Notes

Personal Alarms - What You Need to Know
Typically worn around the neck or on the wrist as a bracelet, personal alarms allow you to call for help by pushing a button or pulling a cord. This will send a signal to a monitoring centre or designated contacts who can then assess the situation and take appropriate action. Many of the best personal alarms also feature two-way communication, enabling users to speak directly with a response team member.

Generally speaking, these types of devices are most commonly used by elderly people. Lonealert However, they’re also ideal for individuals who have medical conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy that increase their risk of falls. They can be particularly useful for people who live alone and/or spend a lot of time in public places like shopping centres or parking lots, as criminals may be deterred by the shrill noise of a personal alarm and it could give you enough time to escape from danger.

A large prospective cohort study has shown that purchasing a personal alarm is associated with positive outcomes such as feelings of safety and security, increased confidence in doing activities at home and lessening social isolation. The results did not, however, show that purchasing an alarm was associated with a reduction in the fear of falling as measured by the MFES or any change in the number or length of hospital admissions.

While these findings are encouraging, it is important to note that random assignment was not possible for this study. Individuals were recruited through a well-established health and home care provider in WA and to be considered a purchaser they needed to have made an inquiry about an alarm during the recruitment period. This meant that both the purchasers and nonpurchasers groups were relatively similar in terms of need, health status and fall history.


Website: https://loneworkerdevices.co.uk/