By Rosalie Okaty
Would you or a loved one benefit from a
Personal Emergency Response System (PERS)? A
PERS is an electronic device designed to allow
people with disabilities or older people living
alone to summon help in an emergency.
People use PERS for various reasons, such as
general concerns about falling, needing
reminders about when to take medications, or to
allow loved ones or caregivers to run errands or
go out for a while without worry. Others, like
John, may have medical conditions that affect
their ability to be alone and still be able to
call for assistance.
John had in-home care nearly all the time,
but his caregiver had taken a quick trip to the
pharmacy to pick up his medications.
Suddenly, he needed help, but found himself all
alone. He hadn’t been in this position for
as long as he could remember and he was
frightened by his feelings of fear and
helplessness.
Thanks to a PERS, John was able to call for
help that responded in just seconds. Once
he pressed the button he wore around his neck,
remote call answering began communicating with
John without him ever having to get to the
phone.
The call for help was received at a centrally
monitored response center, where trained
response associates have complete access to
John’s personal profile and critical
information. They quickly found out why
John needed help and took action.
The response center can assess the situation
and get help from a close neighbor or family
member, or an ambulance, fire, or police
department, when needed. If John had been
unable to indicate his needs, emergency help
would have been dispatched immediately.
Not only do PERs devices provide peace of
mind to the person with limited physical
abilities, but caregivers can also feel secure
in knowing that their friend or family member is
well cared for. Continuous caregiving can
lead to exhaustion, putting the friend or family
member at risk. Having reliable help just
seconds away is a comfort to everyone.
Aside from the two-way voice communicator, a
selection of specially designed assistive
devices can be used with a PERS to give
individuals with neuromuscular disabilities the
ability to call for help. An assessment by an
occupational or physical therapist may be needed
to determine which assistive device would be
most appropriate.
Examples of assistive devices include:
Pillow Switch that can be pinned to a
pillow and activated by a controlled head
movement.
Wobble Switch that can be activated by
gross body or head movements coming from any
direction.
Rocker Lever Switch that is activated by
gross hand, arm or body movements or by a
mouth or head stick.
Sip or Puff Switch that is activated by
sipping or puffing on a tube depending on
availability of breath control or
respiratory control.
P-Switch, which is activated by minimal
movement, detected by small sensors (set by
the user) and can be placed on any part of
the body capable of minimal motion.
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