Medical Alert Devices: Safe for Shower, Safe for Pacemakers and ICDs

Given the ability to instantly connect with a 24/7 Command Center using GPS technology, it’s important to know if you can take these devices into the shower and whether they have the potential to interfere with a pacemaker. With Alert1, you’ll know from the start that your device is safe to use and safe to carry with you. It doesn’t matter if you prefer a pendant, bracelet, wristband or belt. It doesn’t matter if you choose Home or On-the-Go devices. It doesn’t matter if you add our Fall Detection technology. With Alert1, you’ll have a medical alert system that is safe for the shower and safe for pacemakers and ICDs.

It’s not just the shower. If you’re caught in a rainstorm, if you drop the device in the toilet, the water-resistant hardware should be fine. We recommend swimming for senior health, but we don’t recommend wearing our devices in chlorinated or saltwater pools. Let the lifeguard be your alert system during the swim and then have your device ready for the locker room. Otherwise, you can take Alert1 devices pretty much anywhere based on their IPX rating. Unless the hardware is submerged under a considerable depth of water for an extended period of time, it should remain in good working order. 

For those who are just learning more about these devices, a pacemaker is a small battery-powered device that helps your heart beat with a regular rhythm. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is also a small battery-powered device, but this one monitors your heart rate and delivers an electric shock if a dangerously irregular beat is detected. Many ICDs today also function as pacemakers.

Most medical alert technology is compatible with pacemakers. This means their devices have no magnetic components that may interfere with pacemakers or ICDs. Major brands and manufacturers of pacemakers design their devices with similar safeguards, but it doesn’t hurt to ask whether a pacemaker device is particularly susceptible to radio-frequency emissions. The American Heart Association recommends double-checking with your doctor and medical alert provider as part of their warnings and guidelines for devices that interfere with pacemakers and ICDs. At Alert1, we can assure you that all our medical alert technology is compatible with pacemakers and ICDs.

Being compatible with pacemakers and ICDs does NOT mean that medical alert devices are automatically activated when a pacemaker or ICD detects a problem. The person must still push the alert button to report the issue. Nevertheless, the combination of medical alert systems and pacemakers have saved many lives from heart attacks and other cardiovascular events. 

If you want to know about the microphone, the volume, button sensitivity, weight, battery life, landline requirements, coverage area, GPS technology, or if you have remaining questions about our devices and system specifications, the best place to look for answers is our FAQ page. If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to Contact Us. You’re also welcome to place your order online at any time.