Staying Healthy
Choosing a high-tech alerting device
Medical alerting devices are effective tools for people who want to live independently and safely in their own homes. The wearable devices summon help immediately in a medical emergency, such as a bad fall, a stroke, or a heart attack. Unfortunately, the devices are underused. "Many older adults agree to use a device only after a medical emergency when they've been traumatized by the experience of being stuck in a bathtub, lying on the floor, or suffering from a cardiac or neurological event," says Barbara Moscowitz, a geriatric social worker at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.
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