Riverside Home Security: Home Security, Medical Alert and Alarm Systems: Advancements for Seniors and Shut-Ins
Senior citizens and shut-ins no longer need to fear living alone. A retired Southern California police officer explains how improvements in two-way voice technologies can enhance the physical an emotional well being of those who have little choice but to spend most of their time at home. Watchdog Security Services, a home security and medical alert systems provider, serves the needs of homeowners in the following Riverside and San Bernardino communities: Riverside, San Bernardino, Hemet, Menifee, Wildomar, Murrieta, Temecula, Corona, Palm Springs,.Moreno Valley, Redlands, Victorville, Ontario, Rialto, Lake Elsinore, Rancho Cucamonga, Sun City, and Chino Hills.
Riverside, CA (PRWEB) September 8, 2004 -- Mabel is 86 and fiercely
independent. Widowed for seven years and coping with rheumatoid arthritis, she
still loves living in the cozy single-story home she and her husband Frank built
nearly 40 years ago.
Her daughter, Jane, her husband, Paul, and their
two young children live just an hour away, and Mabel enjoys her grandchildren’s
frequent visits. She has a close-knit circle of friends and plays bridge once a
week at the local senior center.
While Mabel still misses her husband,
she still finds life satisfying. Positive attitude aside, her arthritis seems to
get a little worse with each passing month and she worries about one day
falling, breaking a bone and, living alone, not being able to summon help.
Jane and Paul, a police officer, are also concerned about Mabel’s
declining health, as well as the increasing number of burglaries and assaults on
seniors in Mabel’s part of town. They have suggested that Mabel consider moving
to an assisted living facility but she is adamant about maintaining her
independence and staying where she is most comfortable – in her own
home.
Mabel’s situation is typical of many seniors and shut-ins who now
find themselves living alone. The need to remain as independent as possible
conflicts with the twin realities of declining health and increasing
crime.
Advances in home security and medical alert technologies are
helping solve those legitimate conflicts. According to Nigel Smithers, President
and CEO of Watchdog Protection Industries, Inc. recent advances in “two way
voice” technologies are providing improved peace of mind for not only senior
citizens and shut-ins, but their loved ones as well.
“These new two-way
voice systems combine the best features of traditional security alarms and
dedicated medical alert devices,” he says. “When a subscriber experiences a
medical emergency and cannot reach a phone, he or she has only to press a button
on a neck pendant or wristband and the alarm monitoring company operator
activates the ‘two way’ feature.
“This puts the subscriber in direct
voice contact with an operator using a speaker/microphone built into the alarm
panel which can be heard from anywhere in the home. If the victim has fallen and
cannot get up, for example, the operator immediately dispatches local medical
personnel to the home, all the while reassuring the victim that help is on the
way by maintaining voice dialogue through the alarm panel. The built-in
microphone is very sensitive, and can pick up even a whisper from anywhere
within a 2500 square foot home,” Smithers says.
The technology goes a
lot further than that, Smithers explains. “Part of the system features a ’lack
of use’ sensor, which alerts the monitoring station if the user fails to arm or
disarm the alarm within a specified period of time. Thus, if the client cannot
get out of bed or has lapsed into a coma, emergency personnel and relatives are
notified right away.”
The same features help protect the user in case of
a break-in. “If the alarm system is armed and someone attempts to gain entry, a
siren will sound and the monitoring operator will activate the two-way voice
channel., attempting to contact the client,” Smithers says.
If the
client answers and provides a predetermined password indicating that all is
well, no further action is taken. On the other hand, if the client does not
respond, the operator will listen for signs of a struggle or an intruder moving
around and immediately dispatch local law enforcement. Knowing that a true
emergency is occurring, police can respond in enough time, and in enough force,
to effectively deal with the situation.
“The real break throughs are cost
and ease of use,” Smithers says. “Compared to mere medical alert systems, this
advanced technology can be obtained for just a couple more dollars a month which
helps those on fixed incomes to take advantage of a full range of services
without breaking the budget.”
“They are not the least bit complicated
either so they are also very user friendly,” he says.
As a former police
officer himself with over 20 years experience, Smithers knows first-hand the
difference between responding to a burglary in progress where a victim’s life
and safety are in peril, or to a mere alarm activation which may or may not be a
false alarm.
According to Smithers, “Combined with wireless security
technology, these new two-way voice systems offer reliability and fast, clean
installations. The user’s privacy is assured, as the two-way voice feature is
only activated when a security sensor is tripped or when the user calls for help
by pressing either a button on the control panel or on the neck
pendant.”
“The result is that seniors like Mabel can enjoy living
independently with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that they are no
longer really alone, even if they live alone,” he concluded.
Watchdog
Protection Industries, Inc. is a state licensed alarm installation and service
company based in Hemet, CA that specializes in designing and supplying
integrated home security and medical alert systems. He can personally be reached
via the email hyperlink in the right hand column reached by phone at (951)
929-8800. Inquiries outside the Inland Empire can be directed to Monitronics
Internation (www.monitronics.com).
# # #
Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/9/prweb155794.htm