Personal Emergency Alarms
Personal Emergency Alarms are devices that can send an alert message or call a mobile number or monitoring services when pressed, or in some cases, when you fall, so you can quickly communicate with your contacts in case of a medical emergency.
Some of these accessories are a landline or stationary base, with wearable devices or pendants connected allowing you to still make an emergency call within a certain distance from the based device. Other wearable alarms can be used anywhere.
These alarms can be useful for the elderly and people with disabilities, or anyone that might require attention and monitoring. Some models are worn as a pendant and other ones are worn on your wrist. Additionally, depending on the provider, some personal alarms may contact a monitoring service who will provide the assistance by contacting the relevant emergency services, instead of calling your personal contact.
How do you use these alarms?
Set your preferred contact numbers in your wearable emergency alarm and press indicated buttons to call or send an emergency text to your contacts. Some of these devices can detect falls and call or text your contacts or a contact centre automatically.
What to look for in an Emergency Alarm?
The desired features of an Emergency Alarm depend on the final user. In general, Emergency Alarms should be able to be triggered quickly with the push a button, or automatically if they include a fall detection or geo fencing features.
Most alarms should be able to provide a two-way communication channel, long lasting battery and should also allow for calls to different contacts.
Emergency Alarms can be purchased on monitored plan or non-monitored.
Monitored alarms will contact a monitoring centre that can call emergency services if needed.
Non monitored alarms (outright purchase) can call the contacts that you register on the device.
Choice has comprehensive intructions on what to look for in Medical Alarms, with their buying guide found here: