Dear Savvy Senior,
Do you know of any emergency help buttons for seniors (like the Lifeline) that work away from the home? I would like to get one for my 78-year-old mother, but would like to find one that’s not limited to the house. What can you tell me?
–Searching Son
Dear Searching,
There are actually several new products on the market that give seniors the flexibility to call for help both inside and outside the home. Here’s what you should know.
Senior Help Devices
For years, emergency help buttons (also known as personal emergency response systems or PERS) like the Philips Lifeline, Life Alert and others have been popular home safety products for elderly seniors. By pushing a button on a pendant, seniors can call a 24-hour help service anytime they need it. But these devices have one major shortcoming. They only work in and around the house. If you’re in a distant location and need help, you’re out of luck – until recently. Today, there are several new products and services that can help seniors no matter where they are.
One such product is the new LifeTrac MobileProtector from SecuraTrac (securatrac.com, 888-973-2872) that provides GPS technology, fall detection software [not available in the current version], virtual border alerts and can operate as a cell phone.