Thank you.

Aren't there ongoing subscription/monthly charges for such devices? If yes, the companies have presumably contacted customers with soon to be or already non-functional hardware to get them equipment that will function as desired.

I bought one for my mother after her fall 18 months ago. She opened the box, took it all out, pronounced it "tacky" and sent it all back, thank you very much. The apple watch we proposed as an alternative is "too big." Grrrrrrr !

The one we bought for my mom came with a disclosure that it would be swapped out within the year at no subscription increase. I don't remember the company but it was one of the top 3 or 4 for number of subscribers.

I think I've relayed this story here before. A user's ability to use those handy devices for the intended purposes shouldn't be assumed.

One of those alert products, in the form of a pendant, was provided to an oldster in the family who lived alone. This person on the smartest day of her life would be one of the dumbest individuals anyone ever met. No signs of dementia then or to this day, just a lifetime lack of grey matter.

One night, she awoke from sleep needing to visit the bathroom. Not smart enough to put her shoes away from walking paths or to turn on a light when walking in a dark house, she tripped over shoes and fell and hit her head on a wood floor. Blood came running out and apparently her head was soon in a pool of blood. She didn't want to try to get up in the dark for fear of hurting herself (too late to think of safety in the dark) and so stayed there until dawn.

The pendant was hanging from her neck (she was told to remove it only in the shower) but she didn't want to use it. She figured that pushing the button would wake up someone in the middle of the night (?) and she didn't want to do that.

The service was cancelled, no sense wasting the money. She's now in a senior residential facility (but not in its "memory unit") and gets better care and attention.

Perhaps someone has a relative with a device, but for some reason or another they won't have received this info, so thanks for posting it. Better to be informed than not. Some people just like to be a Debby (or Dilbert) Downer.

I have an Apple watch that I rely on. I have not fallen but I swatted a mosquito and immediately it went into alert asking if I was hurt and whether to call 911 or contacts.

Tina, in the extended family, not on my side (though that doesn’t matter at all). The story is as told to me by one of her kids. The background was mine, to share one experience when and why providing the device wasn't enough.

Shortly after the incident, her three kids together visited her to announce that the long discussed but resisted move to a safe and suitable residential facility would happen in two weeks. That happened as planned and from what i’ve heard, she’s happy there. And much safer

I could share stories unfavorable to the subscribers, too, but I won’t. The question is, who uses the cellular service, the pendant? Some subscribers register it to a cell phone so they can use the device if they go out alone, or because they do not have a land line. Is that the issue?

bpath, I don't think these use actual cell phones, but rather the network. The shutdown may also affect home alarm systems and cars as well.

We looked into these for my dear, departed MIL. They only contacted relatives, who were THEN reponsible for assessing the situation, and contacting emergency service. That was too many phone calls for us, when the responsible parties were 100’s of miles away.

Thank you and yes, my Mom has Lifeline. They're excellent.

My dad had one, the pendant type, which he hated with a passion, as it "made him look like an old person." He was in his 80's. The one time he could have used it, he was unable to as he fell forward and it was underneath him. Not a reflection on the product, just saying that like anything, it is not a be all, end all solution. Fortunately for us, he was in assisted living at the time and when he didn't come down for breakfast, they checked on him.

Thats good to hear Elmer. Growing old is not always easy.

Just get an Apple watch 4 or newer and it will have a fall detection. I have saved money buying it instead of paying the monthly fee for a necklace with a button that you need to be conscious to use. If I have a hard fall and do not respond when ask if I am okay, it calls 911 ...plus I have it to use for phone, texts, and app I want.

Elmer, if your relative’s failure to use the safety alert device was so well demonstrated then it did the job of protecting her by necessitating the move to AL.

I am an Occupational Therapist and work with seniors, assessing for home safety equipment, devices and services. Pendant alarm / life line products are one tool among many that are availble to help seniors manage safely in their homes. They can be lifesaving in many instances. Each person’s needs and their ability to use such devices should be assessed and reasessed as their needs change. What works for one person may not work for another. What does work for all seniors however is caring, compassion and respect.

Kswl, maybe that’s a consolation but her immediate family didn’t see it that way.

The same person was provided with a clamshell style cell phone. The hinge broke in one month and after it being shipped back to the carrier, her kid was informed there was no apparent defect and so not covered by warranty. A second of a different brand was provided and it apparently lasted 3 weeks before breaking at the hinge. It turned out she thought clamshell meant you had to grab each side and force it to open just as if one were opening a closed clamshell with a live clam inside.

^^^😂

I just tested my dad's yesterday and it works fine. Good advice.

It worked well for a relative when she slipped once and was fine. It also worked well when she had a heart attack, fell, hit her head and broke her hip. This time she wasn't fine, but help arrived quickly. She is doing ok now at home with full time help.