Medical alert bracelets save lives of older adults living alone in Plovdiv

Dozens of elderly people living alone in villages around Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv (Southern Bulgaria) have been saved thanks to medical laert bracelets they wear daily on their wrists. Through these SOS devices, they are connected 24/7 with doctors and relatives, and their health is monitored multiple times a day.

Eighty-two-year-old Lilia Bogeva is one of the thirteen residents of the village of Kostievo near Plovdiv who wears the bracelet. She has been living alone for years and stays in constant contact with her daughter through the digital device.

"When you press the button, you can receive a call either from the call center or from my daughter. I always have someone I can reach out to for help immediately," said Lilia Bogeva.

Every four hours, the bracelets provide information on blood pressure, pulse, and temperature for the elderly users. Recently, a woman was saved after the bracelet showed that she had a high temperature.

"The user then remembers to measure her temperature. It was found to be 39.4°C. They immediately contacted the GP, who arrived on-site and diagnosed a severe bacterial infection," explained Sonya Kuneva, Director of Programmes and Projects for the Maritsa Municipality.

The digital device also shows if the person feels unwell. It detects if thet person has fainted and fallen to the ground.

"My daughter lives in Sofia. She calls me two to three times a day. It gives me a lot of peace of mind," noted Nikolinka Kaloferova.

Maritsa Municipality is a pioneer in this social service, which is now also being implemented in other villages. However, due to a reduced budget from the Ministry of Social Affairs, the digital bracelets have been drastically reduced.

"The ministry really needs to take a good look at best practices, because we have proven that this is a good practice, not only in Maritsa municipality, but for the whole of Bulgaria. And to allocate more funds for these people," said Dimitar Ivanov, Mayor of Maritsa Municipality.

The elderly people also hope that the service will continue. In addition to constant connectivity, they are visited at home by rehabilitation therapists, physiotherapists, cardiologists, and orthopaedists.