An older woman cries out pleading for help from the bottom of a stairway in a large and empty house, and we are led to the conclusion that if only she had a medical alert device worn around her neck she could have emergency first responders there in minutes.

But what then…? How does the second half of this supposedly “averted” tragedy play out?

As reported by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC)*:

“In 2010, 2.3 million nonfatal fall injuries among older adults were treated in emergency departments and more than 662,000 of these patients were hospitalized.”

“People age 75 and older who fall are four to five times more likely than those age 65 to 74 to be admitted to a long-term care facility for a year or longer.”

So instead of lying on the floor for hours or days incurring additional life threatening conditions or worse, our female victim is whisked to the hospital and most likely will be treated and then discharged to a long-term care facility, either an assisted living or a skilled nursing facility for a year or more or until the end of her life.

The ability to lie on the floor and push a button may provide some level of comfort and security to seniors and their families yet when the fall has already occurred and resulting injuries sustained, the reality is your parent is lying there just pushing a button for help.

Now, a life will change in ways not to be desired by anyone. He or she will most likely be shuttled into a vast medical system to wind up in a bed that is not theirs and to no longer live in their own home.

This is the real fear older people live with. The fear of losing their independence and being institutionalized needlessly or prematurely.

If only the family had pushed beyond the simplistic notion that technology and telecommunications were all that was needed to keep mom or dad safe. If only our fear-based advertising could help us consider what happens after that last ditched effort is activated. Then, we could achieve compassionate aging for everyone concerned, senior and family caregiver alike.
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Like the CDC states*:

“Each year, one in every three adults age 65 and older falls. Falls can cause moderate to severe injuries, such as hip fractures and head traumas, and can increase the risk of early death. Fortunately, falls are a public health problem that is largely preventable.”

Geriatric case managers are qualified professionals to identify and evaluate many safety risks based upon mobility, vision and other physical deficits, environmental factors around the home, medical and behavioral conditions. By providing comprehensive assessments including balance and gait and home safety assessments, appropriate provisions and safeguards can be allotted and falls and many other unrealized dangers can be truly averted.

Medical alert products and services are worthwhile, but they are the very last line of safety. If they are to provide comfort and security, they should be part of a much more comprehensive approach to an elder’s care – one where that button need never be pressed.

© Anthony Antoville 2014

Anthony Antoville is Care Manager, Certified and COO of Champion Advocates LLC in Portland, Oregon providing geriatric case management services. He is a recognized expert in eldercare and home safety, internationally published with The Edwin Mellen Press.

*The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) Website “Home and Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview” Last Updated: 9/20/2013