Gardia Emergency Bracelet Reviews: Users and Relatives Report

How does the Gardia emergency call bracelet perform in everyday life? What changes for elderly people when they wear an emergency call device directly on their wrist? And how do relatives experience such an emergency call system?

Technical data can explain what an emergency call bracelet can do. Before making a decision, however, many families primarily want to know how the system feels in real life and why other people have chosen it.

On this page, we therefore report on three different experiences with the Gardia emergency call bracelet. All three stories begin with a fall - but show very different situations and needs.

The experiences presented are based on feedback from Gardia users and their relatives.

Gardia Emergency Call Bracelet Experiences at a Glance

The experiences differ in detail but have one thing in common: In an emergency situation, quick help was not readily available.

For Mrs. Haardt, her smartphone was out of reach after her fall.

Mr. Sasse and his granddaughter opted for additional security on the wrist after repeated falls.

And in another case, a home emergency call system was already in place - but the emergency call button could not be reached after a fall.

This is precisely why not only technical functions play a role in choosing an emergency call system. What is also crucial is:

• Is the device actually worn on the body?
• Is the emergency call button easily accessible?
• Who is informed in an emergency?
• What happens if relatives cannot be reached immediately?
• Can the system also be used on the go?
• Is there also an automatic fall detection feature?

The following three stories show how different the initial situations can be.

Marlies Haardt from Meschede was an early user of the Gardia emergency bracelet. She was one of the first testers of the Gardia emergency bracelet in 2022, long before it came onto the market.

She lives in the same house as her daughter, but in her own apartment. Her daughter checks on her regularly, helps her with daily tasks, and spends time with her. However, she cannot be there around the clock.

One day, Ms. Haardt suffered a severe fall in her apartment and fractured her femoral neck. After the fall, she was unable to move on her own. She also couldn't reach her smartphone.

She was only found later by her daughter. For the family, this experience was the decisive reason to consider an additional emergency solution.

For Mrs. Haardt, a significant advantage is wearing the emergency button directly on her body. In an emergency, she doesn't have to try to reach a phone first.

This also means additional security for her daughter: if she cannot be with her mother at the moment, she knows that there is a way for her to trigger an emergency call independently.

In the following video, Ms. Haardt and her family share their experiences.

Note: The video was recorded several years ago. The Guardy emergency wristband shown and the core functions described still correspond to the current product standard.

In Mr. Sasse's case, a fall was also the trigger for him and his granddaughter to look into an emergency call wristband.

His grandfather had fallen again in the summer. For his granddaughter, this was the point at which she began to look more closely into how to better prepare for future emergency situations.

During her research, she came across the emergency call wristband and decided to order it for her grandfather.

Since then, Mr. Sasse wears the wristband regularly. For him, the additional sense of security is the most important aspect:

Mr. Sasse continues to get around independently. He uses a rollator for longer distances and sometimes a walking stick for shorter distances. According to him, he usually doesn't need it inside the apartment.

Precisely because a fall can never be completely ruled out despite the aids, the emergency call bracelet gives him the feeling of having an additional option to call for help in an emergency.

What's also interesting about the Sasse family's experience is the perspective of the relatives. The family lives relatively close to each other. Therefore, several family members were registered as emergency contacts.

If an alarm goes off, a single person does not have to be available at all times. The granddaughter describes her experience as follows:

Based on their experience, this division works very well in everyday life:

For the family, this offers a significant advantage: The responsibility for a potential emergency is distributed among several people.

The granddaughter does not need to feel guilty if she cannot react immediately herself. She knows that other family members can also be informed.

Precisely this possibility is of interest to many relatives. An emergency chain does not have to depend exclusively on one single person.

More Security Without Sacrificing Independence

Since Mr. Sasse started wearing the bracelet, there have fortunately been no further accidents.

However, his granddaughter describes another observation: She has the impression that her grandfather moves with a little more confidence with the emergency call bracelet.

Whether an emergency call bracelet actually influences standing stability cannot, of course, be deduced from this. However, the subjective feeling of security can play an important role for older people in everyday life.

