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Using A Cellular Medical Alarm With GPS Can Save Lives

By Sally Delacruz


The generation that became known as baby boomers vowed during the sixties to never grow old, but that promise has predictably evaporated. Today, this aging demographic group is most concerned about the issues of independent senior living, including the realistic possibility of needing to call for emergency medical attention. Having access to a cellular medical alarm with GPS helps assuage those fears.

Nearly one third of all seniors takes a serious fall each year. In an effort to avoid losing personal independence, some try to conceal this from their physicians, even though falling remain a significant source of disability and permanent injury. Without the ability to call for help even when alone, loss of balance resulting in a fall can very quickly turn into a life-threatening situation.

Demand for a personal, easy-to-use alarm system that automatically summons an ambulance originally prompted the earliest development of these devices. Pioneering models used a simple network featuring a remotely activated speaker phone. When active, it could connect directly via a hands-free land line to an emergency dispatch center. This was a great improvement, but still had limited range and portability issues.

Not long afterward, companies began to offer communications pendants that could be worn. When the user pushed a button, the pendant also connected to a speaker phone, which would then automatically call. These models are still popular, and now also include special sensor technology that completes calls even when the user is unable to speak. Some providers operate their own call centers, while others connect directly to 911.

While that technology is quite helpful, there have been recent updates adding services unavailable just a few years ago. The same principles that made these alarms so popular for home use are now able to summon help no matter where the wearer goes. The new devices link personal, portable units to a cell phone network having GPS location capabilities.

Today there are valid concerns about digital privacy, but this is one form of tracking that has been warmly welcomed by many families. Any smart-phone today already automatically uses the Global Positioning System to locate users, and most users do not bother to deactivate it. Stationary satellites use the information from cell towers to triangulate the physical location of a user based on the last call.

If a person is confused or sick, pushing a button not only displays location, but can also relay helpful personal information. Calls are limited only by the availability of cell coverage, and allow users immediate personal communications with an emergency center worker. As an added advantage, these devices are not awkward to hold, are easy to read, and are usually waterproof.

When activated, some service care centers are also able to provide important medical information for first responders before they arrive. When a senior in distress does not actually know his or her location, help can still be on the way within minutes. Like cell phones, these devices must be recharged periodically, and have a similar life expectancy, but the additional security advantages they offer are worth that minor inconvenience.




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