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Posted by Zoe Stitt on July 1, 2022
We’ve all experienced a trip, slip, fall, not looked where we were going, stumbled over the rug, or missed the last step at some point in our lives – it’s not a big deal, right?
Wrong!
Slips and falls account for over 250,000 hospitalisations a year, and that only takes into account the people who visited hospitals and were treated.
Imagine if we included the people who had fallen at home but didn’t require hospital treatment, the figure would be much higher.
Slips, trips and falls can have disastrous mental and physical consequences for those with limited mobility or conditions that limit movement and dexterity.
If you live alone or spend time alone at home, whilst other household members aren’t there, falling can be a significant concern.
Sustaining an injury is traumatic enough, but if you cannot get up from where you’ve fallen, having to remain there until someone comes home or visits can be terrifying.
Due to an understandable lack of confidence, you might limit your movements at home like missing out on going into the garden for fear of travelling further than necessary.
It isn’t just at home that physical well-being suffers as an effect of fall anxiety. People are less inclined to head out for walks, fearing that the consequences could be dire if they are alone and fall. It’s not difficult to see why the fear of falling has such a psychological effect on people.
You may be thinking that you aren’t prone to falling, or you can’t remember the last time you took a tumble, but it’s interesting to note that 1 in 3 adults over 65, and half of the people over 80, will have at least one fall in 12 months.
It’s so important that people don’t lose their confidence and suffer due to worrying about falls and trips. That’s why we’ve partnered with Taking Care. We want to give people their independence back and help them live full and happy lives.
Taking Care offers a range of fantastic solutions that do just that, and we’re going to take a look at – Taking Care Anywhere.
Taking Care Anywhere is a revolutionary fall detector and personal alarm package that connects to an Emergency Resolution Team that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. This means that day or night, someone is there should you fall, so you can feel reassured that help is on hand day and night.
Unlike other personal alarm systems, this innovative aid includes a pre-fitted, multi-network sim with fantastic coverage almost anywhere in the UK.
In the form of a pendant worn around the neck, the sleek and discreet Taking Care Anywhere alarm isn’t cumbersome or intrusive, making it easy to wear all day long. It can also be clipped to a belt or key ring if wearing it around your neck isn’t for you.
The Taking Care Anywhere alarm is water-resistant up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) for half an hour, meaning it can be worn in the bathroom and shower, a room in which falls are most prevalent due to the slippery surfaces. Being water-resistant, the alarm allows you to shower and bathe with complete confidence.
One of the fantastic features of this personal alarm system is that the pendant has a built-in GPS. This means that should you fall almost anywhere in the UK, the team can pinpoint your location with GPS and arrange help to come right to you.
The package also comes with a spare pendant that can be used at home or in the garden so that you still have peace of mind to go about your daily tasks, even when charging your main GPS pendant.
However, don’t worry about remembering to charge your GPS pendant daily or even weekly. The pendant has a battery that will hold a charge for between one and two months, depending on use. When you want to charge it, pop it on the home unit included with the package.
The best feature of this personal alarm system, and it’s hard to pick as there are so many, is the fall detection.
A significant concern for people is that should they fall and be unable to press the alarm in situations like a heart attack or loss of consciousness; the alarm is rendered useless. Taking Care has developed a fantastic solution to this in the form of a – fall detector.
The detector uses detailed algorithms to detect serious falls and automatically alerts Taking Care’s Emergency Resolution Team. Taking Care have three specialist Emergency Resoluton Centres in the UK that answer alarm calls 24-hours a day so you can be sure they will answer quickly and arrange for help to reach you. The algorithm is designed to send an alert where impact is notable, minimising the risk of false alarms.
In situations where the fall detector isn’t required, or you can alert manually, a button on the pendant triggers the same response as the fall alarm does. This device isn’t just for falls; if you feel unwell, require assistance, or need emergency help, the alarm button can be used for these, too.
You might be wondering exactly what happens once the Emergency Resolution Team are alerted. There are several options available however, the first thing that will happen is that you will be able to speak to a team member through the pendant, which includes a speaker and microphone. The team member can then call family or friends on pre-agreed numbers or contact emergency services for you.
If you cannot speak to the team when connected to them for any reason, the GPS gives them your location.
So don’t worry; help will always be at hand, no matter the situation.
Taking Care are so confident you’ll love this product that they offer a 30-day risk-free trial. If within those 30 days you decide any of the Taking Care alarms aren’t for you, they’ll refund the total cost of the product.
This technology and package are life-changing. We all deserve to feel safe, and this is a fantastic way of doing so.