Home medical alert systems may cost less than half as much as nursing homes

Before Sebastian Pagano’s son, Anthony, had found a VA program to help with in-home care needs, he had been looking into nursing home options, according to NewsWorks.org. However, Anthony soon realized that there was a way he could help care for his father while maintaining his regular work schedule.

Sebastian has multiple sclerosis and spends most of the time lying on the bed of his New Jersey home. Thanks to the Veterans Directed Home and Community Based Services, the senior is able to hire professional help and compensate his son for 40 hours a week of work. He gets in touch with his son through a doorbell attached to the wall, which acts as a home medical alert system.

The initiative has made it possible for Sebastian to age safely at home, which has not only made him happier, but may have saved the family a lot of money. One official estimate predicts that installing a personal emergency response system as a healthcare solution may cost less than half as much as placing a senior in a nursing home, the news source reports.

This type of program, known as Cash & Counseling, has seen significant growth in recent years. It is now available in 15 states across the country, according to the initiative’s website.

Portable and realtively inexpensive alert systems that can move with the person are also available, and the cost may well be within reach for the benefits that result. Compare, for example, the cost of the Bay Alarm Medical alert systems with the Philips Lifeline cost. There’s a big difference, so it will pay to shop around if going this route.