Mr. Sasse himself summarizes his experience briefly:

Another impressive experience was described to us during one of our street surveys by the daughter of an elderly man. Her father already had a home emergency call system.

It was supposed to give him the security of being able to quickly request support in an emergency. But when he actually needed help, a crucial problem became apparent: The emergency call button was not within his reach.

One day, her father suddenly felt dizzy. He lost his balance, tipped backward, and fell. After the fall, he was no longer able to get up on his own.

He also couldn't activate the existing home emergency call because he couldn't reach the emergency button from his position on the floor.

He therefore had to find another way to draw attention to himself. With a vacuum cleaner hose, which he could reach, he knocked against the wall. Eventually, a neighbor noticed the sounds and came to his aid.

An emergency call system must be accessible in an emergency

For the family, the experience was a turning point. It showed them that it's not just about whether an emergency call system is present. Equally important is the question of whether the emergency call can actually be triggered at the crucial moment.

Especially after a fall, it can happen that a person:

• can no longer get up,
• can only move with difficulty,
• cannot reach their smartphone,
• or an emergency call button not worn on the body is too far away.

The daughter then contacted Gardia to find a solution that her father could wear directly on his body.

He chose the Gardia emergency call wristband and has been wearing it on his wrist ever since. This places the manual emergency button where it should be most quickly accessible in everyday life: directly on the body.

For the family, this means additional security – regardless of whether her father is in the living room, bedroom, or another area of his home.

The stories of Mrs. Haardt, Mr. Sasse, and the family from our street survey are different. However, they illustrate three central situations that can play a role in deciding on an emergency call system.

1. A smartphone only helps if it is accessible

After a fall, a smartphone on a table or in another room may already be out of reach.

An emergency call system worn on the wrist therefore has a practical advantage: the emergency button moves with the person.

2. Relatives cannot be on site around the clock

Many older people live independently, while children or grandchildren work, have their own families, or live further away.

An emergency call system cannot replace personal support. However, it can create an additional way to request help when no one is in the room.

3. A good emergency chain distributes responsibility

Mr. Sasse's and his granddaughter's experience also shows how important the organization after an alarm is.

If several relatives can be registered, the responsibility does not have to lie exclusively with a single family member. This can be a noticeable relief, especially for children and grandchildren.

A large proportion of people looking into an emergency call wristband are not doing so for themselves. Often it's children or grandchildren who are concerned about their parents or grandparents.

Typical questions include:

• What happens if my mother falls when she's alone?
• What if my father needs help while out walking?
• How will I know if something has happened?
• What happens if I'm in a meeting or away?
• Can multiple family members be involved?

Experience shows that for relatives, it's often not just the technology that's crucial. What's most important is knowing that a pre-defined emergency chain exists. This can't completely eliminate their worry, but it can prevent the entire responsibility from resting permanently on one single person.

Especially for older people, ease of use can be more important than a long list of technical features. The Gardia emergency wristband therefore focuses on the emergency call function with a central emergency call button.

In an emergency, there is no need to first search for a smartphone, open an app, or navigate through various menus. Such a design can be particularly interesting for people who:

• have little experience with smartphones or smartwatches,
• have limited fine motor skills,
• require as few operating steps as possible in a stressful situation,
• or deliberately do not want a complex smartwatch.

Regardless of the chosen emergency call system, we recommend testing the process together after setup.

The experiences of Ms. Haardt and the family from our street survey highlight a crucial limitation of manual emergency calls: After a severe fall, there's no guarantee that a person can still press a button themselves.

That's why the Gardia emergency call bracelet also features intelligent, AI-based FallGuard360° fall detection.

This technology analyzes movement data to detect falls. Automatic fall detection can thus provide an additional layer of security.

However, it's important to note: No automatic fall detection can detect every conceivable fall one hundred percent.

A hard fall can create a different movement pattern than slowly collapsing, slipping, or a caught fall. FallGuard360° was also developed to account for the movement patterns of less severe, or so-called soft, falls.

With the Gardia emergency call bracelet, two possibilities complement each other:

Manual emergency call: The person consciously requests help.

Automatic fall detection: The system can react to a detected fall event when an active button press may no longer be possible.

