Cerebral Palsy is a condition that causes physical disabilities in human development, mainly in body movement. Symptoms can be mild or severe and can involve one side of the body or both.

Currently there is no known cure, but various forms of therapy can help with a person to live easier. For those living home independently, a medical alert system can be a valuable savior in case of an emergency.

Even simple yoga stretches sitting in a chair would be considered a yoga practice for seniors. I often see groups of seniors at the beach sitting in chairs stretching.

They look so happy that I know it has to be doing good for them.

Personally, my yogini is Leeann Carey of Planet Yoga fame.

I call her mama or mother earth because she is the most grounded woman I have ever met.

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative chronic condition of the central nervous system that generally affects people over the age of 60. It affects motor skills, speech and other functions.

Parkinson’s is not considered a fatal disease although in the late stages, many serious complications can occur such as choking, pneumonia and falls.

If you or your loved one suffers from Parkinson’s, having a medical alarm system is a good idea. In case of an emergency, all you would need to do is press the button and help would be on the way.

It may just save your life.

Osteoporosis is a condition where bones become less resistant to stress and can break more easily. It is caused by hormonal changes, calcium and vitamin D deficiency, and a decrease in physical activity. Osteoporosis is the main cause of fractures in seniors, especially among women.

Seniors who suffer from Osteoporosis are more prone to falls and serious injuries that can occur from fractures from a fall.

Having a senior medical alert can give someone with Osteoporosis and their family the piece of mind that even if they fall, help can be on the way.

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.
-Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul

As we head towards Mothers Day this weekend, I want to take a moment to wish each and every mother, grandmother and great grandmother a happy Mothers Day from the team here at the American Senior Safety Agency.

It is truly a privilege to help protect so many incredible mothers all across the country!

At least one third of all elderly falls involve some type of hazard in their home.   There are many other factors that can contribute to a fall, including Osteoporosis, lack of activity, vision issues and medications.

There are, of course, many steps you can take for fall prevention in the home.   These include a good diet, regular activity and exercise, doctor checkups, and securing any hazards in the home.

But no matter what steps you take, sometimes a fall cannot be prevented.  It’s in these cases that having an elderly medical alert can help save your life.  At the simple press of a help button, an individual can get the help they need.

Growing older can be difficult.  But it doesn’t have to stop you from having piece of mind and living independently.

According to the American Diabetes Association, around 18% of Americans 60 and older have diabetes. An estimated 50% of all diabetes happens in those aged 55 and older. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes also increases as someone gets older.

The elderly face the toughest challenges when it comes to diabetes. They are more likely to have retinopathy, hypertension and kidney problems.

Many seniors live isolated and alone and risk going into diabetic shock or other complications where they wouldn’t be able to reach a phone and call for help.

Having a medical alarm system gives a senior with diabetes the piece of the mind they, and their family, needs to let them live without worrying about not being able to get help in an emergency.

There are approximately 37 million people over the age of 65 living in the United States. This number is growing, thanks to increased life expectancies from medical advancements. Many seniors live independently which can pose many risks.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the leading cause of injury and death among seniors is falls. Unfortunately many times a senior will fall and won’t be able to get the help they need. There are many ways to help prevent falls such as making sure there are no walking obstructions in the home or slick surfaces.

However, even the best prevention can’t help sometimes and that’s when having a medical alarm system can save your life. With a medical alarm, a senior can get the help they need simply by pushing their help button, either around their neck or wrist. And because this button is waterproof, they can wear the alarm at all times, including the shower or bath.

Nobody can completely prevent a fall sometimes, but you can have the piece of mind you need when you are protected by a medical alarm!

Many of the top diseases and conditions that are leading cause of death among 65+ adults are preventable with prevention and/or lifestyle changes.

So while a medical alarm can’t stop you from an unhealthy diet or a smoking addiction or lack of exercise, it can be the difference between life and death if certain conditions or diseases strike.

Let’s look at the top ten causes of death among Adults over the age of 65.

