Looking for info on medical alert systems.

[Nohal]

Mom is going to be 90 and we are getting her a medical alert system. There are quite a few companies out there that offer this. I'm considering Lifeline as you can install yourself and don't need a phone line and there is no contract involved. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with any of the companies that offer this service.

 

[bigbabyblues]

You might try your local hospital. The one I worked in had a program like that. Hubby's grandma has it, I think it is called Lifeline. They do a check on the unit every couple of months (over the phone, not at the house), and it worked great thr one time she has had to use it.

 

[Nohal]

You might try your local hospital. The one I worked in had a program like that. Hubby's grandma has it, I think it is called Lifeline. They do a check on the unit every couple of months (over the phone, not at the house), and it worked great thr one time she has had to use it.

Do you know what the monthly fee was?

 

[NewRVLady]

We use one provided by local ambulance service- they will come to house and "pick up" elderly loved one a couple times a month free of charge if they fall with no injuries

Search your area!!
We had one of the National chain ones and were not pleased

 

[bigbabyblues]

I'm sorry, I don't.

 

[aprilgail]

I have one for my mom that is hooked up as part of her alarm system. There is a pendant that she wears and can push when she has "fallen and cant get up". She has only activated it one time, and that was when she took it off and sat on it- but once they come over the speaker asking if everything is ok you just tell them that it was a mistake, give them the code word and its fine.

 

[Mrs D]

Check into Great Call. There are several different options and are pretty reasonable.

 

[tvguy]

They all seem to have one common problem. False or accidental alarms. My mom's elderly neighbor has had three different systems from national providers, and all had that same issue. Usually at 3 am. Mind you my mom was 5 years OLDER than this woman, and somehow was put on the alarm company list of contacts, without her permission. My mom passed away 2 years ago, and now this lady's system just alerts the alarm company who calls the fire department. She pays $125 fine for false alarms that are her fault, the alarm company pays them if it is due to their equipment malfunctioning.

 

[littleblackegg]

The local fire/rescue will give you some information about which systems work the best in your community.

 

[Angeejoe]

Call your local office on aging, when I worked there we gave out a list with the fees.

 

[MIGrandma]

I had Lifeline for my Mom, had a heck of a time getting it as the first place I tried just gave me the run-around (it was a local homecare office), then I called the hospital and they said they didn't deal with medical alert devices anymore, and I called our local commission on aging and they sent me a list of maybe 8-10 places to call but couldn't "recommend" any of them. I was so frustrated. I mentioned it to my daughter-in-law who knows everyone and she knew of someone I could call that would point me in the right direction so I called her and she gave me the number (local) that I needed to call and I had a Lifeline unit ordered for her that very day. They mailed it and we had to hook it up and then do the testing so we knew it was working properly. It cost $44.95/month but was so worth it. It was the kind that she wore a pendant, and it would detect most falls. She stumbled and fell in her front yard once and it went off, but she went inside the house and talked to them and let them know what happened. The second time she fell she was at the senior center which is less than a block from where she lived. She was able to get up and a few minutes later the woman who runs the center noticed the ambulance in the driveway of my mom's apartment so went out and talked to them and told them what happened. She was never charged anything for either of those times.

The third time saved her life. She thought she forgot her front door key so went around back to where she kept a spare key, slipped on the deck (it was raining) and fell. It was cold, and raining. Her confusion at that time was getting worse and it was an hour before she thought to press the button on her pendant. When she finally did, help arrived within minutes. I was so thankful we had Lifeline for her, as who knows how long she would have laid there without anyone hearing her calling for help.

She had to do a monthly test, they suggested to do it each month on the day of her birthday so for Mom it was every 23rd. She just had to press the button on the unit and when they responded she had to say she was doing the monthly test.

Yes, it's rather expensive, but I feel it's worth the cost.

 

[Sadie22]

When my loved one had a system by the same name, it was connected to a landline phone and administered by the local hospital system. She had to respond to a contact once a day or the family member first on the list would be called.

 

[aprilgail]

They all seem to have one common problem. False or accidental alarms. .

My moms only ever went off by "accident" or false alarm the one time she sat on it and her butt pushed the button, otherwise not one singe time has their been a malfunction in the life alert button or our home alarm.

They mailed it and we had to hook it up and then do the testing so we knew it was working properly. It cost $44.95/month but was so worth it. It was the kind that she wore a pendant, and it would detect most falls. .

I pay that amount but it also include my home alarm- it is well worth it. The reason I got it was because one day my daughter and I were out at Dave and Busters and it was noisy in there so I didn't hear my phone. When we walked outside and I checked my phone I saw a voice message and it was from my mom saying she fell in the shower and was on the floor (I always made her keep a phone in the bathroom!) so we raced home and took her to the hospital, a bunch of broken ribs. She did not even consider calling the ambulance for herself since the doors were locked in the house and she was naked. After that I made sure we got her the pendant. At least if she pushes that they will call ambulance and notify me, all my neighbors have a key to the house so I can call any of them to open the door.

 

[tvguy]

My moms only ever went off by "accident" or false alarm the one time she sat on it and her butt pushed the button, otherwise not one singe time has their been a malfunction in the life alert button or our home alarm.

Yeah, those type of things do happen. It's the equipment failing that seemed to be the big issue.

 

[tvguy]

The local fire/rescue will give you some information about which systems work the best in your community.

Maybe regional, but our fire department's policy is not to make recommendations regarding providers or even recommend for or against getting a system..

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Nohal, I know I am late to reply to this thread. I hope you have found a life alert system that works for your mom Awesome that she is 90, and hug to you for caring for her too. I was a caregiver to my Grandma who will always be the person I consider my mom for a few years. I am sharing this not because you mentioned this in your post just as an FYI for others to please consider. My Grandma did have Lifeline. Sadly one afternoon when she fell in her bathroom (she was wearing the device as a necklace) she had forgotten what it was for or that she could have used it :/ God's Grace, I went to check on her that evening and she was shaken but okay. Yes she did have some dementia issues at this time. Please to all of you with elderly relatives, these devices are absolutely great, just be sure the person who is using them, is able to know to use them! I think some of these devices do offer monitoring but I'm not sure about that. God Bless You all and be safe!

 

[Nohal]

Just wanted to give my experience with Phillips Lifeline for others who are looking into a medical alert system. I called and got the info but didn't sign up as I was going to check with other companies. Amazingly 2 days later I was called and told that there was a special going on - all of a sudden there was no charge to ship the unit (orginally was $19.95) and that the price for fall detection was now $44.95 (originally quoted as $49.95). I did sign up with them and as Mom didn't have a credit card the bill came with an extra $2 charge since it was a paper bill. The info for the debit account was on the back of the bill and we signed up for that. The fine print says it may take one or two cycles of paper bills before the debit is set up of course I wasn't told about this either. There was a $50 registration fee on the bill which I was not told about. So be aware and ask lots of questions as it seems these companys have a lot of extra charges that they don't tell you about.