What is the best personal alarm for elderly people?

Personal alarms are great for travellers, students, and late-night revellers. But they are also potentially life-saving for the elderly. We’re going to take a departure from globetrotting and look at what is the best personal alarm for elderly people.

Figuring out what is the best personal alarm for elderly people

It can be a sensitive subject to broach with your elderly relatives or neighbours. People are living longer and in better health than ever, and often fiercely independent. But one of the worst-case scenarios for older people – and the people who care about them – is a fall or accident that leaves them incapacitated and stranded with no way to alert people.

As we get older a simple trip or stumble becomes more and more dangerous. Brittle bones break more easily and older people often have less strength to be able to get themselves up again.

Which is where a personal alarm can save the day. But a lot of elderly people resist having, using, or wearing an alarm. They might feel it is unnecessary and not want to confront the possibility of them having an accident or being helpless, they might not want to trouble people, they might feel it infringes on their privacy or independence.

So it can be hard to convince our elderly loved ones to use a personal alarm.

There are other factors to take into account too. A full-on personal alarm system with links to a call centre and so on, can be very expensive. It can feel intrusive to the person living with it. There are often check-ins, embarrassing false alarms, and so on. It might be great for summoning help from that call centre, doctors, or the emergency services but less so in the very short term.

And while elderly people do need support at home they are often still active – getting out to the shops, walking the dog, catching the bus and so on.

So what is the best personal alarm for elderly people?

So it depends on the individual’s situation but there is definitely a place for a personal attack alarm in their safety set up.

A personal alarm like the kind travellers use often looks much more discreet than the great big red buttons on setups for the elderly. They are harder to set off accidentally but still very easy to use. Because they are much cheaper several can be used.

Perhaps one by the front door in case a visitor turns threatening. Not only does it summon help from passersby or neighbours, but it also scares off an intruder.

Elderly people are sadly often the victim of muggings or robberies outside the home. It’s not just about needing medical help but avoiding an altercation and attracting notice.

A personal alarm like Epic Travellers works with a pull-out pin and produces a deafening 120 decibels. It has a keyring attachment that means it can be attached to handbags, clothing, or objects and furniture. The pull-pin can be replaced to stop the alarm in case of a false alarm, also making it reusable. And at a great value price, you can add them in a few different places.

It’s a great solution for people who don’t want to feel monitored and enjoy their independence, who are out and about a lot and just want that extra bit of security.

Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash