As AlwaysConnected turns our eye towards the caregiver, we thought we would like to share this post. We believe providing tools to help you to worry less will ultimately benefit the person for whom you care.
ARTICLE: In Sickness and In Health – The Crictical Role of the Caregiver
Today’s older adults are more mobile than ever. Walking, whether that means a daily visit to the park, or a walk with the dogs around the neighborhood is a key element in keeping health for all of us. It’s not uncommon to see folks 80+ years old in the gym taking a yoga class, or…
Warning! This blog post is presented with the greatest respect to caregivers and families. We need to talk about the button which is used to summon help through a PERS (Personal Emergency Response System) or medical alarm device.
I am sure that you know the rest of that catchphrase. But the actual scenario sometimes is “HELP! I’ve fallen and I can’t push the button!” Caregivers need to address that very important, but perhaps not so obvious, aspect of these ’emergency medical alarm’ devices. The button is an ingenious invention that is, unfortunately, barely a 25% solution. The fact is, 50% of people who own these devices do not wear the pendant. Of those who wear them, only 50% actually use them. Why? When a fall occurs, it incapacitates a person in some way. They may be in shock or they may be unconscious, or they may not be wearing the device at all!
Those who are in shock are not thinking about the pendent, only about survival. And if a person is on the floor unconscious, there is simply no way for them to seek help.
There are some grim statistics regarding those who have experienced a fall and do not receive timely help. According to the New England Journal of Medicine: 18 hours is the average time people have spent unable to call for help Only 11% of victims were found by family members 28% of those who experience a…