1. Heart Disease
2. Cancer
3. Stroke
4. Lung Diseases
5. Pneumonia
6. Diabetes
7. Accidents
8. Septicemia
9. Kidney Diseases
10. Alzheimers

Many of these diseases and conditions can lead to in home emergencies (heart attack, stroke, falls) where the individual may not be able to reach for the phone and dial for help.

Having a button available to push during any emergency which automatically calls for help can save valuable time and can be the difference in saving your life!

I’m often asked by potential customers about what kind of customer service we provide. Here at American Senior Safety Agency we don’t necessarily do things like the other companies.

Casey, my co-worker from New Orleans, just got off the phone with a daughter from San Francisco, CA inquiring about our medical alarm service for her mother who lives alone 100 miles from her just outside Sacramento. Casey spent almost an hour on the phone with her, detailing step by step the specifics of how our medical alarm system works and answering all of her concerns.

It’s that kind of personal call that we take pride in each and every day when we come to work.

I can’t speak for other companies, but our CEO Jeff Miller spends most of his day on his computer personally answering each and every email sent his way. Whether it is a potential or current customer who is sending him an “Ask Jeff” question from our website, you can hear him chuckle as he answers people with his unique personal touch. I can tell from his big smile after each email that he really is doing something he loves.

This is one of the reasons why I enjoy coming to work everyday. Jeff’s warm, caring personality is contagious.

Noah

I spend a good amount of my time talking to sons and daughters who are worried about the health of one or both of their elderly parents living independently. Sometimes the children live nearby, other times they are thousands of miles away. In either case, there is no way they can always be there to watch over their mom or dad, which is why an elderly medical alarm is a great idea to keep them safe and protected. Of course deciding to get them a medical alarm is sometimes only half the battle. Convincing them to use it can be another hurdle.

I recently spoke to a daughter who lives in Nebraska and her father lives by himself in Ohio. Her father lives in her childhood home by himself his wife recently passed. She told me he is a very proud man, who was having a hard time with the idea that he needs help.

We talked for a while about her situation and I explained to her that yes, we all have pride and, especially as someone gets old, they have a hard time admitting they need help. What he should understand is that using an elderly medical alarm is not a signal that he can’t take care of himself, or that he has become helpless. In actuality, it will help to maintain his independence and give him a better quality of life. And, if nothing else, it will make his daughter stop losing sleep by worrying about him!

She called me back in a few days and thanked me for the advice. Reluctant at first, he agreed to use the alarm. Saying goodbye on the phone, I could tell how relieved she was. I left work that day with a smile on my face.

But then again, I always do I love my job.

Noah

Many of our customers are pet lovers and owners.  For this reason, we can take into consideration important information about household pets in case of an emergency dispatch where necessary.

We at Senior Safety intimately understand the joys of having a pet.  Most of our employees own either a dog or a cat or both!  I have a 75 lb “puppy” and two cats myself.

At times, pet owners are concerned about what will happen if they have an emergency, and push their medical alert bracelet, who will take care of their beloved animals.

We reassure our clients not to worry!  We are willing to note the names of their pets so that we have this information available for emergency responders or neighbors should they need it.

Even information like, “Gizmo, my Yorkie barks a lot, but  he is “all bark and no bite”.  We know this means the world to some of our clients and often helps the first responders.

One client, who is like many seniors, often tells me, “I am less concerned with my own safety, but MORE worried about my dear dog that will become frantic if something happens to me.”

We pay attention to details because we know our pets are cherished companions and part of the family as well. WE need our clients to feel everything will be okay.

We care about you like family,  even your furry family.

Last week I received a call from one of my customers who asked why we used the small beaded necklace as the chain for our emergency pendant.

I explained to her that our necklace pendant chain was chosen for its breakaway capability.

Serious injuries are prevented by our breakaway chain. 

It is vital that if the pendant necklace ever gets entangled with other objects it will breakaway immediately.   

I reassured my customer that anytime her necklace broke, she could call our office and we would mail out free necklace replacements right away.

Even the AARP Bulletin today published an article on October 30, 2009 about the dangers of becoming entangled in pendant cords that do not breakaway.

At the end of our conversation, my customer and I were joking that the chain might not be a “fashion statement”, but it certainly was a “lifesaving” look.

