What is the Best Personal Alarm for Seniors or People with Disabilities?
This is a bit like asking, “What’s the best car to own?” Whether choosing a car or a safe personal alarm, a better question to ask is, “Which is the best product for me (Mum or Dad)?”
Like cars, there’s a host of Personal Alarms to choose from. Imagine going to a car dealership who has the most popular compact on the market, but that single make and model is all they offer. If what you need is a vehicle for your family of eight, then regardless of price or popularity, getting a compact won’t serve your needs. Understanding your needs is the first step.
Here are a few useful points to consider when searching for the most ideal personal alarm for you:
1. CHOICE OF MODELS
Are you offered a choice of at least 3 different models? Just as you may want something other than a compact car, you might be better suited with a ute, van or SUV. The same thinking applies to alert pendants.
2. MONITORING
Decide if you need Professional Monitoring which provides 24/7 protection (for a small fee) or if family and friends are willing to serve as your emergency contacts network. Perhaps even a combination of the two.
3. INDOORS ONLY OR ANYWHERE
Would you prefer a personal alarm that works anywhere (both indoors and outside) or a home-only system? For some, the less expensive, older technology that works when in close proximity to the base station in a home may be all that’s necessary. These allow you to communicate with your emergency contacts through the base station situated in one room of your home. The further you are away from the base station, the louder you must yell to be heard. The latest alert pendants have a built-in speaker and microphone in the pendant itself, allowing you to speak directly with your contacts. These models use a SIM card allowing them to make that vital call from anywhere, just as a mobile phone would do.
4. CELL SIGNAL STRENGTH
This is an important consideration often overlooked because of the popularity of the smallest alert pendants. As these pendants are smaller than conventional mobile phones, small units come with a small antenna which may struggle with reception in certain areas. If your mobile phone is showing 1 or 2 bars where you want the mobile alert pendent to work, a small device will simply not do the job. If you discover this problem after your purchase, and the seller only has one model to offer, your “refund” could be up to $95 less than what you paid due to non-refundable fees. It’s better to choose a seller with a selection of products that include ones designed to work in areas with poor reception.
5. AUTOMATIC FALL DETECTION
Alert pendants with this feature sense a series of actions indicating a fall may have occurred. Before sending the Fall Alert messages and calling the emergency contacts, the pendant gives a warning sound, during which time the alarm can be cancelled if set off by accident. Of course, you can’t cancel what you can’t hear. Listen to these two samples of a fall alert warning. . . Both sounds are from the same model unit. The beeping is from an over-the-counter unit but the loud tune you heard was customised and purpose-built into the device. For the individual with diminished hearing, the difference is clearly obvious.
6. GPS
Nearly all alert pendants that work anywhere are capable of providing their GPS location. Ordinarily the location of a pendant is sent in a text message that includes a link to Google Maps. That text is sent automatically when the SOS button is pressed or when a fall alarm text is sent. The location of the pendant can also be requested by various methods. For family or carers of individuals with dementia or Alzheimer’s, advanced options may include the use of WiFi or a tracking platform. These are specialised products not commonly available from most sellers of safety pendants.
When considering which Personal Alarm to buy and so many sellers, there is one business. . .
- Responsible for designing one of the world’s smallest alert pendants
- With the most extensive range
- Offering 2 different monitoring options
- First to specialise in Personal Alarms that work anywhere in Australia
- Using customised firmware to improve the product for their clients
- Who can provide a tracking platform and simplified training to use it
- Providing lifetime support and unlimited remote programming changes
- Exclusively distributing the first ever pendant using a voice module
. . . who does it all: Guardian Safety Pendants. Click HERE to assist you to self-prescribe which Personal Alarm model is best suited for your purposes.
