Medical alert systems and home health aides are useful resources for homebound patients needing consistent healthcare attention. The question many families with homebound loved ones find themselves asking is: Do you need both?
Let’s take a look at each resource and how they impact your loved one’s life, work together, and the main differences between them.
What are Medical Alert Systems?
Medical alert systems are monitored button technology that call for medical help in an emergent situation. These are usually attached to some type of bracelet, necklace, or another device that can be consistently worn by the person who may need assistance.
When provided by a reputable company, they are easy to use and usually highly reliable. However, some limitations and risks accompany relying on a medical alert system.
As with any electronic device, there is a risk of failure, defects, battery error, or user error. Both caregivers, family members, and the person in need of a medical alert system should be aware of what to expect and the device’s limitations.
What Services Does a Home Health Aide Provide?
At Angel Home Healthcare Services, we provide the highest quality of home health care in Dallas and lead the industry in professionalism and experience.
If you choose to work with home health aides, you can trust they are fully licensed by the State of Texas and are certified through Medicare to provide medical care.
They provide a full range of medical services in the privacy of the home, attending to their patients at an established schedule or providing more intensive round-the-clock availability. The care is customized to align with each client’s unique needs and done in conjunction with their physician’s recommendations.
What are the Differences Between Home Health Aide and Medical Alert System?
A medical alert system is exactly what it sounds like: a system that works through a device to alert medical professionals that there is a potential emergent situation when a button on the device is pressed or when a fall or accident is detected.
A home health aide is a medically-trained professional that provides compassionate, kind, hands-on care that is tailored to individual needs and medical background. Home health aides in Dallas work in both short-term and long-term care situations and meet their patients in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes, allowing them to be cared for and enjoy company while homebound.
A number of risks also come with relying on a medical alert system. These risks include:
Battery Error
The battery in a medical alert device can die or become defective, leaving the medical alert basically useless. Many medical alert companies monitor battery life and even send out a replacement before the battery expires. However, many companies do not, making it important to understand if the medical device company you choose has a maintenance-free battery program.
Automatic Fall Detection Failure
Falls are one of the biggest risks that senior adults and homebound people face. Most medical alert systems tout the ability to detect falls and summon help immediately. Unfortunately, no system is 100% reliable when it comes to fall detection, putting limits on whether or not help will be called in the case of a fall.
Service Issues
Many medical alert devices connect to emergency services through a cell phone line, WiFI, or landline. If there are any issues with services like in the instance of a storm or power outage, the medical device may lose signal, cutting you off from emergency services.
How can a Home Health Aide and a Medical Alert System Work Together?
A home health aide and a medical alert system can easily work in conjunction with each other. Many Dallas home health care aides do not live with their clients and come at a scheduled time to provide medical services, assistance, and in-home physical therapy.
A medical alert system adds another layer of protection to homebound individuals by giving them peace of mind knowing that they can press a button to alert medical services or that if they fall or have an accident those medical experts will be digitally alerted.
Professional Home Health Aide is Irreplaceable
A home health aide is a highly educated professional in the medical field who provides a customized, one-on-one healthcare plan for the senior adult in your life, making their unique skills irreplaceable. If a loved one in your life needs home health care in Dallas, look to the area experts you can trust at Angel Home Healthcare Services. Our services focus on quality and safety, and every one of our team members is highly trained and licensed to care for your loved ones.
Get in touch with us to learn how a home health aide can benefit you or a loved one.