Yesterday I called a customer in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania because we had received a low battery signal from her medical alarm, meaning that the unit was disconnected and needed to be checked.

I spoke to the customers daughter who, while on the phone with me, discovered that the workers who had been in her mothers home had unplugged the unit and left it on the couch, hidden under some pillows. Without our call, she wouldn’t have known that her mother was not protected.

Her gracious and kindhearted thank you for my personal call was much appreciated. Knowing her mother was now safely protected made my day a little more special.

It’s part of what I love most about my job.

Noah

As I start into my new year, I have been reflecting back on highlights that stick out in my mind from 2009.

Each day I field calls from our customers and their families and have multiple opportunities to lend an ear, or help brain storm solutions for the specific concerns that their family has.

In our lives, it is few and far between that someone says to us, “take your time, I have nothing to do right now but give you my undivided attention.”

However, this is something I take pride in saying everyday! 

No matter if it is the customer who needs help plugging in her medical alert system, or the one who would like me to go over his list of responders that we will call in the event of an emergency.

But I must say many of the highlights of my 2009 have been from customer service calls with my customers where I just provide the ear that listens to the story they have to tell.

I’ve heard heartwarming stories of 50^th wedding anniversaries to great-great grandchildren being born.  I have also been blessed with listening to courageous stories from our customer’s plights in WW II- How lucky am I to hear these truly heroic tales of living history.

But truly, even just talking to my customer when her new rescue kitten decided to play with the lights on her medical alarm unit and set it off for a false alarm makes me smile on a daily basis.

In all the jobs I’ve had utilizing my MA in Clinical Psychology, working at American Senior Safety Agency is by far the one I love the most.

I am fortunate to work for a company that allows me to give my undivided attention to each and every person who calls, no matter their need.

These daily calls have been the most cherished part of my 2009.

I look forward to 2010, and all that my customers and their families will teach me as I listen to each and every tale.

There are approximately 11 million Americans over 65, and it is estimated that one in three adults 65 and older fall each year.

The lives of older Americans who prefer to stay at home are improved by being able to receive practical and emotional support from wearing an emergency necklace pendant.

Wearing a “SOS button” gives adult children and their elderly relatives’ peace of mind knowing that help with a fall or medical emergency is a push of a button away.

Since about a third of older folks live alone, the help button allows the security that in case of an emergency within minutes the first responders are alerted without the need to reach a phone.

So often my week is filled with calls from our clients or their families letting me know how comforted they were speaking to our monitoring center in the midst of these emergencies.

Just knowing that the paramedics are in route, and their loved ones have been alerted gives such reassurance in what is a very frightening time.

It warms my heart to hear each story, and to know that we have helped another one of our customer’s fulfill the wish of growing older in the comfort of their own homes.

The emergency necklace pendant has paved the way for this lifestyle revolution, making living independently as a senior not only a wish but a reality.

It’s interesting how many new clients order during the holiday season.

Sometimes it’s quite a shock to see how mom or dad have changed since you last visited. Some of us live further than we would care to from our parents.

Holidays visits are often your first alert to the fact that mom or dad are now losing their balance or sometimes having falling issues. It may be time for a good medical alert service to give you and them peace of mind.

Take the time when visiting to think like a caregiver. Ask them how they are doing, sometimes mom or dad don’t want to bother you…dig into how things are going a little more carefully if you can.

As we head into the holiday season the probability of winter storms increase all across the country.  Growing up in Orange, Connecticut I remember waking up in the winter months and looking outside at a fresh blanket of snow on the ground.  Sometimes the storm would be harsh enough to knock out the electrical power for hours.  Those who use  medical alarm systems may be concerned about a storm related power outage interrupting service.

Our alarm systems are designed to work even in such a circumstance.  Each system has a built in backup battery that lasts for around twenty hours after the loss of power.  Once the power is cut off and the battery kicks in, we will receive a signal in our monitoring center and contact you to ensure the system is plugged in properly and working.  I spend a good part of my work day calling customers across the country to make sure there medical alarms are connected.

