Help is a tap away with our medical alert pendant.

Medical alert necklaces are electronic devices that people wear in the form of a necklace. The devices are usually small, hang like a pendant, and can be held in the palm of the hand. The most important part of the device is the button located in the center of the device. With a push of that button, the wearer can contact emergency personnel in the event of an emergency, like a fall.

A medical alert necklace is different from a medical ID necklace or medical ID bracelet. Medical ID jewelry is engraved metal that a person with a medical condition wears to alert first responders to their specific medical needs. For example, someone with diabetes might wear a medical ID necklace to let first responders know that their blood sugar may be the reason they lost consciousness. Someone with a heart condition might wear a medical ID bracelet to let first responders know that there is a pacemaker inside their chest. Medical ID jewelry can also list medications that a person is allergic to and medications that they are currently taking, like a blood thinner. It can also provide contact information for family members or other emergency contacts. Medical ID jewelry does not have a button that calls for help; it is a piece of metal that holds important medical information.

A medical alert necklace provides easy, 24-hour access to the authorities when you need emergency response services and cannot make it to the phone to call for help. This device reduces the amount of time it takes to receive help after taking a fall, reducing potential medical complications and injuries. It also brings greater peace of mind for both the wearer and the wearer’s family.

As adults get older, the risk of falling and other medical emergencies rises. The National Council on Aging recently shared the CDC’s summary of fall risk in the United States:

• 25% of Americans ages 65 and up take a fall each year
• An older adult is treated for a fall every 11 seconds in the emergency room
• An older adult dies as the result of a fall every 19 minutes
• Falls result in almost 3 million injuries treated in emergency rooms annually
• Annually, falls result in over 800,000 hospitalizations
• Annually, falls result in over 27,000 deaths
• Falls are the leading cause of nonfatal trauma hospital admissions in the older adult population
• Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury in the older adult population

Just because falls increase as we get older, that does not mean that we are unable to live alone or take care of ourselves. A medical alert necklace allows the wearer to maintain some independence while keeping help within arm’s reach in case of an emergency.

When choosing a medical alert necklace, reliability and cost are the two most important factors to consider.

Reliability is a must-have for a device like this. Take the time to investigate what happens when you push the button on the medical alert necklaces you are considering purchasing. Some will immediately contact help and dispatch them to your location. Some will alert your security company, where someone will contact you and see if you need help from emergency services or if you just need a friend or family member to come by. Additionally, learn how long it takes for a response (on average) after you push the button on your alert jewelry. Note how big the device’s range is. Will you be able to roam throughout your property and still get the help that you need, or will you need to stay closer to your security panel to make sure you have reception? Learn what you can about battery life, ease of use, and potential automatic fall detection.

When looking at your options, pay special attention to how much the medical alert service will cost. You will always have to pay something to purchase the pendant, but some companies sneak in additional fees like the following.  Cove’s medical alert necklace is a low cost, top quality option and does not cost anything extra per month to use with your home security system.

While it is up to you whether or not you want a medical alert necklace that can integrate with your home security system, we hope you can see how beneficial it is. Combining medical alert systems with your home security system is easy to do when you buy devices that are compatible, like ours. Our security system lets you connect your medical alert necklace wirelessly to the system hub. The hub takes care of all of the work for you, just like it does for your other security devices.

Using a medical alert necklace that can connect to your home security system makes the transition to using one a breeze. Cove offers this option because we know that being safe is about more than locked doors and motion detectors but your ability to easily call for help as well.