One of the biggest dilemmas during the holiday season is what type of gift to purchase for your parents. What do you get people who have been around for many, many decades and already have a house filled with things they never seem to use? You might want to consider something that is actually useful and could potentially save their lives someday — a medical alert system.

The first thing you might say to that is, “Well, that’s not very sentimental.” We would disagree with that statement. What could be more sentimental than making sure your parents are safe and can be with you for as long as possible? When buying a gift for someone, you often want to get a person something they would not get for themselves. Many seniors have never even considered getting a medical alert system, although they should. Other seniors have thought about it, but decided against obtaining a system.

There are several possible reasons for not buying a system. Some seniors just do not think they need one; they are healthy and have never had any reason to get one. For some, it is cost related, which is completely understandable. Others might be just be in denial that they are getting older and might possibly need some help.

That last possible reason is perhaps the most important. It is difficult to see ourselves aging; we feel just like we did when we were 20. Well, maybe 40! But obviously that is not the case, and sometimes parents need their children to tell them that they are indeed getting older and that it would not be a terrible thing to have some assistance. A medical alert system is the least intrusive help a senior could get. A base unit just sits on a table somewhere and they wear a medical pendant around their neck or wrist. In the event of a medical emergency, help is just the press of a button away. This is far better than having someone living in their house or being in an assisted living facility or a nursing home.

For the children, not only is this a present to help your parents, it is also a gift to yourself. Having a medical alert system in your parent’s house can give you the peace of mind that your parents are never really alone. Nothing terrible could happen; they are constantly being monitored by medical professionals.

For those who really have a problem buying gifts, this will make every holiday season simple — each year instead of buying something new for your parents, all you have to do is continue to pay for the monthly monitoring for another year. You might still want to get them a couple of stocking stuffers just so they will have something to open, but we will leave that to your discretion. Your parents gave you the literal gift of life. Now you can figuratively give it back to them with a potentially life-saving medical alert system. They will definitely appreciate the gesture.