Name: Dutch

Question: I have Comcast Digital Voice as my phone service.  Will your product work with this system?

City: Westminster
State: Colorado

Hi Dutch,

Some of the digital systems it works and sometimes not. It’s hard to say without testing your particular service for use with a medical alarm system.

Worst case, you could order a plain old telephone service with no long distance just for you medical alarm.

I hope this helps,

Jeff

Question: My mom needs an elderly monitor in case she falls.

Name: Marty

Do you supply elderly monitors for seniors in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area?

City: Tulsa

State: Oklahoma

Hi Marty,

Sure we supply elderly monitors to seniors throughout the country. FYI, these are also commonly referred to as Medical Alert Systems.

Let us know if we can help,

Jeff

For me it is the 27th Christmas since I helped pioneer the medical alarm industry or personal emergency response systems.

Christmas is the time lots of falls occur not only in the house but on the steps outside the house and on the walkways that are frozen at times.

I can remember back in the 80’s when a dear customer was letting her cat out for a nature call on her patio and she fell in the snow. Luckily she had her help button on and pressed it for help. The interesting part of this happy ending story was that the Philadelphia fire department had to shovel there way to her to get the gurney back down to the street.

Other recollections I have are of dear seniors laying overnight in the backyard, no snow, but dropping their body temperatures and not being able to summon help. The next day they ordered the system.

Others elderly loved ones just falling walking down the steps.

Safe up your loved ones houses. Make sure someone young will shovel their walkways and steps.

Call and make sure mom and dad are safe.

Simple things become more difficult for them as they age.

Think about a medical alarm system to help them when they can’t reach the phone for help.

This is mutual peace of mind.

Jeff

Name: Gregory

Question: My mom spends winter in Sarasota and we are thinking of getting your system for her down there.

She is always concerned that were she to activate the  medical alarm system that you would have to break down the door.

I assume this is a common concern of the elderly. How do you get into the house when the system is activated.

City: Bridgewater
State: MA

Hi Gregory,

Thanks for thinking of us.

We are currently offering as a gift a free lock box. So you could put your mother’s key in the lock box and hang it on the front door, back door or on a fence or pipe by the house.

Then we would give the 911 paramedic response the combination to open the latch and retrieve the key.

No more broken doors

We have never had a problem of using the lock boxes in the decade we have used them.

And yes, it is a common problem of the elderly…this is what forced us to the lock box solution.

Also, if mom has any neighbors nearby we could call them as well.

I hope this helps and have a lovely holiday,

Jeff

Name: Jim

Question: My Mother in-law likes to work just outside her home,  How far outside will your help button work?

Thanks Jim

City: Lusby
State: MD

Hi Jim,

Our medical alert system pendant will work approximately 300′ from the speaker box.

Rest assured that if your mother-in-law had a problem outside, even if we could not speak with her, we would send help immediately.

I’m sure it would give her some peace of mind.

Jeff

12/10/08

Dear Medic Alert People (Senior Safety),

I should have said :thank you for being there” before now, but  I do thank you anyway, very much.

When we first signed on to Medic Alert (Senior Safety medical alarms) my 2 daughters and my main concern were what if I fell during their working hours and couldn’t help myself? We never envisioned heart attack or middle of the night!

One daughter lives right above me and on the night of October 22-23 I awoke,went to the bathroom, and came back to bed in a cold sweat (I never perspire!) and so weak if I had even been near the phone I would not have been able to call my daughter upstairs or even 911!

I grabbed the Medic Alert button and just kept pushing with all I could.

I wear a hearing aid and not having it on, was not able to hear you talking to me. I just counted on your being there and following through as you had said you would.

The daughter who lives across town (your second call) called the sleepy head upstairs who was beginning to get your recorded message on her phone machine.

She rushed downstairs made sure I was alright and reassured me  and then opened the door for the Rescue Squad who took wonderful and careful care of me.

So all went well — as it should have and I am fine. You people saved my life!

Your later call to check on us was received by my son-in-law and I was very touched by your person saying they would pray for me.

So I thank you again — and may your Christmas and holidays be very good ones for you all.

Sincerely,

Irene

P.S. I am still amazed at having needed this so soon after installing it!!

Dear Irene,

What can I say but thank you for your kind note…I’m so happy everything went well.

