Choosing a Medical Alert Device

Transcript of Interview: ” Choosing a Medical Alert Device”

Mike Barnes:

I think when we were younger, we kind of laughed at the fact that there was the commercial, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” It was funny; we all laughed. But as we get older and see our parents get older, now it’s almost like a nightmare situation. I don’t want that to happen to Mom or Dad.

Kim Barnes:

Because it feels a little bit more like it’s a reality that could happen, and we don’t want anything to happen to our parents. Today we’re bringing in Richard Hirsch from Unaliware to talk about fall detection devices and help cut through some of the confusion because there is a lot of confusion. Richard, we know that we want our parents to hopefully stay more independent. We want, of course, to know if they fall, but it can be pretty complicated. We get a lot of questions about people seeing ads and not really knowing what the differences are or what to choose.

Richard Hirsch:

Well, thank you for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here, and hopefully, we can provide some clarity and some simplicity around this process for people that will watch this video. My company, Unaliware, makes what’s called the Kanega Watch. It’s a medical alert watch with fall detection, and it’s the only watch on the market that connects to a response center that has fall detection. There is a lot of confusion in this space. People start going online or calling companies, and there are many different companies out there, many of them offering the same thing.
When you think about fall detection, the vast majority of options out there require you to wear a pendant around your neck. For many people, that’s a deal-breaker. The “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” commercials that Mike referenced are funny to young people but really embarrassing and stigmatizing to older people. Even though these devices and the entire industry do a great job of protecting people, keeping them safe, independent, and helping them in an emergency in ways that nothing else can do, only about seven percent of people 65 and older, and maybe 10 percent of those 75 and older, have one of these devices. They’re voting with their perspective about not wanting to wear a pendant, so they choose to wear nothing, which is really challenging and kind of scary for both themselves and their loved ones.

Kim Barnes:

We know that if someone wears a fall detection device or some sort of medical alert device, it can be life-saving.

Richard Hirsch:

I mean, Forbes just did research and interviewed 2,000 people who have medical alert devices, not just ours, but the entire industry, including pendants and watch products. Eighty-six percent of them said that the device or system had saved them in an emergency or prevented an event from escalating to an emergency where they would need help. So, you’re talking about something that costs a couple of dollars a day, sometimes less, sometimes a little more, and yet that system or device can keep you in your home, living independently longer, out of the hospital, out of nursing homes, living the life you want to live for an extended period. Yet, people choose not to get it because of the shame factor and stigmatization associated with wearing pendants. The data shows that even when someone gets one of these medical alert pendants, they’re only wearing it about 30 percent of the time. You can imagine all the reasons why someone wouldn’t wear it: they’re embarrassed by it, some aren’t waterproof so you can’t wear them in the shower, you have to take them off to charge, and at night, they can cause a potential choking issue with the length of the pendant. As you turn over in bed, it could twist, or it could press against your chest and wake you up, or the alert could go off by mistake. How many times does something like that have to happen before someone says, “I’m done with this”? Yeah, right. And the same thing with a loved one. So, we feel like our company has built a much better mousetrap and identified all the reasons why someone wouldn’t wear a device like this and designed a device that answers all of those questions.

Kim Barnes:

Yeah, because the pendant or any medical alert device is only as good as if you’re wearing it and have it accessible to detect when you fall or call for help.

Mike Barnes:

It’s so important because every time I go to the doctor’s checkup with my dad, that’s one of the questions that’s asked: “Well, John, have you fallen?” About a year ago, the answer was yes. I didn’t realize it, and he said, “Yeah, I fell a couple of months ago.” I asked, “Are you okay?” He said, “Yeah, I just fell into the wall, got up, and was a little sore for a couple of days.” You hear that and think, “Oh my gosh, maybe every aging person needs to wear something like this.” We need to convince them that it’s another layer of protection, that safety measure is good for them.

Richard Hirsch:

Yeah, it’s just hard because, going back to what you said originally, Mike, the stigmatization of the industry—it should be a device that makes you feel freer and protected, like a home security system. But in the end, it’s been perceived with such embarrassment and stigmatization that people push it off until an event takes place. That’s when they or their loved ones start to get serious. The challenge is that just like what happened with your dad, the definition of what an event is for the wearer or the senior is different from what the loved ones feel. There’s this back and forth about when to start thinking about getting something like this. They get into the process, and it can be confusing and complicated. A lot of these companies are very aggressive. When you call, they want you to buy right then and there; it’s a bit of a boiler room mentality. People try to put it off for as long as possible because the whole experience can be stressful—stressful in getting it, researching it, and getting someone to wear it. If you have other challenges with your loved one, where does this fit in the priority list? It always becomes challenging.

Kim Barnes:

So you really tried to, with the Kanega Watch, make something that people would want to wear, correct?

