The latest trend in technology is called “wearable tech.” They are devices that you wear that monitor your health in one way or another. But while everyone is enamored with these new items, do not forget the original wearable tech — the emergency pendant from a medical alert system.

Sure, the smart watch and electronic wristbands come with all the bells and whistles; they can monitor your activities, and in the case of the watch, answer phone calls and take pictures. The emergency pendant has but one function, and it is a pretty big one — to save lives in the event of an emergency.

Unlike the new wearable tech, the emergency pendant is hooked up to a medical alert system. If the wearer has a problem, all he or she has to do is press the button and a signal will be sent to the base unit. A call will automatically be placed to a central monitoring center, where a trained operator will be in the line in moments, ready to help or send an ambulance to the person’s house. Not bad for such a low-tech device.

Even medical pendants are getting into the high-tech game. Some companies offer an option to equip the pendant with fall detection. If the wearer falls, it is automatically detected and sends the signal to the base unit without the wearer having to press the button. This is crucial in the event the fall knocks the person unconscious or if it leaves him or her unable to press the button for whatever reason. Let’s see some watch do that!

Certainly there is nothing wrong with these wearable devices. But do not lose fact that this is really not a new invention. Medical pendants have been around for some 40 years, since medical alert systems were introduced. And they have withstood the test of time.