Why Personal Alarms Make the Perfect Christmas Gift for Seniors

How do you choose a thoughtful gift for an elderly loved one?

There are many ways to approach this question. You could try to get something related to one of their hobbies or favourite pastimes. But this can be tricky – if their hobby is specialised, it’s easy to buy the wrong thing. Plus, they might already have that album, book or piece of equipment.

You could just aim to pick out something pretty or appealing, like a decoration. But in a smaller house or apartment, decorative items can start to feel more like clutter. And fashion is an even more delicate subject. It’s not easy to know what size or aesthetic to choose.

These troubles are why we suggest giving your older relative some of the most valuable gifts of all – independence and peace of mind. These things won’t take up space in a storage box and will never go out of style.

But how can you buy something like peace of mind? By purchasing a personal alarm for the elderly. Read on as we explain…

What is a personal alarm for the elderly?

A personal alarm is a small device that can be worn as a pendant on a necklace or on your wrist, resembling a smart watch.

Either way, its purpose is to call for help if something dangerous happens while no people are around to assist an older person. When no phone is within grasp and no-one is near to hear, the alarm is still there, raising the alert and getting help fast.

This function is obviously crucial for seniors who live by themselves. But it’s also important for any elderly person who’s sometimes alone – whether that’s because their spouse has gone to the shops, their carer has gone home for the night or they are just taking a walk in the beautiful outdoors.

How does a personal alarm provide peace of mind?

Older people often have more fragile health and are more at risk of many adverse events, including heart attacks, strokes and dangerous falls.

Knowing this, a senior may wonder – ‘What would happen if an emergency struck when no-one else was with me?’ They might even begin to feel anxious about living alone.

That’s not a completely baseless fear. These medical crises are exactly the kind of situation when speedy help is needed. When assistance isn’t available, the consequences can be severe. For example, if an elderly person isn’t able to get up from the floor after a fall, they can experience what’s called a ‘long lie’ – and this can have harmful outcomes like dehydration, hypothermia, pressure sores and a fear of walking in future.

In fact, at SureSafe, when we listen to our customers’ stories, we find that they often choose to purchase an alarm after an older loved one has experienced an incident like a fall or a heart attack while alone. These situations can be distressing, so relatives want to provide peace of mind about what will happen if similar emergencies occur in future. And that’s exactly what personal alarms do.

But it’s even better if you can purchase the alarm before the first crisis occurs. That way, your older relative is protected from ever having to feel the worry of not knowing when someone will come to help them get up from the floor or get medical treatment.

How does a personal alarm provide independence?

It’s well known among experts in ageing that older people generally thrive most when they can remain living independently in their own homes. The feeling of having control over their own lives and inhabiting their own space is invaluable.

As a person becomes older, they might need a little more support to do this – but these efforts are more than worth it if they can protect the elderly person’s independence.

Some examples of such supports are cleaning services or ‘meals on wheels’. Another essential support is a personal alarm, which ensures an older person isn’t cut off from the world even when no-one is nearby.

With these services in place, an older person can continue to go about their daily routines, just with a little extra layer of assistance and protection. Although they’ll be living by themselves, they won’t be truly alone as long as they’re wearing their personal alarm.

What functions does my personal alarm need?

If you’re looking to purchase a personal alarm as a gift, what functionalities should you look for? There are two main ways in which a personal alarm calls for help. You could choose an alarm that has just one of these, but we often recommend getting an alarm that does both, such as the SureSafeGO.

Fall detection

One key function of elderly personal alarms is automatic fall detection. Alarms with this feature have sensors that feed into an algorithm determining whether the wearer has fallen or not. If the alarm’s algorithm concludes that it is sensing a fall, it will send out a distress call automatically, without any input from the wearer required.

As you can imagine, that makes all the difference to an elderly person who is unconscious and not able to take any action to get help.

One-touch SOS buttons

The other core function of personal alarms is the one-touch SOS button.

These buttons allow an older person to call for help as easily and quickly as possible. All they have to do is press and hold a single button. This is crucial because dialling a phone may not be possible in an emergency – the phone may be out of reach or the older person may feel so unwell that they can’t manage to dial it. But a one-touch button requires only one tiny movement, and the alarm is worn on the body, so it’s always available.

Get a thoughtful Christmas gift from a trusted UK alarm provider

A personal alarm for the elderly is the perfect gift because it makes so many other great things possible. It’s the gift of a happy day at home, free from worries about what might happen if an emergency happens.

But how can you get started with obtaining a personal alarm?

Well, you’ll want to go to a leading provider of personal alarms in the UK. You’ll probably also want to check out some reviews to sure you’re getting an easy-to-use, reliable device.

In other words – you want SureSafe, a leader in the field with glowing ratings on Trustpilot and reviews.io.

Looking for more information about what alarm might be best for your older relative? Just reach out to us – we’ll be delighted to chat with you. We’re available by phone on 0808 189 1671 or by live chat. You can also request a call back.