Which senior medical alert system is best?
subru
16 years ago
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sushipup1
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agotinab_gmail_com
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Medical Alert/Alarm
Comments (11)Hello, Since my mother is in a "foster" home there is little control on my part regarding alarms & such. With her dementia she has had many falls(104#) & a visiting nurse suggested an alert type of alarm fastened to her when she tries to walk on her own. The owner/caregiver would not allow this as it would disturb the family & other tenants. I can understand this, but I had a disturbing phone conversation with my mother last evening. When my mother said goodbye & put down the phone at the dining table she said "I can't move, you have me blocked in" & the reply was not very nice. What this is all about is that they feel they have to lock her wheelchair(okay),but when I have "dropped in" there has been a thick phonebook behind her chair at the table so she can't move. She feels "stuck" & I'm not sure how to handle this. Any suggestions...alarms or not? Sharlee...See MoreSenior Medical Alert System
Comments (4)Lifealet is the most common in our area. My DM's cousin has another "basic" company that just has a button to push, there's no voice contact. She fell a year ago and since they didn't know her condition/status they dispatched every Emergency Response Vehicle you can imagine, including a high-ladder truck & a fire-cannon truck. Help! They broke her security screen and door in because she couldn't tell them where the lock-box was hiding the key. She was fine, but oh the frustrated panic. Much to the whole family's disgust, she still has the same company. I'm trying to talk her into using CTAP, California Telephone Access Program, which is totally free and provides a button, necklace or wrist, that has up to 6 pre-programed numbers and acts as a speaker phone. So she can choose which pre-programed number to tell it to dial and talk to the person at the other end. #1 is usually 911, so they have to be thinking half straight to dial anyone else. Any where that doesn't offer CTAP, i would recommend LifeAllert. check with AARP. They may have the services in your area rated on a list. l.marie...See Moresenior medical alert systems
Comments (5)You stated that your in Ca. Do your parents live in Ca. too? Do you see them often and know what their conditions are? This system would not have worked for my dad because he didn't want to have the EMT's out or have to ride in an ambulance. One time when he was have a bad reaction to some pain medicine all he wanted to do was go back to bed and I had to argue with him to go to the hospital to let them see what was going on and he refused so I dialed 911 and they took him to the hospital. Well, the next time he was sick and I told him he needed to go he went, BUT he would not even call me cause he didn't want to bother me. Something that anyone can tell you is that family members don't what is going on sometimes. If you see them often it just slips away from you, don't notice, to busy and on the go, over loaded with caring for your family and parents too....See MoreNeed Recommendations for Medical Alert System
Comments (9)Do you have a Consumer Reports subscription? I checked my online version and in July 2015 they did a comparison (and an update in Sept 2015). They did not do the typical ratings but the article offered a lot of good information about choosing one. ...........................CONSUMER REPORTS: This is from the article : "What to look for in a medical alert System" It works for a user's specific disability. For example, a stroke survivor may need a device he or she can activate with one hand. It offers a choice of a wristband and/or neck pendant. Cords worn around the neck can pose a strangulation risk; wristbands may irritate those with skin ailments. It includes help buttons that can be wall-mounted near the floor in multiple rooms in case the user falls and isn’t wearing the pendant. It offers multiple choices for whom to contact if you need help, from emergency services to a friend or relative who lives nearby. It has a battery backup in case of a power failure. The base station can be contacted from anywhere on your property—even in your yard or at your mailbox. The company has its own monitoring center, in the U.S., and employs its own trained emergency operators (rather than contracting that function out). The monitoring center has been certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a nonprofit safety and consulting company. Choose the right medical alert system All systems (listed in alphabetical order, below) offer daily 24-hour monitoring services. All come with a waterproof neck pendant and wristband with a battery backup. Some offer a GPS mobile feature, which works when you are traveling away from home. Some also offer a mobile 911 phone, which places a call to local 911 services if you're out of your normal service range. It carries an additional fee. Some offer an automatic fall detection system, but they say it cannot detect 100 percent of falls, and the companies charge an extra fee for this service. Tip: As you shop, ask for quotes in writing because prices and services may change. .................................. Since the comparison is over 18 months I won't include the chart - it included 6 companies and they might not all be in your area. But the information above may help you select one. Several reviews mentioned that many have long term contracts that may be difficult to cancel. The user needs good wireless in their home. I wonder if your local Emergency Response service might be able to suggest one. Maire...See MoreCastymiss
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