seniors have a different set of needs when it comes to security solutions. Today I want to touch on another service we offer to seniors, Personal Medical Alert Systems. What is a medical alert system and who needs them?

Facts on Seniors
As the oldest baby boomers become senior citizens in 2012, the percentage of people 65 and over is projected to grow faster than any other age group.

Facts on Falling
  • Of the 35 million American's over 65, about 1 in 3 will fall in a given year.
  • Seniors are hospitalized for fall-related injuries 5 times more often than they are for injuries from all other causes. Falls are the leading cause of accidental death for seniors.
  • 50% of people who fall require assistance from someone else to get up.
  • After a fall or other emergency, 90% of people who get help within one hour will continue independent living, but after 12 hours without medical help only 10% of people will continue to live at home.
  • Nearly one half of the older adults who incur a serious injury never fully recover and many lose their ability to function independently for the rest of their lives. A good proportion end up in nursing homes, making falls and the injuries that result, one of the most substantial health threats facing older adults. 
Facts on Heart Attacks
  • 1.5 million heart attacks occur in the United States each year with 500,000 deaths. A heart attack occurs every 20 seconds with a death about every minute.
  • 50% of deaths occur within an hour of the heart attack - away from a hospital.
  • There is only a 6% to 9% early early mortality rate from a heart attack for those who survive long enough to reach a hospital. Getting to the hospital quickly is the goal.
Strokes
  • Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America and the No.1 cause of adult disability. Many strokes are treatable with prompt medical attention.
Personal Medical Alert Systems
Personal medical alert systems connect to your home phone line (or other communication device). With the push of a single button it automatically places a call to a trained professional for help whenever you need assistance, any time of the day or night.

How does it work?
When either the push button on the console is pressed, or a portable wireless pushbutton (worn around the wrist or neck) is activated, an emergency call is made to trained monitoring professionals. Digital information is automatically sent to the operator to identify yourself and your specific personal medical alert system.

Then what happens?
The monitoring operator will immediately act to dispatch medical personnel to your location and can call other people you select with your custom call list.

Can I talk with the operator?
Yes. After an emergency call is placed, the operator can converse to you through the personal medical alert system console's built-in speakerphone. The operator can check on your condition and relay the information to concerned parties.

What else can a personal medical alert system do?
An ASI console works with wireless smoke detectors to report fire. Other sensors can report freezing or other environmental conditions. The console can even be setup so daily pressing of a special "activity" button, or activity sensors, keep an automatic emergency call from being placed. The system can also remind you to take medication, go to appointments, and more through pre-programmed reminder messages.

To learn more about our personal medical alert systems, visit our website page. Do you know someone who has been affected by a personal medical alert system? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject in the comments section.