“How do I get one of those buttons to wear in case I fall?”
This is a question we health navigators at the Dallas County Health Department are asked frequently.
A personal emergency response system can literally save lives. The suffering experienced from a fall isn’t always caused by the fall itself. Sometimes the real damage comes from lying there afterwards, possibly for a very long time.
An individual who has reduced strength may not be able to get up from the floor, or the person may have fallen in an awkward spot, such as between a wall and a bed or in a narrow space in the bathroom.
There are many brands of emergency fall buttons. Read the tips from the independent nonprofit Consumer Reports Inc. to help you choose.
The Health Navigation program at the Dallas County Health Department is dedicated to assisting anyone who lives in our county with locating information and services that increase health and well-being.
If you or a loved one would like the extra layer of security that an emergency response button could provide, the health navigators can walk you through some options. Call 515-993-3750 or email phn@dallascountyiowa.gov.
Ann Cochran is the health navigation coordinator in the Dallas County Public Health Department.
