Also known as “PERS” a Personal Emergency Response Systems are purchased for an aging or ill person who lives alone so that they can get help quickly if needed. That person might be at a risk of falls because due to poor eyesight, memory changes, or other health problems, or be susceptible to a sudden emergency event.
PERS can be useful in non-emergent situations if the user doesn’t need an ambulance, but needs someone to come to their aid. The call center will alert a preselected relative or representative to come over and assist. In emergency situations, the call center will initiate EMS.
Important factors to look for when considering a PERS:
- Detects if you have a sudden fall without needing to push the button
- It works for a user’s specific disability. For example, a stroke survivor may need a device that he/she can activate with one hand
- Offers a wristband and a neck pendant. Cords worn around the neck can pose a strangulation risk; wristbands may irritate those with skin ailments.
- Includes help buttons. They can be mounted in each room around the house near the floor in the event that the user has fallen and is not wearing the device.
- Offers multiple choices of who to contact if you need help from emergency services to a friend or relative who lives nearby
- It has a battery back up in the event of power failure
- The base station could be contacted from anywhere on the property, even in your yard or at your mailbox
- The company has its own monitoring center, in the US and employs its own trained emergency operators rather than contracting that function out.
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