By |
Some might believe that senior life-saving alert systems aren’t necessary. One of the arguments someone might make against using an emergency medical alert concerns another device they often already own: a cell phone. One might ask, “Why do I need a medical alert system when I have a cell phone?”
A cell phone can be quite handy for many things, but it can also be quite unreliable in an emergency. That false sense of security might make someone believe they will be just fine with only a cell phone, but when an actual emergency hits, they might realize their mistake.
Medical Alert Device vs. Cell Phone in the Shower
Many accidents happen in the bathroom and shower. Medical alarm technology is made to be worn in the shower. Medical alert pendants, bracelets, and watches are water resistant. Most cell phones are not. In fact, you may even run the risk of getting shocked if you were to attempt to take a cell phone into the shower with you. On the other hand, at Alert1, we urge our members to wear their button alarms every time they take a shower!
If water were to get into a cell phone and compromise its integrity, it might result in the loss of some functions or even destruction of the circuitry inside the phone, which of course leads to a total loss of use.
Even if you left your cell phone at a safe distance from the shower spray, what if you fell in the shower and couldn’t move far enough to reach your cell phone? It’s not out of the question: the CDC reports that every second of every day, someone takes a tumble, and the elderly are most at risk. In fact, 1 out of every 4 seniors falls at least once a year. If you do fall and get hurt, and your cell phone is not within reach, you’re stuck where you are. If you happen to be home alone, that’s a very big problem. Sadly, many seniors call to enroll in membership after they’ve fallen or experienced an emergency situation and their cell phones failed them.
A medical alert system with fall detection that you wear on your body can help alleviate every one of those worries. These water-resistant alert pendants, bracelets, and watches can be taken right into the shower with you. While they should not be fully submerged underwater, their functionality will not be compromised by getting wet, and you will be safe and protected even if the bathroom is slippery.
And if you happen to fall or otherwise get injured, you don’t have to think things through – you can simply press the button and get help quickly, 24/7/365.
Medical Alert Pendant vs. Cell Phone while On the Go
What if you’re out of your home? Many people believe their cell phone will be helpful in an emergency, and that might be true – depending upon what the emergency is. A cell phone is great for reaching out to those on your contact list and asking for help in a situation where you can explain exactly where you are and what happened.
For instance, if your vehicle breaks down in town and you must pull over to the side of the road and wait for help, you can call someone on your contact list and tell them what road you are on. In a case like this, a cell phone is fantastic.
But what if you are travelling in unfamiliar territory and aren’t sure of your location?
If you have a button alarm, it takes only seconds to press that button and reach a trained agent in one of Alert1’s Command Centers. You’ll be linked up with professionals who know exactly how to handle your situation. Choosing a medical alert pendant that has GPS inside it means that the professionals on the other end of the line know exactly where you are. They will immediately contact the appropriate people to get help to you.
Emergency Medical Alert vs. Cell Phone: Losing It
Another problem might be losing your cell phone altogether. Though this might not seem like a likely scenario, consider what happens when you get into even a minor fender bender. Your vehicle stops immediately, and that sends anything unsecured in the car flying through the air. Unfortunately, as we age, vehicle accidents become more likely. Besides that, according to the CDC, the risk of serious injury sustained in a crash goes up as we age.
Perhaps your cell phone was within easy reach before the impact, but afterward, where did it go? It might have wound up on the floor, under a seat, or in the backseat – all of which makes it hard to locate. Now you’re in an emergency, possibly injured, and your cell phone is no longer within reach.
But if you have a mobile medical alert pendant, help is right there at the touch of a button. You don’t have to look for your cell phone and hope you find it. All you have to do is press the button, tell the professionals on the line what has happened, and let them support you through the emergency.
You might lose or misplace your cell phone in other, much more mundane ways. You might misplace it in your own home. You might leave it in a restaurant or a restroom in a shopping center. Or you might drop it or get it wet and lose the function of it.
Medical alert bracelets, pendants, and watches are always on your person, so you can count on them even if your cell phone is missing or out of commission.
Button Alarm vs. Cell Phone: What If You Fall?
Medical emergencies can happen at any time. If something does happen to you, will you have the time to reach for your cell phone? Let’s assume you stand up from your chair, take a few steps, and suddenly feel light-headed, thanks to a drop in blood pressure. This could lead to fainting. And that could lead to falling. In fact, studies have shown that 35% of fainting episodes result in injury.
If you aren’t conscious, you can’t use your cell phone to call for help. But if you are wearing a medical alert pendant with fall detection, you don’t have to worry about that. The motion sensors in the fall detection system can send an immediate call to the Command Center, where the professionals assess the situation and put your safety plan into motion. They can get help to you even if you can’t press that button or communicate with them. That’s definitely not something a cell phone can do.
If you are hurt and feeling disoriented, you need only know how to do one thing: press the button on your emergency response solution.
Alert1 Medical Alert vs. Cell Phone: When Others Want to Help You
If you are out in public and suffer some sort of emergency or otherwise need help quickly, hopefully you will be able to communicate with those around you. But what if you can’t?
Sure, someone else might have a cell phone and might be able to call for help. But a stranger won’t know who you are. They may be able to get the police or an EMT to you, but that doesn’t mean they can get in touch with your loved ones.
That stranger, however, can easily press your personal alert button. That alert goes out to our Command Center, where your personal information (including any medical information you want on file) pops up for the trained professional answering the call. They know who you are, they know you are in trouble, and they are immediately going to send help – and alert your loved ones that an emergency has occurred.
Selecting the Best Medical Alert System
Whether you want an alert for seniors that only works when you are at home or a medical alert device with GPS and fall detection that pinpoints your location in an emergency, Alert1 has you covered. Our wide range of products offers something to suit every need, lifestyle, and budget, and our trained professionals are standing by to make sure that you are never alone in an emergency.
With Alert1 on-the-go devices starting at $1 a day for this level of security and protection, it costs less than many cell phone plans yet provides invaluable peace of mind.