A free panic button is good enough when a reliable person answers the phone at three in the morning and can reach your parent quickly. It stops being good enough when no such person exists, because a button with no monthly monitoring usually contacts 911 or a designated family member instead of a professional monitoring center.
If you bought a wearable panic button for elderly parents and it ended up in a drawer, the problem is probably not the feature list. The device your parent keeps wearing is the one that looks like an ordinary accessory, stays comfortable through sleep and everyday use, does not need to come off for charging, and that they had a real say in choosing.
A panic button for elderly parents is a small help button, worn on the wrist or around the neck or mounted on a wall, that lets an older adult call for help with a single press. On monitored systems, that press reaches a 24/7 monitoring center where an agent can already have your parent’s address, medical information, and emergency contacts on file.
Older adults across the US are living longer and more independently than any previous generation, and personal emergency response systems have become a frontline tool in enabling that. In this guide, we cover how PERS works, what separates home-based from mobile coverage, and what to look for when choosing a device for yourself or someone you love.
Devices with no monthly fee typically work by texting pre-selected contacts (known in the industry as "spray and pray") or dialing 911 directly. Both have real limitations: family members miss calls, silence their phones, or may be hours away. A 911 dispatcher works from scratch with no knowledge of the caller's medical history, home access details, and can only help by dispatching emergency services.
A professional monitoring subscription provides a higher level of safety. When triggered, the device puts a trained agent on the line quickly, often faster than 911. The agent already has the wearer's full profile on screen, including medical conditions, emergency contacts, and home access information. They can contact a neighbor for a minor incident or dispatch emergency services if needed.
All AARP members and Military Veterans receive a FREE month added onto the end of the first year of service (offers cannot be combined). Use coupon code AARP or Veteran during checkout (right before you enter your credit card information) or mention it when ordering over the phone (888-343-1513).
If you want to order multiple watches, great! Otherwise, please click the cart icon and remove any extras from your cart prior to checking out. Contact our sales line at 1-888-343-1513 if you need assistance.
UnaliWear’s patented RealFall™ technology is based on actual fall data from Kanega Watch wearers and gets smarter about each wearer’s personal movements over time— continuously improving fall detection accuracy and limiting/eliminating false alerts. No other medical alert system offers this real fall/related movement learning and continuous improvement technology. Click here to learn more.
