Personal Emergency Response System vs. Senior Living Facilities

Posted by Donna Mae Scheib on October 19, 2017

Personal Emergency Response System vs. Senior Living Facilities

What is a Personal Emergency Response System?

Some children with senior parents may be facing a difficult decision - whether their parent should move to a senior living facility. Most will avoid this decision as long as possible, using any other tools which will allow their parents to continue to live safely on their own. This dilemma leads many to consider a Personal Emergency Response System for elderly parents. A PERS is a home device which connects the older adult to a 24-hour call center.

A transmitter is usually worn on a wristband or a neck pendant, connecting the wearer to a call center with the touch of a button. When the user presses the transmitter button, the call center staff evaluates the situation and either calls an ambulance or contacts a designated family member or friend. Most PERS systems allow wearers to use the device anywhere within their home and outside of the house in the immediate yard area.

Who Benefits from a Personal Emergency Response System?

Personal Emergency Response Systems are good for older adults who generally get by well on their own, but who are at risk of falling or having a heart attack or stroke. The PERS is not suitable for seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s, as they may be unable to push the button in the event of an emergency. Seniors who are often away from home are also poor candidates for a PERS, since the system ties into the home phone line. You will also have to determine whether your loved one will consistently wear the device—if it is not worn, then there are no benefits.

Senior Living Facility—Could Your Loved One Benefit?

While a Personal Emergency Response System might be the best choice in some cases, allowing an older person to maintain their independence as long as possible, some situations could require a different choice. One of the alternatives to a PERS could be a senior living facility. While some seniors are adamantly opposed to such a solution, others find they enjoy the company of their peers and the free time that comes from having help with cooking, cleaning, shopping and other tasks.

Levels of Senior Living Facilities

Senior living is essentially housing for the elderly. Facilities provide some level of nursing, meals, and housekeeping, depending on the need. For those who are still able to care for themselves, independent living facilities provide a low level of help, usually with meals, laundry and errands taken care of. Assisted living facilities provide a higher level of help with daily living activities as well as providing basic health services, social activities, and recreation. Those with dementia or Alzheimer's could require "memory care" homes, which offer 24-hour personal care as well as meals, social activities and other amenities.

Helping Your Loved One with Technology

While the decisions you face are difficult, in fact, some senior living facilities use an integrated type of Personal Emergency Response System called Situational Awareness Technology. Since it could get confusing—not to mention inefficient—to respond to multiple alarm systems, this single integrated system can improve emergency alerting as well as integrate environmental controls and security into the emergency alerting system. Environmental monitors can check for the operational status and proper function of HVAC systems, power generators, water pumps, as well as temperature monitoring for refrigerators and freezers (protecting an elderly resident in the event of a power outage and spoiled food). Situational Awareness Technology can benefit senior living facilities in the following ways:

• Emergency response systems with location data
• Medical call integration
• Integration of fire and security panels
• Egress/Ingress
• Door and window alarms
• Motion detection
• Temperature monitoring
• Operational status of HVAC, etc.
• Detection of water/humidity/smoke/other hazardous substances
• Reminders to take prescription medicines
• Warnings for inclement weather
• Evacuation warnings
• General announcements
• Activity reminders
• Schedule changes

In the end, only you can make the hard choices for your elderly loved one. However, it is good to explore the many newer technological options before making that decision.

Find a Senior Living Community Near You

Looking for a senior care facility for your loved one but unsure of where to look? Find a senior living community near you on Senior Living Link. Our online assisted living community directory features facilities nationwide that offer an array of services, including health care programs, housekeeping, meals, medication administration, and more. Start your search today and contact Senior Living Link to learn more!