I have had one for a year, but only the kind tht is useful in or near my home. I figure if I am in trouble elsewhere someone would notice. I would be interested in finding another company so I'm eager to hear people's experience. I am anticipating having trouble canceling the service as there was a ton of legal looking papers that came with it. Should have known better at the time. Be sure to read reviews of the product. I searched "complaints about" and found many for this poduct, mostly about trying to cancel, but too late for me.

For those looking for one just for use in the house, think twice about getting the fall sensor as mine was quite sensitive and I would set it off by simple tasks such tying my shoes. I ended up canceling that feature. I had to send the pendant back within a certain time period, but managed to send it too late. I was told I missed the deadline by one day, so was charged for an extra month.

I am somewhat hard of hearing and even though my house is small, I don't think I would be able to communicate with the base station from all areas. Maybe they could hear me, but I would not be able to hear them. I think I would much prefer one where you can communicate directly through the pendant. The good thing about mine is that it doesn't need to be charged, and you can wear it in the shower. Most companies have a wrist unit, or one that can be attached via Velcro to something, but I've never seen any use in these as I just wear the pendant. I couldn't even open the wrist strap because it was so stiff.

All in all it is a very confusing thing to research as all promise about the same thing, so the difference may be in reading the small print.

AARP doesn't make any product or test them for that matter, they just sell the use of their name, perceived by many to be an "endorsement", in return for a fee or commissions on sales.

Try this link for a few sources for such devices.

Senior alert devices for outside the home

I'm not familiar with the required features of a medical alert button, but maybe a smart phone paired with a "smart watch" would work. There has to be an alert app for the Apple watch or similar Android watchs.

My neighbor has one that works anywhere she goes just like what you want I will email her and ask about the brand. She loves hers. She has fallen a few times and it came in handy. Her home flooded too so she is currently living with her son. As soon as I find out I will post it.

I have the one for use in the home, as I feel as one of the other posters stated, that someone would see me fall if I were out and about!. Anyway, when I first got mine, I got a message on the machine asking if I were all right, as it had contacted them. Embarrassingly, I had to tell them I was opening a jar of pickles and pressed against the button! But this winter, I woke up about 11:30 at night, with local DD tapping my shoulder, asking if I were OK, as it had contacted her from my machine. I was fine and had the culprit replaced.

I have no personal experience with this system, but a friend has a Great Call alarm system which she said works both inside and when she leaves her home and she has been happy with it.GreatCall

Friend got hers thru AARP after returning her original one, and received a better deal. Same device, better deal.

Here's my friends response about this My device is called greatcall. I saw it in the aarp magazine It works even when I'm not at home. In fact, I lost it last week and I called them. They told me it was here at my sons house. They called the number and it was in my room. I bought mine at Sears. It costs $18.00 month for the monitoring.

Hope that helps

I'm liking the Great Call Splash right now. Mom has a Jitter Bug phone and likes it, so adding the Splash might fit the bill.

I knew my friends here would come thru!

Mom is in assisted living right now. She had just moved into her apartment 3 weeks ago and was really enjoying the meals, her table mates and just starting to get involved in other activities. I so hope she can go back into the apartment, I don't want to keep her in assisted living if at all possible.

In the meantime I'm getting her house ready for sale. Hired a roofer to fix one leak over the garage, need to get the carpets cleaned and then the whole house cleaned!

I'm back home (3 hours away) and my brother (2 hours away)has been handling things for a while (I really needed some me time). Next Wednesday I will head back downstate and get that house on the market. All ready chose a realtor, just need to sign with her agency.

Thanks everyone, I really need the support right now, hugs to all.

BTW, I did check out Consumer's Report.

KathyG, I hope that you can get the house sold soon and with ease. Why is she is assisted living now, did she fall?

Oh I know how difficult that task can be. I was very fortunate that my sisters lived verycclose to mom. I always felt guilty that I was far from there and could not be there on a daily basis to help out.

Take care of yourself! Hopefully the house will sell quickly.

Yes, she fell. Hit her head and got a brain bleed, also fractured her pelvis which nicked an artery so she was bleeding internally. Was in hospital, now in assisted living.

She is such a picky eater! I think she is right around 90 lbs now!

I'm so sorry to be reading this Kathy. What rotten timing, just as she was making her move and already had changes to adapt to, transitioning. I'll keep her in my thoughts and hope she's well soon.

My own mother hadn't been eating well at all before her move, somehow she had started really scrimping at the grocery store - add to that she had never liked to cook, so somehow was existing on cheap frozen microwave meals even though she could have afforded much better. (and no, I can't explain it ;[)) I can't tell you how many hundreds of times I was hearing not hungry, no appetite, can't eat.

Well prepared, pretty food in a nice setting with conversation at lunch and dinner and she's looking forward to meals again. The portions are somewhat senior sized, but she has soup. fruit, salad, entre and vegetable twice a day - I couldn't be more pleased.

Again, I'm so sorry about your mothers fall. Mine fell two years ago when she should have been at her safest - she was with me. Tripped on a curb in a parking lot and broke her collar bone. I never want to hear or see that again my lifetime, I had nightmares.