Fall Alarms For Elderly People
Falls are the leading cause of hospital admissions for people over 65. They are also a serious risk for people living with medical conditions that could lead to a fall, like epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease.
Fall detection alarms automatically call a 24/7 monitored response centre when it senses a fall. Minutes matter after a fall and a quick response can make all the difference.
Quick Response
If you choose a personal alarm with fall detection, your alarm will automatically call for help if it senses that you’ve fallen. Your alarm can then be used to contact your nominated emergency contacts or the friendly Taking Care team who will talk to you over the speaker of the base unit, to establish your situation and determine whether it’s necessary to call the emergency services.
These alarms are great for people who live alone or those who often leave the house without their mobile phone, as they can quickly and easily contact a loved one to ask for help if they have a fall. They are also a good choice for people who live in retirement homes as they can often be used to call the warden directly.
Elderly fall alarms typically connect to a monitoring service, such as Telecare24, where there are 24 hour operators available to respond if the device is activated. They can then get in touch with the user’s nominated family, friends or carers to check their well-being if they can’t reach them and contact the emergency services if necessary.
Unlike older alarms that can only work within a certain range, Your Stride has an inbuilt GPS tracker so you can go out and about safely with the peace of mind that help is always just a button press away, even when you’re outside of your home. And because the calls aren’t connected to voicemail, the system will continue calling until there is a response.
The majority of those that use a fall alarm do so because they believe it provides peace of mind and keeps them safe at home. However, some fallers don’t wear their alarm because they don’t understand it or find the alarm to be obtrusive or uncomfortable. Trying to encourage effective alarm use for these fallers requires strategies that take into account their stage of change (contemplation or action) and beliefs about the benefit of using an alarm.
Peace of Mind
Having a fall detection alarm provides peace of mind not just for the senior who wears it, but also their family members. For long-distance relatives, knowing that their loved one has an easy-to-use device that can detect falls and notify emergency services is a huge relief.
Many elderly fallers find that a personal alarm has given them a new level of confidence and peace of mind, especially when combined with other prevention strategies. In a qualitative study, effective alarm users described a combination of prevention modalities that they used to live safely at home. This included falls prevention devices, such as alarms; home modifications and equipment, such as stair lifts, grab bars and walking aids; and other safety and risk minimisation strategies, including attending community-based group activities and using their telephone to check in with friends and family.
In general, the participants who were most positive about their alarms were those who had a history of falling or a coexisting medical condition that put them at high risk for falls. Subsidizing the cost of an alarm could help to move these individuals to the contemplation phase of change, and may be an effective way to increase uptake among this at-risk group.
Although alarms do not emit a loud noise from the pendant, if the device is activated it will automatically call for help and will connect to a 24/7 response centre. Depending on the alarm model, it can either alert emergency contacts or contact a live monitoring agent who is available to speak with the user through the base unit.
Alternatively, if the wearer is unable to push the button (perhaps due to unconsciousness or disorientation after the fall) the device will still call for help. This provides comfort to the individual and their family, and ensures that they get the help they need as quickly as possible.
Our fall detection alarms work UK wide, meaning you or your loved one can go about your day with peace of mind that help is only a phone call away. If you’d like to learn more about how a fall alarm could benefit your life, get in touch with us today!
Comfort
Having a fall detection medical alarm provides peace of mind to the elderly person using it, as well as friends and family. For people with mobility issues, long term health conditions such as dementia or epilepsy, and other factors that increase their risk of falling, it is likely to be a crucial piece of equipment in their home.
A personal alarm typically works by connecting to a 24/7 monitoring service via a mobile network. When a person falls they can press the button to request help and this will be transmitted directly to the monitoring service who will respond accordingly. Alternatively, the alarm can be activated automatically by a built-in sensor that is designed to detect a fall. In this case, the device will contact the monitoring service and request assistance – often without needing any human intervention - and this is particularly helpful for those who suffer unconscious falls.
For many effective alarm users, the device was one part of a wider set of fall prevention strategies. This includes other safety measures such as home modifications, walking aids and group exercise sessions to improve balance and strength, as well as avoiding specific environmental situations that could lead to a fall. In contrast, some alarm non-users described less effective fall prevention strategies and often felt they lacked the confidence to use an alarm.
This group may have been in denial about the risks of falls or considered the alarm to be obtrusive or unnecessary. However, these people were at the precontemplation or contemplation stages of behavior change, and alternative targeted strategies would be required to influence their beliefs and attitudes. In addition, some fallers reported that they lacked the budget to invest in an alarm. In this situation, a community alarm that is UK wide could be an affordable option to consider - this type of elderly fall detector can work while the wearer is out and about. It can also provide a safe zone so that family members are alerted when their loved ones leave or enter the area. This can be especially useful for those who have a tendency to wander.
Safety
Fall alarms are an essential tool for people with mobility issues or medical conditions that could cause falls. medical alarm nz A fall detection feature is included with most personal alarm systems, which will send an alert if it detects a fall. This will notify emergency services or loved ones so help can be sent quickly. It only takes a few minutes for muscle cells to start breaking down after a fall, so an immediate response is vital.
However, there are traditional problems with the use of alarms in care settings, such as a lack of awareness among staff about the benefits of the device and a perception that it is an unnecessary intrusion on residents’ independence. It’s also been found that the noise from alarms can startle or scare residents and may even cause them to re-fall. This can be overcome by choosing a system with an easy-to-use, discreet pendant that is comfortable to wear.
A fall sensor in a necklace or wristband will automatically call for help if it senses the person has fallen. It will either contact a monitoring service, which can then alert a friend or family member, or it will go straight to a warden at a nursing home. Many systems will work up to 200 metres from the base station, which is ideal for those who live alone and can be used in the garden as well as the house.
Research has shown that effective alarm use is associated with positive outcomes after a fall, and that this is linked to fallers’ perceptions of the value of the device and their beliefs about its effectiveness. It is therefore important that an integrated approach to fall prevention is taken in care facilities, and that alarms are incorporated into the overall plan of interventions for each resident.
It is also essential that the costs of an alarm are kept to a minimum, and this can be achieved by finding a reputable supplier who doesn’t make false claims about their device’s accuracy. No fall alarm will be 100% accurate, but the best systems on the market will detect at least 85% of falls.
