Can I ask this here? If you use one of those medical alert gizmos, how do you like it?

Bellesfleurs

New Member
Location
Atlanta, GA, USA
Or if you've been considering one or another.

I'm feeling OVERWHELMED trying to shop for one. There are too many choices (and not enough, paradoxically). I'm just looking for personal experience-type recomendations.

Thanks in advance.
 

i still don't understand what is the difference between these and a cellphone. Instead of pressing "1", you press "911".
Why not just use your cellphone? You can attach a cellphone to a little cord you can wear around your neck ,can't you?
Isn't all they do is call an ambulance, which you could do yourself, don't they?

That's just my opinion, but then i didn't understand the purpose of "sticky notes" when they came out. i said, "Why don't they just use a piece of scrap paper and a piece of scotch tape?'
So, You may not want to listen to my opinion! haha!
 
i still don't understand what is the difference between these and a cellphone. Instead of pressing "1", you press "911".
Why not just use your cellphone? You can attach a cellphone to a little cord you can wear around your neck ,can't you?
Isn't all they do is call an ambulance, which you could do yourself, don't they?

That's just my opinion, but then i didn't understand the purpose of "sticky notes" when they came out. i said, "Why don't they just use a piece of scrap paper and a piece of scotch tape?'
So, You may not want to listen to my opinion! haha!
LOL - Gaer, you just may be hyperpractical.

To a large extent, you're entirely correct. Here's what I want instead of just a call to 911.

First, tho, even a call to 911 takes several maneuvers on my phone - wake it up, select phone function, dial in the numbers - whereas one of those medical alerts is just one button. Then you reach a live person who can help sort things out - who do you need? What do you need? They can put you in touch with nurses or doctors, your family or friends or neighbors, etc. Or 911. AND, they stay with you until your situation is resolved - help arrives, or you're okay, etc.

I'll definitely be getting the (usually) add-on service of fall detection. My balance isn't what it used to be and there've been times when I've literally tripped myself on my own damn feet. In April last year I took a nasty fall -- fell so hard my head bounced twice on the concrete garage floor, and I don't know if I could've made it up at all had there not been a couple of people there with me to get my baby whale body up. For a while afterwards I thought, well I'll just carry my phone around with me everywhere I go, but that's a pain in the neck and I never remembered.

I'm really glad you asked your question. The discussion has helped me clarify what features I definitely want. Well, some.
 
I have mine from Home Page | ResponseNow.com what I like is that it has a GPS chip in it, so I can activate it where ever I am. Plus I get a text alert if battery is running low.
Oh, thank you - and thanks for the link. That's not one I'd seen yet, I don't think. I'll go check it out.

Do you have any complaints about it? Have you used it? Is it heavy to wear? Looks pretty good.
 
My mother used Life Alert and they were wonderful.

The problem was getting my mother to wear the pendant 24/7.

These days with virtual assistants like Siri on the Apple iPhone or Amazon's Alexa connecting to your phone you might not need a dedicated alert system.
Good point, tho I definitely want an actual alert system. Siri and Alexa wouldn't be able to tell if I fell. :D

What specific things about Life Alert were you most happy with, made you say "wonderful"?
 
Oh, thank you - and thanks for the link. That's not one I'd seen yet, I don't think. I'll go check it out.

Do you have any complaints about it? Have you used it? Is it heavy to wear? Looks pretty good.
I have only had it since about Christmas, but so far no issues. By the way, they charge me quarterly for the service. As for heavy, it does have a bit of weight, but not uncomfortable. It has a cord to wear it around the neck. Plus there is a blinky light to tell you it is working.
 
Good point, tho I definitely want an actual alert system. Siri and Alexa wouldn't be able to tell if I fell. :D

What specific things about Life Alert were you most happy with, made you say "wonderful"?
The people on the crisis line were very caring and supportive while waiting for paramedics or family members to arrive. They were also very understanding about a couple of false alarms.

When we discontinued the service there were no hidden fees. They deactivated the equipment and told us to dispose of it.
 
My mother used Life Alert and they were wonderful.

The problem was getting my mother to wear the pendant 24/7.

These days with virtual assistants like Siri on the Apple iPhone or Amazon's Alexa connecting to your phone you might not need a dedicated alert system.
@Aunt Bea if you have a Apple Watch and you have a fall it will detect the fall and alert/ ask if you want to call emergency services ,if you don’t want that you can dismiss it .
Ive never looked into other watch brands ,as I’ve always been happy with apples After sales service / assistance if you need help

I can 100% verify they work like I just stated.
Ive studied / attended many senior first aid courses , the pendants around the neck are good
( if the user wears it ) but there is many cases where a senior / person with a disability takes a tumble and it can end up out of your reach behind your head.

Ive known so many who have the pendants and leave them hanging on a hook somewhere in the house
 
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@Aunt Bea if you have a Apple Watch and you have a fall it will detect the fall and alert/ ask if you want to call emergency services ,if you don’t want that you can dismiss it .
Ive never looked into other watch brands ,as I’ve always been happy with apples After sales service / assistance if you need help

I can 100% verify they work like I just stated.
Ive studied / attended many senior first aid courses , the pendants around the neck are good
( if the user wears it ) but there is many cases where a senior / person with a disability takes a tumble and it can end up out of your reach behind your head.

