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



## Bellesfleurs (Jun 4, 2021)

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.


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## Gaer (Jun 4, 2021)

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!


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## Marie5656 (Jun 4, 2021)

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.


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## Bellesfleurs (Jun 4, 2021)

Gaer said:


> 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?
> 
> ...


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.


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## Aunt Bea (Jun 4, 2021)

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.


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## Bellesfleurs (Jun 4, 2021)

Marie5656 said:


> 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.


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## Bellesfleurs (Jun 4, 2021)

Aunt Bea said:


> 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. 

What specific things about Life Alert were you most happy with, made you say "wonderful"?


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## Marie5656 (Jun 4, 2021)

Bellesfleurs said:


> 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.


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## Keesha (Jun 4, 2021)

I’m supposed to use one but I don’t so I can’t add any helpful info. Sorry.


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## Aunt Bea (Jun 4, 2021)

Bellesfleurs said:


> Good point, tho I definitely want an actual alert system. Siri and Alexa wouldn't be able to tell if I fell.
> 
> 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.


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## Kadee (Jun 4, 2021)

Aunt Bea said:


> 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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## Keesha (Jun 4, 2021)

Kadee46 said:


> @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.
> ...


You make some really good points.


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## jujube (Jun 4, 2021)

We bought my late mother the pendant variety. She didn't like it. Then we bought her the wristwatch variety. She didn't like that either but decided to wear it on her ankle, for some reason.

I pointed out that if she fell and broke her leg or hip, she wouldn't be able to get to her ankle. 

She ended up sending it back.


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## Jules (Jun 4, 2021)

My Apple Watch knew when I fell twice.  Once was nothing, the other time I took quite a bounce. Even though I replied ‘No‘ it asked again if I was sure.  It did what I bought it for.


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## Geezerette (Jun 4, 2021)

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.


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## Devi (Jun 4, 2021)

Thanks for the information, @Geezerette -- very informative and useful.


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## Twilighttyme (Jun 5, 2021)

Bellesfleurs said:


> 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.


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## Geezerette (Jun 6, 2021)

I originally chose the Medical Care Alert brand because it was suggested to me by a friend whose son in law was an Emergency Room physician, and that was what he recommended to her.


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## J-Kat (Jun 13, 2021)

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.


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## Tom 86 (Jun 14, 2021)

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.


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## Geezerette (Jun 14, 2021)

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.


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## Tom 86 (Jun 14, 2021)

Geezerette said:


> Medical Care Alert


Thanks, Geezerette.  I'll look into this one.  That's a good price.  I was in the hospital for 4 days because of Conav.  You can read all about it in the Conav-19 thread.  So I need one bad.


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## Happyflowerlady (Jun 14, 2021)

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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## J-Kat (Jun 14, 2021)

Yes, I love my Apple Watch.  Tom86, you might look at the Phillips Lifeline website.  They have several options for alert systems.


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## Tom 86 (Jun 14, 2021)

J-Kat said:


> 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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## Tom 86 (Jun 15, 2021)

J-Kat  Thanks for the info  I filled out all the info on the  Phillips Lifeline website.  They are to call me today.  Everything I see there is great & will work for me.  The price is great also.  The best part they WILL call D.I.L. first before 911


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## Elsie (Jun 16, 2021)

I took an accidental dive to the floor 3 times so far.  Twice from tripping over cables.  Once on computer cord, second time on vacuum cord.  As I went down from the computer cord, I turned by body just enough to land on my side.  No injury, thank goodness.  When I tripped on the vacuum cord I fell so fast flat on my face I was confused wondering how I got there.  No injury, just a bit of soreness in left cheek & just below my knees.  I turned over and scooted on my butt to my lounge chair and grabbed ahold of an arm and pulled myself up to my feet.  I was fine, just shaken.  I figure my big belly hit the floor first & must have cushioned my fall.   The third time happened when my slipper jammed at the edge of my living room area carper just as I was stepping forward with my left foot.  To avoid falling to the the floor, the moment my left foot touched the carpet, I used it to push myself forward as hard as I could towards my couch and landed face and shoulders into its cushions and, other than flattening my face against a couch cushion, I was fine. 

Think it's time for me to get Medical Care Alert?


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## Frogfur (Jul 12, 2021)

Bellesfleurs said:


> 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 wish I could help you. I'm a two stroke survivor and I have one issued and monitored by The VA. I've never had to use it thankfully but i tested it and they answer right away.
That's all I can offer you.


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## fmdog44 (Jul 12, 2021)

Gaer said:


> 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?
> 
> ...


Using 911 will require speaking coherently for one and that is not often the case in emergencies. Second, sometimes 911 operators are more harm than good. Last you may have to answer  boatload of questions and that gets back to my first reason.
By the way, I read long ago the young woman that invented the sticky notes owns her own island.


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## Sunny (Jul 22, 2021)

I have a pendant from the company originally called Great Call, which changed their name to (I think) Mobile. I've been happy with it, fortunately never had to use it, but it gave me a certain level of security "just in case."  But lately, it's become hard to charge it up. All I have to do is place it in its little cradle, which is plugged in to the wall socket, usually about once a day. But the charge hasn't been working. I think the unit is just worn out, after several years. I tried to get them to replace it, and they want to sell me a new one, and the weird thing is they quoted three different prices!  So I'm shopping for another company.

I thought of just wearing or carrying my cell phone all the time, but what's putting me off that is: what about in the shower?  I know I could take the phone into the shower with me and keep it in a plastic bag, but probably all I'd need is one leakage to ruin the phone. And a new cell phone would be a lot more expensive than the alarm system. But I'm still exploring possibilities.


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## jerry old (Jul 22, 2021)

There all fine- if you have the ability to press the alert button.
A massive heart attach leaves you incapacitated, your darn lucky if you have the ability to press a button.


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## fuzzybuddy (Jul 22, 2021)

To be honest, just get a cellphone. I had one. of those neck ones. It was supposed to detect falls. I was on the floor and  nothing. The battery had a short power life. My visiting nurse found me. If you're able to talk to some guy in Des  Molines, via the gizmo, then you're able to talk to your local 911, via cellphone.. And 911 will investigate open phone calls when no one speaks. Why have to go through Des Moines to get help? I hadn't worn it  in over a year, but they kept sending bills, and for supposedly "monitoring" me. The thing's battery is dead, and  it's throw away, so how in the hell are they "monitoring" me. And there are issues about the range of some of these devices..


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## 50'sgal (Mar 16, 2022)

Bellesfleurs said:


> 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 have been using the personal emergency response system offered by Senior Safety since 2013.  I have the system that is hooked up to my landline phone.  The company offers other systems as well.  See Seniorsafety.com or call 888-473-2800.


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