It’s always a pleasure to talk to gratified customers who truly appreciate the personal service…we take pride in the quality of our service to the elderly…and I truly smile at how surprised our clients are when they receive our calls.

It’s the best part of my day.

Noah

The first alert that you should notice that a senior or elderly person needs an elderly medical alert system is their very 1st fall. After this first fall the elderly begin to lose confidence.

By the second fall, your dearly loved elderly relative is beginning to lose far more confidence than you can imagine…indeed you have already missed the very first alert that could keep them living a much longer and better quality life.

It pays to be alert to that very 1st incident that will alert you to your loved ones needs.

I have spent 29 years working with the elderly trying to remain independent in their own homes. By the way, I feel this is the best medicine you the caregiver can offer your loved ones…independent living.

1.  They need continued support and contact with their family and loved ones.

2.  Professional support to call on locally like a helper, a visiting nurse, a handy man and transportation.

3.  The Vial of Life information filled out and on their refrigerator door to help 911 assist them when they can’t speak.

4.  A medical alarm system to summon help when they can’t reach the phone for help during an emergency.

You can’t just leave your mother, father, aunt, uncle or loved one fend for themselves. This leads to sadness, danger and eventually commitment to a nursing home. The goal here is to keep our loved ones independent and healthy for as long as we can.

I hated when my aunt Tillie was forced into a nursing home when my cousin would not provide her the proper support. She would tell me, “I don’t belong here!”. I cried and then I gave her all the support I could. I begged aunt Tillie to come out and live with me. She was afraid to move from Florida and became despondent, unhappy and isolated.

Our loved ones deserve the best life they can have…it’s difficult toward the end of life…but in my opinion, this is when we must step up to the plate giving service, help and love.

If you are a caregiver for an elderly mom, dad, aunt, uncle or loved one and haven’t tested their medical alarm system in the last month…they could be in danger.

The simplest thing to do with a medical alarm is to safe and test the system.

A system that is not consistently tested is an unsafe sytem…just do it.

Hi Jeff,

I’m my Dad’s fulltime caretaker, and am looking for some medical alert device he could wear or put in his pocket that will allow him to alert me or anyone in the house to when he needs to go to the bathroom or to get out of his chair, or if he attempts this on his own and falls.

We’re not quite ready for a medical response alert system because he is never alone in the house, but he is at the point where I want to track his movements around the house closely. I have a baby monitor, but that is useless when he isn’t in the same room.

Short of a cowbell, can you suggest anything?

Thanks,

Joan
Phoenix, Arizona

Hi Joan,

A medical alert device might be the best emergency response system for your dad. Even though you don’t think he is ready, it would be far better than a cow bell

We would immediately call over the speaker box and would then call you if that was necessary. Dad could also wear it in the shower or tub where he might need it most.

This would give you both some peace of mind during and emergency.

Jeff

Caregivers are often under appreciated…this is a very difficult job.

Thanksgiving is a great time to give thanks to your caregiver. You family members who get together for Thanksgiving who are not in the caregiving loop should take the time to thank the person who gives care to your loved one.

Let them take a break and enjoy the day.

And give thanks that your loved one is there to love.

Jeff

Subject: Home emergency system

I have a 100 year old friend and client who has 24 hour care givers.  She WANTS an emergency call button to feel safer.  I do not want her to use the call button she was provided by  the retirement home since it calls security to her apartment.  In an emergency, that is fine.  The problem is she is pushing the button when she needs to use the toilet. Security is NOT amused.

I need a “home” system that will call the aide who is 20 feet away.

Can you make any suggestions?

Many thanks,

Tom
Philadelphia, PA

Hi Tom,

I understand the problem you are facing. I would suggest a remote door bell type system…or a baby monitor might work well.

Our system would also call 911…so that would not be a solution for you. Of course, if she can clearly state what she needs, then we can call the aide as opposed to 911.

Hope this helps,

Jeffrey Miller

Personal Alarms often know as medical alert systems allow caregivers some free time with the knowledge that their loved one, or person they give care to, can get help at the push of a button.

Caregiving is a difficult task that wears down the strongest of people. There are many important services you should take advantage.

