On January 8, 2019, in Ludlow, a woman was rescued from a devastating fire, while two other families were evacuated because of it. Reports from the local fire department stated that the fire was announced at 5:54pm and at 7:30pm, they were still working to put it out.
The woman had to be transported to the hospital. Initially, the police officers were the first ones on the scene. They reported that the respective duplex was full of smoke that they realized was caused by a fire.
The woman in question reached the police through the use of a medical alert system. Further details on the way that she was able to do so were not provided, but since the fire department was not initially contacted, it is more than likely that the used medical alert system did not have a smoke or carbon monoxide detection feature, in which case the fire department should have been contacted first.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, senior citizens face the greatest risk of dying in a fire. To counteract this risk, it is advisable to have a medical alert system that detects smoke and carbon monoxide, like the ones from Bay Alarm Medical.
Diamondbacks fan cared for after falling at home
A 101-year-old fan of the Arizona Diamondbacks was able to make her dream come true in May, 2019 by throwing the first pitch at one of her favorite team’s games after calling the Fire Department through the use of her medical alert system.
The senior woman had fallen inside her home and needed a lift assist, which is described by the National Center for Biotechnology Information as the inability to stand up, even though it does not require hospitalization and does not cause injuries to the person in question.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that every year, there are millions of senior citizens who fall, and that one out of five of these incidents leads to serious injury like broken bones or head strikes. It is, therefore, a serious issue.
To make sure your loved one receives the quickest and best care possible in such an event, it is important that he or she wears a medical alert system that has fall detection, like Medical Guardian does, for instance.
While the alarm went off, nothing happened. Two hours later, she turned it down because she couldn’t stand the noise anymore. Mrs. Knopka’s daughter was called by the medical alert company, but she didn’t notice the calls until around four hours later.
Finally, the woman’s daughter came to her mother’s house and found her lying near her bed. Later on, doctors established that Marilyn had a stroke. The medical alert company justified its actions by explaining that its protocol was to contact a family member when the door alarm was activated.
The obvious conclusion to this story is that the medical alert system’s battery should always be charged and that seniors should know exactly what the protocol is for each button they are pressing.
While these real-life, mishap stories are rare, it is important to note that, if a medical alert system is used as it’s intended to be, it can indeed save your loved one’s life.
Irina P.
Richard C.
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