Medical Alert System for Those Living Alone

The desire to live alone is natural among senior citizens. And that's understandable since they simply want to live like you -- with a sense of self-sufficiency and dignity.

However, unfortunately, when seniors live by themselves and have no close family members nearby, they are at higher risk of experiencing sudden seizures or traumatic falls with no one there to help them.

If your loved one insists on living on his own and is over 15 minutes away from you or another caregiver, the wise move is to automatically get him a medical alert device.

You may be thinking to yourself, "But he's in pretty good shape." Yes, this may be true, but he could easily fall ill or trip and break a hip when you least expect it.

After all, it's a known fact that people generally become weaker with age, particularly after they reach 70.

Even if your loved one has a close group of senior friends, they may not be reliable during an emergency -- and certainly not as dependable as a monitoring company would be.

Previous Stroke or Heart Problem

Has your loved one had a previous stroke? If so, she is especially at risk of falling and thus would benefit from a medical alert system.

Here's why.

Stroke's side effects include sensory loss, balance issues, sight problems and leg weakness -- all of which can negatively impact a person's ability to walk.

In fact, research shows that the majority of stroke survivors fall within the first half a year after being discharged from the hospital.

Also, if your loved one has experienced heart failure, she is especially susceptible to developing blood clots. This can sometimes lead to seizure emergencies, during which an alert system may prove beneficial.

Previous Fall

If your elderly family member has suffered a fall in the past, this is a major indicator he needs an alert system.

Imagine this: Your father takes a tumble in the garage and can't get up on his own. He cries out for help, but no one hears him. So he ends up staying in the same spot and position for a few days until you find him.

At this point, it might be far too late to thwart the negative impacts of his fall.

Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself:

• Has your loved one fallen several times within a month?
• Does he take medicines that increase his risk of falling?
• Does he suffer from Parkinson's disease?

If your answer is yes to any of these questions, getting him an alert system is one of the best things you can do for him.

Osteoporosis

If your elderly loved one suffers from osteoporosis, she is prone to slipping, falling and tripping as well.

Osteoporosis causes an individual's bones to thin and become fragile. Unfortunately, this condition has no cure.

On top of this, the symptoms can be difficult to notice. Your family member may not even realize she has osteoporosis until she starts to become shorter, her body shape starts to change, or her bones start breaking easily.

Since this is an unpredictable condition, having an alert system in place for your loved one wouldn't be a bad idea.

Mobility or Sight Issues

Mobility and sight issues also point to the need for a medical alert system.

How can you tell if these issues plague your loved one? For one, you may start to see him sway while he is standing. Also, maybe he struggles to get up out of a chair, or perhaps he can no longer stand on one foot unsupported.

He may have even begun to develop cataracts on his eyes. Or if he has diabetes, this might affect both his bodily functions and his sight.

In any of these scenarios, having a dependable alert device on hand 24-7 can prevent disasters.

Being Worried About Your Loved One

Maybe you're constantly worried and stressed about your loved one's well-being. You may even be losing sleep in your effort to monitor her safety and health.

It's time to do both your loved one and yourself a favor by purchasing an alert device. Trust us: It will save you some tension and help you both to sleep much better at night.

Extra Protection

In addition to promoting your loved one's medical safety, an alert device may also give him extra security when used as part of his current home security system.

Quality devices come with a two-way voice feature that your loved one can use to alert the monitoring station of a potential intrusion or burglary.

In addition, look for a device that is GPS enabled. If an emergency happens, the monitoring station can identify your family member's exact location as needed. This is incredibly valuable if he went for a walk one day and suffered a medical emergency while away from the house.