Ive known so many who have the pendants and leave them hanging on a hook somewhere in the house
You make some really good points. 👍
 
I live alone.I have had one pendant from company Medical Care Alert for about 6 years. 4 1/2 years ago I fell hard on my kitchen floor when I got my feet tangled up turning from one side to another in my galley style kitchen. No one was home in the adjacent apartments, and earlier I had called my DD and she was going to be away at work all day. My r leg was in bad
pain and I couldn’t move off my back.
I pushed the button, the dispatcher came on & I told her I couldn’t move and in within 20 minutes fire/rescue was there. I have a lock box on the front door and the company knows the pass code so they were able to get in. Checked my vitals, got me on a stretcher and off to ER.
Fractured R femur.

May 12 2021: somehow I repeated the same stupid move in the same place in the kitchen, went down again. Had my walker next to me and could get to my knees but not up the rest of the way. Very sore.Pushed button again, same results. 20 minutes. Except this time they were able to get me on my feet to my walker again, checked range of motion and vitals and I didn’t feel I needed to go to an ER. THEY WERE SUPER NICE,WONDERFUL.

Ended up I broke only my L pinky toe but lots of bruising on L hip & rear end. Just started PT yesterday to get the strength and balance back. And have to rethink how I move around in that little kitchen!
Soooo How do I like it? I LOVE IT, follow the procedure for regular testing and never take it off.

After the first fall, I later learned that a close friend had the same kind of fall around the same time, no alert device, and was on the floor for 36 hours before he was found and taken to hosp.
 
Or if you've been considering one or another.

I'm feeling OVERWHELMED trying to shop for one. There are too many choices (and not enough, paradoxically). I'm just looking for personal experience-type recomendations.

Thanks in advance.
I was in the same situation. I just didn't want to pay a monthly amount. You can get the GPS type, which are more expensive to purchase, but have no monthly fee. I did the cell phone on a lanyard around my neck for a while, but it bounced and made calls accidentally. I settled on an apple watch. Its the model that is supposed to alert if you fall. It is very convenient and waterproof, etc. Simple to make a call if it didn't alert. But... I do have to take it off to charge it - usually overnight. So, there's that.
 
If you happen to have a security system installed in your home most of those companies offer a "panic" button to wear if you need to call for help. Not sure if they would be of any use outside of your home however. I, too, have an Apple watch and it works as advertised if you fall.
 
I got one last fall. The one advertised in AARP magazine. It was called "Great Call". It was on a lanyard around my neck & I charged it while I was sleeping. Put it on as soon as I got up. My DIL which is an EMT & lives next door thought this would be a good one as if I pushed the button they would ask me if I wanted them to call DIL? I would say yes. She would be here faster than 911 as we live way out in the county.

Well, they kept raising the price last month it was $50.00 Also last month they said they were changing their name & no more calling relatives. They are calling 911. So I called in & canceled it also. So I'll be following this thread as I'm also very interested in one that will not call 911 but call DIL 500 ft. next door. Since I live alone. My wife passed away 6 years ago June 6th from Pancreatic cancer.
 
My Medical Care Alert is $89.85 a quarter, and they automatically call the designated person if the client activates the alarm. There is also a provision for cancelling accidental hits. Have only done that once.
 
I also have the Apple Watch, and it works perfectly for me. Since I have heart failure, and also bad balance, and do worry about falling, or getting dizzy and passing out, I wanted something that worked even if I was not able to activate it.
The Apple Watch senses if I fall (or it thinks that I fell), and then it asks me if I fell and if I need help. If I should pass out and not be able to respond, then it automatically calls 911 for me, as well as notifying my emergency contacts, and the watch gps tells emergency responders exactly where I am at.

If this was all that my Apple Watch did, it would be wonderful, but that is only part of what it can do. I can run an EKG with my watch if my heart feels like it is not working right, and I can also check my blood oxygen level.
These can be sent directly to my doctor if I want them to.
Since I am on a weight loss program and also trying to exercise each day, it helps me a lot that the Apple Watch tracks my steps, and even my swimming.

Unless I want to take my phone along, I don’t even need to carry it anymore, because I can make and answer phone calls with the watch. Most of the time, I don’t carry my phone if we are just going to the fitness center, or someplace where i don’t expect to be sitting and waiting (and would want to read while waiting).

If you already have an iPhone, then an Apple Watch is well worth having, and works better than any pendant might do, in my opinion.

edit to add:
In regards to charging the Apple Watch, I charge mine in the evening when I am just sitting around and reading before bedtime. It only needs about a half hour (or less) to charge. I also wear mine at night because it tracks my sleep, and I can see what my heart rate was over night as well as how deep my sleep was.
Plus, I know that if I needed to call for help during the night, I have it on.
 
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Phillips Lifeline
My G.K's have Apple phones which they say you need if you get an Apple watch. They can't make the fonts big enough for me to see as I have M.D. ( macular Degeneration) so I have settled for the Samsung Note 20 ultra. I can make the fonts real big that I can read. My home computer monitor is 42" curved so I can make big fonts. Apple watches sounds great.
 


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