Be well,

Jeff

If you are ordering an elderly friend or family member a  medical monitoring system for the holidays…Monday is the day to order.

During the holidays shipping is not predictable. If you are looking for the medical alarm to arrive prior to Christmas it would be best to order next day delivery at this point.

Senior citizens that are receiving a medical alarm system for their personal protection are blessed but not always happy about what they may perceive as an inconvience.

Take the time to help your mom or dad or aunt or uncle or loved one realize they are getting peace of mind for them and you.

Name: Debbie

Question: I am looking into this for my father who lives out in California, can the unit be placed there and have the bill sent to me?  Also how does this work if he is out at a store and has a problem?

City: Louisville
State: Kentucky

Hi Debbie,

Sure you can have the bill sent anywhere for your father’s medical alarm system or you can set it up for automatic payment to a credit card or email billing. You can also have it mail billed to you.

The medical alarm only works within about 300 feet from our speaker box.

When your dad is out to the store hopefully someone will see him and call 911.

This is basically how all systems work.

I hope this helps,

Jeff

Name: Terri

Question: Are there any medical alert watches?

City: Vestal
State: NY

Hi Terri,

Sure there are medical alert watches.

Ours is a simple transmitter you wear on your wrist.

When you need help…simply press the button you are wearing and we will talk to you through our speaker box you plug into the phone line and electrical outlet.

Once we determine what problem you are having, or if we can’t speak to you, we’ll send help immediately.

Let me know if there is anything more I can answer for you about our personal alarm system.

Jeff

Name: Rita

Question: I would like to know more about getting a medical alarm for my 98 yr old mother.

She will not leave her home so she does live alone.  I try to be there daily but it would give me some sense of peace to do something like this.

How does this work?

Is it easy to install and how does the monitoring work?  Thank you.  Rita
City: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Hi Rita,

I feel your concern.

A good medical alarm system like ours will help you relieve some of your stress.

Our system is simple to plug in and test. You simply plug the speaker box into an electrical outlet and a telephone jack. Then you press the help button that your mother can wear around her neck or on her wrist.

Once the help button is pressed we speak to her through the speaker box to see if she is testing or needs help. It takes less than 10 minutes to set up and then test.

We can speak up and back with your mom throughout approximately a 3500 square foot house, and we would know if she needed help up to around 300 feet outside the house…but we couldn’t speak to her outside the house so we would assume she is in trouble and send help. Then we would notify you and other contacts on her list of responders.

Our help buttons are waterproof and meant to be worn in the shower or tub.

Personally, after 30 years experience with seniors, I believe your mom’s home is the best and happiest place for her to be.

Whether you use our system or someone else’s…it’s a great idea that should give you and your mom some peace of mind that she can get help even if she can’t reach her phone.

I hope this helps,

Jeff

Name: Lyn
Question: Can the box that will be the medical alert device to reach the monitors just go into an electrical outlet?

As they say. My aunt has phone lines in the house but they are not active. She just uses a cell to save money. Lyn
City: fortson
State: ga

Hi Lyn,

To use any medical alert device you must have a telephone line.

A cheap plain old telephone line would do, you don’t even need long distance.

Jeff

Name: Cynthia
Question: My mother is 88 and lives alone.

She is beginning to have problems such as spiking blood pressure, dizziness etc which may be associated with a possible stroke.

The family history on her side of the family is a concern because most of the siblings and her mother died with heart failure, heart attacks, etc.

I would like more information about the life alert systems that might help if she falls and can’t get to the phone.
What type of device would be best for her situation?

City: Wichita Falls
State: TX

Hi Cynthia,

I understand your concerns, you are certainly thinking in the right direction.

First off, we are the American Senior Safety Agency, not Life Alert Systems. However, we both provide the same type of service.

The medical alert device that would be best for your mom would be our Get Help Now medical alert system. She would be able to push the button in case she fell, had a heart attack or stroke and couldn’t get up.

You’ve obviously seen our seniorsafety.com site. Give us a call at 888-473-2800 and we will be most happy to assist you.

I hope this helps,

Jeff

When winter arrives it brings difficulties for seniors in navigating the frozen ground…they fall.

First, a senior who falls needs a personal medical alarm to alert 911 and family of their emergency.

Second, family and caregivers should make sure they have set up a plan to clear the walkway of snow and ice. It’s like winter proofing our elderly loved ones house like you would baby proof a house for your new born.