→ Learn more: Emergency call bracelet with fall detection – how FallGuard360° works

False alarms can fundamentally occur with automatic fall detection systems.

This is because sensors have to interpret movements. Some unusual everyday movements can resemble a fall. That's why when making a selection, the question shouldn't just be: "Does the wristband have fall detection?"

But also:

• What happens after a detection?
• Can the person be spoken to?
• How is a false alarm clarified?
• Who is informed afterwards?

→ Read more: False Alarms in Emergency Call Systems – How They Arise and Can Be Reduced

With the Gardia emergency call wristband, an accidental emergency alarm can be canceled within 20 seconds. When an emergency call is initiated, the wristband vibrates and emits acoustic signals that the alarm is starting. Therefore, canceling the emergency call is very easy.

Mr. Sasse uses a rollator for longer distances and sometimes a walking stick for shorter walks. His experience highlights another important point: independence does not end at the front door.

Many seniors want to continue to:

• go for walks,
• shop,
• visit friends,
• work in the garden,
• or go on small excursions.

A mobile emergency call system should therefore be tailored to their actual living situation.

Those who regularly go out alone should particularly check whether the system functions independently of a stationary base station and what options exist for location determination in an emergency.

→ Read more: Emergency call system for on the go: GPS tracking and safety for active seniors

Several recurring benefits can be derived from the experiences described.

Emergency call directly on the wrist

The emergency call button is worn on the body and does not have to be searched for after a fall.

Additional automatic fall detection

FallGuard360° supplements the manual emergency call for situations in which the person concerned may no longer be able to react themselves.

Multiple emergency contacts and professional 24/7 Bosch emergency call center

As the Sasse family shows, it can be useful to include several relatives in the emergency chain. If the emergency contacts are not always available, the professional emergency call center can be added. You can decide for yourself who is informed first in an emergency - the personal emergency contacts or the professional emergency call center.

Use at home and on the go

A mobile system can also be interesting for seniors who continue to be independently on the go outside their homes.

Easy operation

The focus is on the emergency call function instead of a complex smartwatch menu.

Additional security for relatives

Not only the user themselves, but also children and grandchildren can benefit from the fact that a clear procedure is agreed upon for a possible emergency.

Experiences shouldn't only show the positive aspects. When it comes to an emergency call wristband, the following points should also be considered:

The wristband must be worn

Even a wearable system can only help if it is actually worn on the wrist. Wearing comfort and acceptance are therefore crucial.

The battery must be charged

Like any mobile electronic device, an emergency call wristband must also be charged regularly. The Gardia emergency call wristband has a long battery life of up to 21 days.

Fall detection is not a guarantee

No technical system can reliably detect all conceivable falls.

An emergency call wristband does not replace medical care

It is an additional aid for emergency situations and not medical monitoring.

Ongoing costs may arise

Depending on the chosen scope of services, monthly service costs may arise in addition to the device price.

→ Learn more: What does an emergency call wristband for seniors cost?

Based on the experiences described, a mobile emergency call bracelet can be particularly interesting for:

• seniors living alone,
• people with an increased risk of falling,
• people who have already experienced a fall,
• people with limited mobility,
• seniors who are still independent and active,
• relatives who cannot always be on-site,
• families who want to involve multiple emergency contacts,
• and people looking for a simpler alternative to a complex smartwatch.

Which solution is actually suitable always depends on the individual life situation.

The three experiences describe very different situations. Ms. Haardt was unable to reach her smartphone after a serious fall.

Mr. Sasse, together with his granddaughter, opted for additional security after repeated falls and now particularly appreciates the feeling of safety in everyday life.

And the story from our street survey shows that even an existing emergency call system is of little help if the emergency call button cannot be reached at the crucial moment.

An emergency wristband cannot prevent falls and does not guarantee that every emergency will be automatically detected. However, it can ensure that a means of calling for help is worn directly on the wrist. For relatives, a clearly organised emergency chain can also be important.

Ultimately, the right solution depends on the personal situation – especially mobility, fall risk, living situation, desired emergency contacts and required functions.