A medical alarm is one of the first items that will alert you to your loved ones emergency.

American Senior Safety Agency has been helping seniors with medical alarms since 1981.

When a senior falls it’s time to start talking to your loved one about what he or she should do about in home safety and a medical alert system.

We find that it isn’t usually till the third or fourth fall that you become aware that your mom, dad, uncle or aunt is in need of a way to call for help. Often times, by the time you react to the problems of falls your loved one has already started to lose their confidence.

Losing confidence creates a downward spiral that is hard to stop.

Act proactively and order a medical alert system before something more serious happens. Never let your mom or dad be in an emergency situation and not be able to get help now.

Hi Jeff,

I am interested in a system for my parents. They live in Michigan and I live in Mass.

My Dad has suffered 2 strokes, and doing very well considering he is 85. He lives alone with my mother in handicap safe house. She is 82 and doing more than I think she should. I also am concerned about a scam product. If either one has a fall, the other can not help. This is something I would do as a gift, but will this insult them.

Thank you,

Joan

Hi Joan,

Your thinking is correct about your parents need for a medical alert system. Once they start falling, things can go downhill rapidly. This can give them peace of mind, let alone your own relief.

How could giving a gift of love insult them? Then again, only you know your parents. Just be straight with them, and tell them how concerned you are for their safety.

Don’t surprise them though, we find a gift of a medical alarm to be wonderful…but, when it’s a surprise…parents often times refuse to wear it. Let them know that you worry about them, and that it would make you feel much better.

Good Luck,

Jeff

It’s always assumed that caretakers and those they care for inhabit separate realities.

Lately, it’s occurred to me that this is untrue. In fact, the respective psychological states of the caretaker and the cared for have a lot in common.

Both the caretaker and the cared for are isolated by circumstance. Often, both are lonely.

Often, neither feels understood. Often, both live in dread of calamity. Often, neither feels free to express what they are experiencing.

I wonder if, in their isolation, both are missing an opportunity. Perhaps they both would feel more grounded, less anxious and alone if they recognized that they share these conditions.

As summer ends I think back on previous summers when family trips were occasions more for anxiety than for pleasure. Let me explain: my mother lives with me, my husband and our three children. She’s fairly active for her age but she’s elderly nonetheless and not up to travelling with us when we set out on a week-long driving adventure.

So, in the past,  we’ve left her at home. But sometimes I would think that trying to vacation was pointless because her welfare, or lack of it, were always on my mind. I would call once, twice, three times a day. Our vacations were not what I would call relaxing.

This summer was different simply because I got my mother a medical alarm, something that all seniors should be given by their loved ones or caretakers.

Now, if anything should happen to her, she need only push the button on her medical alarm to summon immediate help and have us notified.

Funny thing is, my mother is more relaxed now too. As we planned this summer’s wonderful and relaxing trip, my husband and I kept asking each other… “Why didn’t we think of this sooner?”

What makes us different? Usually, that’s the first thing a caller wants to know.

The answer is: we’re different because, for us,  its not enough to simply provide a service.

Look at it this way: we know, and you know, that you can obtain a medical alert service quite similar to ours from another company. Maybe it won’t be as attentive or as dedicated as ours, but it’ll be service nonetheless.

Don’t get us wrong, we’re proud of the service we offer, but for us, service is not where we stop. It’s where we begin.

And that’s what sets us apart: the fact that we offer something you can’t put a price on. We offer connection,  a connection to people who are committed to respond to your needs, your fears, your concerns. Throughout the decades we’ve been in business, we’ve noted that it’s connection that the families and users of medical alarm systems need and crave the most.

We really do care.

Contact us by email by letter or by phone. Remember that there are no stupid questions.

We know that our job isn’t to simply sell you things. Our job is to help put your mind at ease, to make life less stressful for you, to share our experience, to let you see that you’re not alone.

We don’t just say we care. We prove it. Time and again.

Anyone who has an elder loved one knows the fear of leaving them alone. You fear that your loved one will fall and be unable to get up; you fear that they will have a medical emergency and no way to dial 911.

