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Has anybody used, or arranged for someone else to use, the Life Alert system? Just wondering if anyone could comment on service, etc.. I had the option of a free service through the caregivers agency but I didn't like their notification system. It didn't go directly to 911 but to various family members phones. It didn't have nearly as many "amenities" as the Life Alert. Anyway, it's a done deal and we've gone with the Life Alert system so hope it's as good as they say it is. It will be delivered on Mon. and the tech will come Tues. to set it all up. They encourage users to use it for non-emergencies every once in a while just to get used to it. I wasn't crazy about the three year contract but will go with it.
The cost wasn't anything like I thought it would be. If they could use Mom's landline for it it would have been $39.95 mo.. But she has Majic Jack and it's not compatible with Life Alert which doesn't surprise me because she has all sorts of problems with it. So, for wireless, I'll be paying $49.95 mo.. My brother is splitting the cost with me so it'll be manageable. Other brother is splitting the cost of someone to stay with Mom when I'm working...but that's still up in the air too. Anyway, this Life Alert system is going to help me not to worry as much when Mom's alone.
If anyone's had problems with it, or kudos for it, I'd like to hear about it.
Is this the one where you wear the pendant around your neck? My mom had one of those and when she pushed the button , it would dial 3 relatives in order of who was most likely to be home.
It did not work. And she didn't wear the pendant very much either. It was expensive and was sold at her estate sale. Hope you have a better product.
My mother wears a Lifetime medical alert bracelet. They charge $38.00/month. If she were to press the button, they will reply via the unit she has in her room. If she were unable to respond for any reason, they will call her next door neighbor, who has a key,along with 911, and following that, the three designated family members. I've been visiting when the service made a well-being call, just to check in. We've looked into LifeAlert, which is actually less expensive under her phone service at $29.99/month. It seemed worth the extra $10.00 based on our experience of having Lifetime keep in contact at least once a month.
Is this the one where you wear the pendant around your neck? My mom had one of those and when she pushed the button , it would dial 3 relatives in order of who was most likely to be home.
It did not work. And she didn't wear the pendant very much either. It was expensive and was sold at her estate sale. Hope you have a better product.
That sounds like the one we were offered, for free. I didn't like the idea of calling US instead of an emergency number. It's the biggest reason I went with Life Alert. The agency does have services that Mom can take advantage of, if she has to, like transportation to doctors, etc.. We may need to use that one at some point.
My mother wears a Lifetime medical alert bracelet. They charge $38.00/month. If she were to press the button, they will reply via the unit she has in her room. If she were unable to respond for any reason, they will call her next door neighbor, who has a key,along with 911, and following that, the three designated family members. I've been visiting when the service made a well-being call, just to check in. We've looked into LifeAlert, which is actually less expensive under her phone service at $29.99/month. It seemed worth the extra $10.00 based on our experience of having Lifetime keep in contact at least once a month.
Life Alert actually does all those things as well. If we set it up that way, re: calling the neighbor. They also "keep in contact", which is good. We missed out on the $29.99 'deal' and it would have been $39.99 with a different landline than Majic Jack. Not putting in another landline for that! So wireless it is and cost $10 more. BUT, peace of mind? Priceless!
For about the same money you can get a whole house security system with a 911 panic button to wear.
My home security system does have this service, but it only calls the police. My neighbor has a different system but it offers a similar service. Her children chose to buy her a phone that came with a pendant which is programed to call me. I don't think there is any service connected with it so there is no monthly charge. The phone rings loudly and hollers "answer the phone!" because she is a little deaf. She hates it.
We have LifeLine in this area which is associated with the hospital. It is the one I am most familiar with.
I think your mother will like it, and it will give you both a lot of comfort knowing that she will be able to call for help when she's alone.
For about the same money you can get a whole house security system with a 911 panic button to wear.
We don't need a house security system. We live in a very quiet neighborhood, no crimes being committed close by and no break ins for years. We've lived in this neighborhood since before it WAS a "neighborhood" and it's always been this way. Things happen, I know, but we'll take our chances.
My home security system does have this service, but it only calls the police. My neighbor has a different system but it offers a similar service. Her children chose to buy her a phone that came with a pendant which is programed to call me. I don't think there is any service connected with it so there is no monthly charge. The phone rings loudly and hollers "answer the phone!" because she is a little deaf. She hates it.
We have LifeLine in this area which is associated with the hospital. It is the one I am most familiar with.
I think your mother will like it, and it will give you both a lot of comfort knowing that she will be able to call for help when she's alone.
I guess there are all sorts of options out there. Had no idea there were so many!
My mom had quite the experience a few years ago. Somehow, and nobody has ever figured out how, her phone managed to call 911. Nobody home but her and she was in the back room sewing. Suddenly there's this COP standing in the sewing room doorway with a gun drawn! She nearly had a heart attack. He said they'd got a call, came to the house, knocked on the door but no answer so he walked in and looked around. Nobody had called them and we still don't know what happened. Weird!
I know Mom is looking forward to having the Life Alert. I'm looking forward to knowing she can get help if she's alone. A few more days...
We purchased and paid for Life Alert for my mother-in-law when her health began to fail and maintained it up until she demanded 24-hour home health aid assistance, which was not necessary, so she "wouldn't be lonely. At that point my wife took over her finances, paid her bills and paid the two aids who each worked 12 hours at a stretch. We also cancelled the Life Alert but at the same time aided her financially. At the very end she was financially down to three months worth of such assistance and did need it. Thereafter it would have been on us and by then we'd retired. She absolutely refused to consider assisted living When she died at home at 2:00 a.m. the aid called 911 and also notified us. Their services no longer needed, we paid nice bonuses to the two aids out of our pockets, contacted MIL's attorney with whom she had not communicated in several years and found out she had written my wife, her only child, out of her will when she married me because "Now you have a husband to take care of you." My wife had previously been divorced for 18 years.
Have I mentioned that I never did care for my mother-in-law? Not surprisingly, neither did my wife but regardless, we did the best we could for her.
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