How A Stroke Can Render Senior Alerts Useless

By Author: smith will
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Senior alerts—especially the latest models and provided by companies with years of hard-earned field experience and sterling reputation, such as Rescue Alert of California—are normally highly efficient in doing the job they are meant to do—proof is the thousands and thousands of satisfied customers who subscribe to such services each month. Such devices deliver on their claims efficiently—when a medical emergency occurs, the user merely has to press the panic button, and help and medical assistance is on the way in a matter of minutes.

However, certain medical emergencies have been observed to severely reduce the effectiveness of the medical alert panic button. One of such major medical emergency is a stroke, which can strike anywhere and anyone who is under a certain age bracket (most often seniors).

What is a stroke, anyway?

A stroke is similar to a heart attack, but it involves a different organ—in this case, the brain or its peripheral structures. Also referred to as a “cerebrovascular accident,” a stroke happens when there is a rapid loss of brain functionalities that occur when the blood ...
... supply to the brain is suddenly disturbed. A reduced blood supply to the brain can be due to a number of factors, such as by blockage in the artery that prevents blood from reaching the brain (a clot or an embolism), or its opposite, a hemorrhage, or the rapid loss of blood volume. Of all the major organs in the body, the brain is most sensitive to fluctuations in the blood supply—a minor reduction in the supply of blood it is supposed to receive can immediately cause dizziness, nausea, or even hallucinations. So if the blood supply reduction is significant, often due to a blockage, then such may have catastrophic consequences.

Senior alerts address such major medical emergency as a stroke, especially in terms of the quickness and efficiency of the response. Once a stroke occurs, the window of time is very limited—from mere seconds to mere minutes—and the longer assistance is delayed, the more damage (much of which is lasting and irreversible) the patient sustains. Ultimately, a stroke causes a quick death. In fact, based on current statistics, stroke is the leading cause of disability among adults and seniors in the USA and in European countries, and it is also the second leading cause of death around the world.

Medical Alert Failure with a Stroke—and Solution

Medical alert devices—the ones that are worn and requires pressing of the panic button in order to call for help—are commonly designed to be worn on the wrist (as a bracelet) or around the neck as a necklace pendant. However, in the event of a stroke—especially one that suddenly leaves the limbs paralyzed—pressing the panic button may be totally impossible, rendering the very device you rely on for your salvation utterly useless.

That is the reason why some medical alert systems are designed to have the ability of automatically detecting a fall—once it senses that a fall has taken place (thanks to sophisticated electronic circuitry that is somehow related to how touch-screen devices like the iPad work), it automatically contacts the monitoring and response center.

However, senior alerts with automatic fall detection are not quite the norm—majority of providers do not offer it. Those that do offer it charge an extra for the feature (the basic, of course, is the regular device whose panic button you actually have to press). On the upside, the fee for alert systems with auto fall detection is still fairly affordable, especially when you consider that you might be saving you or your loved one’s life.

The point is to carefully consider what you or your senior loved one may need. The trouble is it is not fairly easy to ascertain on your own your risk of incurring a cerebrovascular accident, that’s why it is important to let medical professionals find the definite answers. Once your risk of incurring a stroke is definite, you can proceed to adjusting your lifestyle and taking the prescribed medications to prevent having a stroke as much as possible, while getting a medical alert system just to get extra protection just in case the life-threatening event does happen.

Rescue Alert of California is a leading medical alert system provider having specialized in medical alert devices for over 26 years. Their extensive years of experience, engineering, and research have brought about the highest level of senior medical care. Rescue Alert strives to provide information and resources for seniors, for additional information or to learn more about Rescue Alerts senior alerts product or services, please visit RescueAlertofCa.com.