Here's How One Elderly Woman Survived a Horrific Accident

Alert1 takes pride in helping seniors stay independent to live safe and happy lives. The last thing we want for our members is to have an accident that forces them to press our help button. But the sad truth is that accidents happen, leaving our members with one choice—to call for help.

Detailed below is a notable story from one of our members, Patricia, who believes that Alert1 saved her life. Patricia had a near-death experience on what she thought was going to be another ordinary day. Read on to learn about Patricia’s story and how Alert1 came to the rescue.

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It was a bright and early Sunday morning as Patricia woke up and began her daily routine. She would always walk her dog and then come home to eat breakfast. Patricia loves that her mobile medical alert works both in and out of her home. She is a widow and lives at home alone, but still feels peace of mind with Alert1. Whether she’s relaxing at home, staying active with her dog or running errands, Patricia always knew she was safe.

Later on in the evening of this Sunday, Patricia decided it was time to make dinner. She put a frozen lasagna in the oven and left it cooking. The meal was going to take a while to cook, so she went into her living room to watch TV while she waited.

Patricia ended up falling asleep by accident, and woke up to the smell of something burning. Panicking, she went to check on the lasagna and when she opened the oven, flames burst out as smoke burned her eyes and face. She quickly closed it and ran to the garage to grab her fire extinguisher. After she grabbed it, she scurried back to the kitchen to put the fire out.

But on her way over, Patricia slipped on a loose rug, fell, and hit the floor hard. She landed on her hip and all she felt was intense pain. Before she knew it, her PAX Plus fall detection unit was calling for help. The operator came on the line and asked if Patricia was okay. She told the operator there was a fire in her home, and that she fell hard when she was trying to put it out.

The operator immediately called the fire department. Within minutes, they were on their way to help Patricia to safety. During this time, the fire began to spread further and Patricia began to panic. The operator told Patricia to remain calm and that help would arrive in no time. Only minutes had passed but the smoke was building up. It became so thick that she began to have difficulty breathing, all while feeling the intense pain from the fall.

Shortly after, Patricia passed out from the pain and not being able to breathe. The Alert1 operator stayed on the line, even though Patricia was not responding. Luckily, the firefighters soon arrived to the scene and had to break down her door to get inside the house. The operator told the firefighters the location of Patricia's house, so they found her immediately. Patricia was now in good hands and taken to a hospital.

It turns out that Patricia broke her hip from the fall she endured, but she was going to recover well over time. Fortunately for her, the broken hip was her only injury. The flames never reached her, so she didn't get burned or receive any more serious injuries.

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How could Patricia have been more prepared for something unexpected like this? She was already one step ahead by owning an Alert1 medical alert, but what more could she have done? There are three things she could have done to be more prepared for the incident:

• She should have slip and fall proofed her home. Patricia wouldn't have slipped and fell if she removed slip and fall hazards like loose rugs in her home. When she was getting her fire extinguisher, the loose rug is what caused her fall. Countless more obstacles, like loose cords and clutter that hide in plain sight that could have caused her fall.
• Have an Alert1 smoke monitor installed in her home. If Patricia had a smoke monitor in her home, it could have called for help automatically. When the smoke alarm triggers, it immediately calls our operators. This could have prevented the negative outcomes that happened to Patricia.
• Own an Alert1 lock box. A lock box would have been a good idea because it would have prevented EMS from breaking down her door. Although they rescued Patricia, she ended up having to pay for an expensive new door. In an emergency, EMS will do whatever it takes to ensure they can bring you to safety, even if it means breaking in.

Patricia realizes that she barely escaped, and couldn't have done it without Alert1. She knows that if it wasn't for her medical alert's fast response, she may have been stuck in her home as the fire spread. Patricia's story is just one of many that proves that Alert1 helps seniors stay safe at all times.

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