Panic buttons have not always been standard in home security packages, but as wireless solutions have become ever more reliable they have grown in popularity. These days, with the option of bespoke, modular smart home security systems like SafelyTeam’s on the market, Panic Buttons are becoming a home security must have.
Panic buttons and personal alarms have been used for decades in the care sector, and they are really useful for older people. If you aren’t caring for anyone older or disabled you might be asking, what’s the point in a panic button? Or, why would I need a panic button?
The truth is, now that panic buttons are widely available, affordable and discreet, they have plenty of potentially life-saving applications in family life, as well as in the workplace. Here are SafelyTeam’s top ten situations where a panic button could help.
An Intruder in Your Home
It’s a scary prospect, and luckily an unusual occurrence, but if an intruder breaks into your home you can use a panic alarm to alert friends and family that you are in trouble. Panic buttons like SafelyTeams can be discreetly installed on flat surfaces like the side of a cupboard or the underside of a table, or they can be worn around your wrist or even kept in your pocket. At present, the SafelyTeam panic button contacts friends, family members and anyone else on a list that’s customisable on our app. There are plans to add the option of contacting an alarms centre too, so that the authorities can be quickly dispatched as soon as they are needed.
You receive an unwelcome guest
It’s not only intruders who can be threatening. Sometimes, a guest who was let in willingly can end up making you feel threatened or uncomfortable. Just like in the case of an intruder, you will want to quickly and silently alert as many people as possible to the situation. SafelyTeam’s panic button is silent, too, so even if you are in the same room as your unwelcome guest or intruder they won’t be aware that you have used a panic button or in any way let others that you are in trouble.
Protecting Loved Ones From Falls
Falls are a fact of life, especially as we get older. If you look after or live with an elderly or disabled loved one who is prone to falls, a panic button is a great idea. In fact, the peace of mind a panic button provides allows many people who are at risk of falling a better quality of life. SafelyTeam’s panic buttons can be worn on the body, around the wrist or neck, making sure they’re always on hand when their user has a fall. Without panic buttons, older people who fall and can’t move are often left alone for a long time, while others injure themselves further trying to reach a phone or the front door. A panic button solves both of those problems, as after a fall a panic button user can quickly and easily call for help. Of course, falls are not something we want to happen to our loved ones, but short of wrapping ageing parents up in cotton wool, or really impinging on their quality of life and privacy by (and our own) by tending to them 24/7, we can’t totally stop falls from happening. Help arriving quickly, especially from someone trusted, is one of the best ways to improve outcomes post-fall, and a panic button is the best way to get help fast.
A Younger Child Helping a Parent
Would your child know how to help if you were unconscious? Many young children are not aware of what to do if the adult caring from them suffers an injury, has an epileptic fit, gies into anaphylactic shock or is otherwise incapacitated. Of course, teaching your child to make emergency calls is a good idea, but it is simple, as a back-up, to show them how to use a panic button and explain in an understandable way when they should do so. This is particularly useful if you’re a parent or carer with a specific medical condition, say diabetes or epilepsy, and there’s an increased danger of you losing consciousness. With SafelyTeam’s panic button, a message is sent to everyone on a contact list set by the smart home security system’s administrator or administrators (aka the adults of the household). This list can include several friends and family members, as well as neighbours who can check on things quickly.
Leaving Teens Alone in the House
When kids reach a certain age they inevitably begin asking to be left at home alone to avoid things like helping with trips to the supermarket. Deciding when your child is ready to be left alone for a couple of hours (and eventually for longer) is personal, and depends on the child’s maturity and life skills as well as on how comfortable you, as a parent, feel leaving them (though the NSPCC recommend that children under 12 should not be left at home alone for long stretches). A panic button can help both you and your child feel more at ease when they’re home alone. With a SafelyTeam panic button your child will always be able to get in touch with you, even if they have lost or broken their phone. No one wants to imagine their child having an accident while alone, but a panic button will also help if your kid or kids get hurt when you’re not there, getting them the help they need fast. Whether your kids let themselves in after school every day, or are only occasionally left alone for a few minutes while you pop out for essentials, a personal panic alarm could help along the path to maturing and enjoying more freedom.
Slipping in the bath or tub
There’s a reason our panic buttons are water resistant! You might not think it, but the bathroom is statistically the most dangerous room in most homes, at least statistically. Of course, if you or a loved one is older or disabled you might well already be thinking about slipping in the bath or shower as a danger. It might even be the fear that set you thinking about a panic alarm. But did you know that 15-24 year olds actually end up in A&E with bath or shower related injuries more often that over-85s? It would be difficult to get a teen to take a panic button in to the bathroom every time they shower, but some panic buttons, such as those available from SafelyTeam in both our Safety Package and as an option in our bespoke smart home security system, can also be attached easily and securely to flat surfaces.
Safety for Your Small Business
If you run a small business and have to leave an employee alone in the office from time to time, a panic button which will contact you (and any other upper-level employees) directly is a good idea. Just like panic buttons at home, it can be used in the case of injury or illness, as well as if there is an intruder in the business property.
Safety for Lone Workers
Another use of panic buttons in a work setting is having them in interview rooms where professionals like counsellors, therapists or social workers are usually alone with clients. SafelyTeam’s panic buttons can be attached to the underside of a table or chair in seconds, so that if things get heated or the lone-working professional feels threatened she can hit the button and someone at the front desk or on the security team can come and defuse the situation.
Caring for a Sick Loved One
As much as we want to be at home to care for family members when they’re unwell, many of us have schedules that keep us out of the house most of the day. If you have to leave a loved one at home with a fever, gastrointestinal distress or any other moderate illness you might both feel safer if you give them a panic button to use in case things get worse. With a SafelyTeam panic button you can put yourself on the contact list and make sure your phone is near you all day, but you can also add a neighbour or a friend who lives very close by and will be able to check on the patient quickly.
Peace of Mind if you Live Alone
This is a slightly more open-ended reason to invest in a panic button as part of your smart home security system. Along with the other smart home alarms offered by SafelyTeams, a panic button can do a lot to make you feel safe, secure and comfortable at home if you live alone. No matter how safe your neighbourhood, how close your neighbours or how careful you are there’s just more risk of both injuries and crime if you live alone. Whether you’re attempting solo DIY or whipping up dinner for one in the kitchen when an accident happens, if you’re alone it will usually take you longer to get help, and potentially even longer to work out what to do! A panic alarm like SafelyTeams’ allows you to act quickly and decisively to take control of difficult situations when they occur. Plus, knowing your panic alarm or alarms are close by and functional can relieve anxiety and make your home a more enjoyable, relaxing place to be. With a ten-year battery life and a water-resistant design, SafelyTeam’s panic buttons are a fantastic, durable investment in your own comfort and safety!
That’s our top ten, but there are many more possible uses for a panic button. If you’re interested in finding out more about modern smart home security options, including solutions for wellness, security and safety, why not follow SafelyTeam on social media or subscribe to our newsletter?