Richard Hirsch:

Yes. A watch is great because it gives you benefits and builds a habit every day. You get the time, the date, and the Kanega Watch also has medication reminders. It’s voice-activated as well, so you can talk to it. It’s a bit of a fun personal device. It isn’t just a hunk of plastic sitting around your neck in case something happens. You get benefits every day. For people who like wearing watches, you’re not asking them to do anything different, just to change the device on their wrist.

Kim Barnes:

And it looks like a watch. It doesn’t look like a big…

Mike Barnes:

Right, it’s a watch. You compared it earlier to an alarm system at home. You buy the alarm system and then pay a monthly fee. It’s the same type of thing, no matter what you’re wearing. Is that correct?

Richard Hirsch:

Yes, correct. You get a number of benefits for the monthly subscription. You actually don’t buy the watch, and many of these devices you don’t buy because the device has no value if you turn off the monitoring feature. The alert goes to a monitoring center, whether that’s by pushing the crown button of the watch, using your voice to ask for help, or the fall detection kicking in. It goes to a monitoring center that has all the wearer’s information and will try to communicate with the wearer directly. Through the watch, they’ll say, “Unaliwear emergency response, how can we help you?” If the person is conscious, they direct whatever care they need. It isn’t just an ambulance. That’s another misnomer about this and true for the companies that make pendants as well as us. Once they’re talking to you, if you’re the wearer and you’re conscious, you get to decide what happens next. You’re still empowered. We’ve had situations where people say, “Hey, just call my daughter and have her come over to my house to get the blankets in the top of the closet because I’m cold.” That’s a perfect reason to use this. The monitoring center has all your emergency contacts and can call on your behalf, or they can call for police or fire. It’s seen as a medical alert device industry, but it’s much broader in terms of benefits and features. It’s critical to have both the monitoring center available 24/7/365 and the watch connecting exclusively through Verizon cellular, which is considered the most reliable and consistent coverage. It works in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, wherever you are, not just in your home. When you’re home, it automatically connects through your home Wi-Fi, which is more reliable for communication than cellular. When you leave your house, it switches to Verizon cellular service. The monthly subscription gives you a lot of benefits. Without those services, you’re basically having devices that connect only to 911, which can be challenging as the initial line of attack.

Kim Barnes:

Thinking about the usability or wearability of the Kanega Watch, you can just leave it on all the time, even when you shower.

Richard Hirsch:

Yes, and because of our patented battery system, you never have to remove it to charge. It’s waterproof and has a rechargeable battery system on the watch, so you change the batteries while it stays on your wrist. You never have to take it off.
Can you demonstrate quickly?
Sure. Our wake word is not Alexa or Siri but something understood by our population. I’ll demonstrate the Kanega Watch. Fred Astaire, get help. You have to say FA. You can also ask for the time or date. The watch lights up and shows the time in clear black-on-white lettering, large and easy to read even with macular degeneration. It lights up as you turn it to your face. You can use voice activation for various functions. The wearer in this example is 103 years old and has no problem changing the batteries. The batteries are not insubstantial; they lock into the watch and take about five seconds to switch. We provide a charger and two additional rechargeable batteries. You take out the battery, put it in the charger, and replace it with another. It takes about five seconds. We suggest doing it when you brush your teeth at night.

Kim Barnes:

That’s great. You’re ensuring that people have no reason to remove it and forget to put it back on. It’s really well-designed. How does it compare to the Apple Watch, which also has fall detection but is more complicated?

Richard Hirsch:

The Apple Watch is a great product, but it’s not designed for seniors. It’s a complicated device to set up and use. The touch screen is challenging for many seniors because, as you get older, you naturally dehydrate, and the moisture in your fingertips dries up. That’s why seniors often struggle with touch screens. Imagine that challenge on a small watch screen. The Apple Watch also requires removal to charge and often doesn’t last a full day. It only connects to 911, not to a monitoring center with your medical information. The Kanega Watch provides those additional benefits and ensures help is always available.

Kim Barnes:

Richard, you’ve helped clear up a lot of confusion. Thank you so much for all of your expert advice.

Richard Hirsch:

Thank you for having me. I wish you all the best and stay well and safe.

Mike Barnes:

I think it’s very interesting for all of us to hear because, again, you think of the commercial, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up,” but there’s so much more involved. As we worry about our parents, it’s important to know about other options, whether it’s a pendant or a watch, especially the watch. It’s amazing how helpful it can be.

Kim Barnes:

And that it can be a life-saving device, but you have to wear it. Finding one that they will wear is crucial.

Mike Barnes:

Remember, if you have any other subjects you’d like us to talk about, let us know. Parenting Aging Parents.

*This transcript is auto-generated. Please excuse any typos or mistakes.