It is difficult to get medical professionals to agree on anything. But one thing that brings them together is the necessity for seniors who are living alone to get home health alert systems.

The argument is as compelling as it is simple Let’s say you are alone and you fall down. Now, you think it will not happen to you, but statistics show a third of all seniors will suffer a serious fall each year.

If you are unable to get up and get to a phone to call for help, the results could be tragic. You could lie there for hours or days before someone finally discovers you. Studies say the longer it takes for you to get medical attention after a fall, the less likely it is that you will ever fully recover from your injuries. So time is of the essence.

With home health alert systems, all you would have to do is press the alert button that you always wear and a call will be placed to the central monitoring center. You would tell the medically trained operator what happened, and he or she would send help to your door.

Falls are not the only danger. You could suffer a stroke or other medical emergency that could leave you unable to communicate. If you press your medical alert button and the monitor gets no response from you, he or she would automatically send help to your house.

The only reason not to get home health alert systems would be money. If you just cannot afford it, then there is nothing you can do about it. But if you can afford a system, why would you not get one? It could mean the difference between life and death. And you really cannot put a price on that.