Top-Rated Senior Monitoring Equipment

Installing monitoring equipment throughout the home won’t necessarily keep your senior from falling. However, it can drastically reduce the time it takes you to respond or organize help. Below, our recommendations for top-rated senior monitoring equipment, as well as added tips on how to fall-proof the home.

Senior falls are unfortunately prevalent and often unavoidable. However, there are plenty of options on the market for senior monitoring equipment, which concerned family members can use to keep an eye on their senior loved ones. This article explores some of the best senior monitoring equipment out there to suit every budget and need.

Preventing Senior Falls

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that “Each year, 3 million older people are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries.” While there are many things you can do to safeguard the home against falls, having peace of mind that you can quickly contact your senior or even monitor them remotely goes a long way.

Here are our top suggestions for senior monitoring equipment to keep an eye on your senior:

Top-Rated Senior Monitoring Equipment

GetSafe

If your senior prefers to be device-free, then GetSafe is an excellent option to consider. GetSafe medical alert devices protect without needing to be worn. Its devices feature voice-activated, two-way speakers that replace the users’ need to wear a pendant or wristband. Self-installation means you can hit the ground running and keep an eye on your senior within a matter of minutes. At an additional fee of $10 per month, seniors can add specific fall detection. All GetSafe service plans include one base unit, at least one voice-activated alert system, and one complimentary personal help pendant.

RescueTouch

RescueTouch devices connect users with emergency monitoring centers and their friends or family. Users can add up to five personal contacts when they need help rather than emergency services. RescueTouch also offers two-way communication, along with location and fall-tracking for most of its service plans. An added bonus is the lifetime price-lock guarantee that RescueTouch provides, so you never have to worry about yearly increases. RescueTouch provides a single device, a mobile SOS pendant. Customers can choose the plan that meets their needs, and the SOS pendant is programmed accordingly.

MobileHelp Duo

MobileHelp Duo is a cellular-connected monitored medical alert system. The MobileHelp Duo system works on the nationwide AT&T cellular network so that seniors can enjoy medical alert coverage at home and while out. It includes a base station equipped with a speakerphone, test button, and emergency button, along with a lightweight waterproof help pendant and a mobile medical alert pendant. In addition, your loved one can activate fall detection for an additional $10 a month to a standard monthly plan.

ResponseNow Medical Alert Systems

ResponseNow In The Home offers a more traditional approach to medical alert systems. In the Home features an array of available pendants and a console to choose from. The In The Home system is ideal for seniors spending most of their time in and around the home. 

The In The Home system is a fully customizable unit, compatible with accessories like the automatic fall detection pendant, room and hallway button, or just extra traditional pendants.

Apple Watch with Built-In Fall Detection

Apple first introduced fall detection technology in the Series 4 Apple Watch, and it has continued doing so. The Apple Watch Series 6 has followed suit and has fall detection technology. Special sensors detect when there has been a sudden shift or fall. The watch then asks the wearer whether emergency services are needed. If the user does not respond within a minute, the device will automatically call emergency services on their behalf.

Why Top-Rated Senior Monitoring Equipment is Not Enough on its Own

It’s important to note that while top-rated senior monitoring equipment is great to check in on your loved one and can go a long way in reducing the time it takes to reach them after a fall, it does not help reduce the number of falls itself. So the best course of action would still be to do a thorough check of the home to see where potential areas of risk may lie. 

Tips to Safeguard the Home Against Falls

Ensure that proper light sources are available. A dimly lit room, hall, or stairway can lead to your senior falling.

Where possible, place handrails along passageways or next to any seated areas, such as the toilet. Seniors can often struggle to get out of low-seated chairs or couches, so if the home’s layout allows, place some fixtures in the shower, such as grab rails or even a shower chair. Hand-held shower heads also go a long way to reducing shower-related falls. If your senior prefers bathing, place a non-slip mat in the tub.

Remove all obstacles. Obstacles include rugs that can easily cause your senior to trip or cables spanning across the floor. Rocking chairs or any piece of furniture that isn’t steady should also be removed or simply shifted to an area where it can’t get in the way of your senior’s daily movement. Removing obstacles is especially crucial if your senior uses a walker in the house.

Another option to consider is purchasing shoes with nonslip trends for your senior. Explain the importance of wearing these around the house to your senior loved one and see if they are willing to give it a try. 

*Disclaimer: The information contained in this blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his or her immediate family, physician, or other care providers.