Seniors need help and your attention. A medical alarm system may be a great Christmas/Hannukah gift.

If you are a caregiver for an elderly mom, dad, aunt, uncle or loved one and haven’t tested their medical alarm system in the last month…they could be in danger.

The simplest thing to do with a medical alarm is to safe and test the system.

A system that is not consistently tested is an unsafe sytem…just do it.

Name: Dale
Question: Do I need a separate phone jack to use your personal alarm system for the elderly?
Thank you, Dale
City: White Bear Lake
State: Mn

Hi Dale,

No you don’t need two phone jacks.

With our medical alert device you simply plug our speaker box into the phone jack and then we have a jack on the back of our speaker box you can plug your phone back into.

Jeff

I’m often asked to compare medical alert systems for the elderly who fall.

It’s funny, I could easily answer this question, however, the companies (particularly the large ones) are very litigious and sue if you mention their name.

Here’s what I can tell you:

Be suspicious of anyone who attempts to force you to buy now.

Be cautious of companies that speak poorly of other companies.

Use your gut to decide if you like the people you are talking to, don’t allow them to pressure you.

Make sure their monitoring center is at least UL certified.

Realize that most of the equipment out there is good…it’s the service behind it that counts.

If something sounds like to good of a bargain, it probably is. Neither the cheapest nor the most expensive may be the answer to your solution.

Request everyone’s brochure…do your homework.

These are just a few good thoughts as you approach getting a medical alert device for your loved one.

The transition for seniors is difficult to acknowledge when they are elderly and need a medical alarm system. It’s similar to the time that it’s time to tell your loved one that they need to stop driving.

It’s difficult to intervene in your mom, dad, aunt, uncle or loved ones life because the need assistance to stay in their own home alone.

The best approach is to let your loved one know that a medical alert device allows them to stay in their home while still being able to call for help when they can’t reach the phone.

It’s a difficult conversation. Some of our loved ones think it’s a great idea, while others could have fallen 3 or 4 times yet still remain to proud to allow the assistance the medical alarm system provides.

A good approach for those that feel they are fine is to blame it on yourself, let them know that you are uncomfortable and that you would feel better if they humored you.

Hi Jeff,

I’m my Dad’s fulltime caretaker, and am looking for some medical alert device he could wear or put in his pocket that will allow him to alert me or anyone in the house to when he needs to go to the bathroom or to get out of his chair, or if he attempts this on his own and falls.

We’re not quite ready for a medical response alert system because he is never alone in the house, but he is at the point where I want to track his movements around the house closely. I have a baby monitor, but that is useless when he isn’t in the same room.

Short of a cowbell, can you suggest anything?

Thanks,

Joan
Phoenix, Arizona

Hi Joan,

A medical alert device might be the best emergency response system for your dad. Even though you don’t think he is ready, it would be far better than a cow bell

We would immediately call over the speaker box and would then call you if that was necessary. Dad could also wear it in the shower or tub where he might need it most.

This would give you both some peace of mind during and emergency.

Jeff

Of course all people be they young, elderly, seniors or troubled with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), MS (Multiple Sclerosis) or anything that challenges their speach can use medical alert devices.

Many times we work out a simple set of questions that are yes no answers. Our operators are specially trained to assist in these situations. We know how to relieve stress while getting you the help you need.

A medical alarm system in these situations is most valuable, easy to use and bring peace of mind to all parties

Jeff

Can someone  (52 years of age) that is disabled with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have a medical alert ?

Amy
Tucson, Arizona

Hi Amy,

Of course you can have a medical alert system. Our name is American Senior Safety Agency but we have many different ages using our system.

We work with many individuals in the MS community.

Jeff

My Grandmother lives in a 2500 sqft home.

She goes outside a lot and between the bathroom, closet, bedroom, 2nd bath room, hallway, family room, entry room and kitchen how can this medical alert device work with all rooms?

It look like we would need at least 4 just to cover the areas. Will you supply many boxes?

Bob
Las Vegas, Nevada

Hi Bob,

Our medical alarm system will work throughout a house of about 3500 square feet.

You’ll only need one speaker box to handle the whole house. Our medical alarm has a very sensitive microphone and a very loud speaker.

It will work up to about 300′ outside of the house we won’t be able to speak to your grandmother outside but we’ll know she is in trouble and send 911 to help.

Jeff