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Senior safety alert systems present an opportunity to help an aging parent. Many children of aging parents participate in their loved one’s care by helping to schedule doctor’s visits, providing rides to appointments, and picking up prescriptions. Senior safety alert systems provide yet another opportunity for children to help their parents with a health-related task. In spending just a few hours helping your parent decide on a medical alert device, test it out, and set up a Circle of Care, you can help them feel safe, cared for, and less lonely.
How to Participate in Your Loved One’s Care
Helping elderly parents with health care concerns is tough. Here are a few ways to proactively engage your parent while helping with their senior safety alert systems.
· Research options together. Deciding on a medical alert system should be a joint process. Take care to involve your parent in every step of the decision – from pricing and contract options to pendant versus wristband devices. Even if you are the person asking them to wear the system, they should feel engaged in the decision.
· Test out the device together. When you receive the medical alert system, you’ll need to perform a test to ensure it works. We recommend doing this together. The test can be a great bonding experience, but it can also illustrate just how easy it is to use the emergency button. You and your parent will get a feel for the process and have an easy, low-stakes introduction to a call center operator. This can also make your loved one feel more comfortable using their device.
· Talk through their Circle of Care. Alert1 users can set up a Circle of Care, which is a list of contacts the operator can easily get in touch with in the case of an emergency. Three names and numbers are the optimal number to ensure your loved one receives immediate help. Have a discussion with your parent about who they would like to include in this list – friends, neighbors, family, and doctors are all popular options. Then, help them set up their contacts.
While these processes may seem mundane, they can help your parent feel taken care of. Senior loneliness and isolation are problems for much of America’s over-65 population. Something as small as sharing a health care experience with a close friend or family member can remind folks that they’re not alone. Plus, the above tasks shouldn’t take more than a few hours of your time. Senior safety alert systems are fast and easy to set up.