The surest route to peace of mind is to provide your loved one with a quality Medical Alert System. Imagine how much better you’ll feel knowing that your loved one can garner immediate help with a simple push of a medical alert button.

And know that help is on the way.

Hi Jeff,

My grandmother had a medical alarm. She never wore it. She said it felt uncomfortable around her neck.

Once, she fell and hours passed before she could get to the phone for help. It was a traumatic event and I’ve always viewed it as the start of her gradual decline.

My grandmother died ten years ago. How I wish that she had had the advantage of today’s medical alarms which are lighter, more compact, easy to wear.

Mary

New York, NY

I wonder if every caregiver to an elderly person seems to harbor the same concern: that no matter how steadfastly they safeguard their elderly charge, they cannot constantly protect them for there will always be of necessity, those moments when they’re preoccupied, or busy, or simply looking the other way?

I find it terrifying to picture yourself as an elderly person. Of all the nightmare scenarios the imagination can produce, the one that causes me the greatest alarm is the image of yourself lying helpless on the bathroom or kitchen floor, confused and panicked, unable to summon aid.

I think your medical alarm system is the perfect answer to my fears.

Thank you,

Sarah

Phoenix, Arizona

Hello Jeff,

I am John and my mother has dimentia.

She is living at my sister’s house and my sister called me telling me my mother is getting up at night with illusions of living in another house with some other people and she needs to find them.

My mother lives with my father in my sister’s house and he’s fine. The problem is when he goes to sleep he doesn’t hear my mother getting up and traveling. She goes upstairs to my sisters bedroom and tells my sister stories. My sister takes her back to her room where my father is sleeping and tells her to go back to sleep. After my sister leaves my mother goes out the door and out into the night.

So far she has just gone next door or up the stairs to the front door where my sister catches her and talks her into going back to bed. My sister is afraid this will get worse.

What I’m looking for is some type of a bracelet my mom could wear that would sound an alarm upstairs to my sister’s room to let her know that my mother has gone on the move. Are there products such as this available?

John

REPLY:

Hi John,

This is a growing problem for senior citizens in our society.

Dimentia is the beginning of a huge caregiver problem as you are becoming quite aware. You are not alone, this problem causes great heartache for all caregivers.

My heart goes out to you and your sister.

What’s generally used in this situation is a wander alert not a medical alert system. The alert basically sounds a loud noise when the wanderer passes through an electronic perimeter set by you.

There are also systems that sound an alert anytime the senior citizen with dimentia gets out of bed.

Hope this helps,

Jeff

Many senior citizens have difficult feet for common shoe sizes.

There is a great solution to this problem. Otabo shoes makes a custom made, laser fitted shoe that is made in the USA. They can fit any size foot, any width and any length…and the good part is they can accommodate bunyons, hammer toes or an other foot problem.

They can even incorporate orthotics into the shoe fitting.

You can find out more about this at Jeffrey Zig’s shoe site…I know these guys are great, because they are one of our companies

Did you know…

That the number of caregivers in the US is estimated at one in every six Americans (46 million).

That 30% of those caregivers are elderly themselves?

That new studies confirm that while few caretakers will regret the time they’ve devoted to an elderly loved one, that devotion will extract a high price, costing many a caregiver dearly in terms of their own health, both physical and mental?

Caregiving is rewarding and often essential, but you shouldn’t underestimate its inherent perils:

Caregiving often precludes taking care of oneself.

Caregivers rarely get enough rest or relaxed time.

More than half of family caregivers are subject to chronic exposure to stress which results in significant symptoms of depression.

More than half appear to suffer from depressive symptoms.

The ongoing depression experienced by caregivers can result in chronic stress-related diseases among them diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease.

A recent survey of caretakers who described themselves as being in poor or fair health revealed that 91% of them suffer from clinical depression.

Please take the time to give yourself some relief!

For many proud seniors, living alone is their way of maintaining the independence that means so much.

A quality medical alert system offers a sure and simple way to protect this cherished lifestyle.

Why?

Because one push of the medical alert button allows your loved one to summon immediate help whenever it’s  needed. It gives a senior peace of mind knowing they are not alone.