Name: Jenise
Question: Will Medicare pay for a medical alarm pendant if the doctor writes a prescription for one?

City: Lake Charles
State: LA

Hi Jenise,

I do not know of any case where Medicare pays for a medical alarm. Medicaid is known to pay.

Jeff

Name: Cynthia

Question: Do you know of a medical alarm device that can be used in the home to alarm another elderly person that there needs by another person in the same house.  We had and intercom system but it had too much static?

City: Charlotte
State: NC

Hi Cynthia,

I’m am often asked this question.

I am in favor of a traditional medical alarm system. This provides both the calling of the other senior in the home, or the additional asset of being able to notify the emergency 911 personnel if necessary.

You could also consider something like a baby monitor, but I think you would have the same problem as your intercom.

Frankly, if someone is in need of signaling for help to another elderly person in the home, I believe a medical alarm is in order. Also, you should consider filling out a vial of life for them. You can go to vialoflife.com

I hope this helps,

Jeff

Name: Joanne

Question: Do you offer discounts for members of AARP?

City: Woodstock
State: Georgia

Hi Joanne,

Our program is already discounted for all seniors. We also offer all seniors the month they sign up for free. And, we have a free gift for all that can be an additional pendant or a free lock box for their key.

In addition, we offer a 30 day money back guarantee, no questions asked.

Jeff

Name: Sheila

Question: My mother is 98 and lives alone. She is also profoundly deaf. She wouldn’t be able to hear your operator if she needed help and pressed the emergency button. Would they still call EMS?

City: San Antonio
State: TX

Hi Sheila,

As you might imagine, we have many elderly seniors on our medical alert system with your mother’s problem. Of course, if she pushed the help button and we could not hear her, we would immediately dispatch the 911 paramedics. Not only that, we would indicate your mom’s situation in her records.

Rest assured she would absolutely get the help she needed.

Jeff

I have spent 29 years working with the elderly trying to remain independent in their own homes. By the way, I feel this is the best medicine you the caregiver can offer your loved ones…independent living.

1.  They need continued support and contact with their family and loved ones.

2.  Professional support to call on locally like a helper, a visiting nurse, a handy man and transportation.

3.  The Vial of Life information filled out and on their refrigerator door to help 911 assist them when they can’t speak.

4.  A medical alarm system to summon help when they can’t reach the phone for help during an emergency.

You can’t just leave your mother, father, aunt, uncle or loved one fend for themselves. This leads to sadness, danger and eventually commitment to a nursing home. The goal here is to keep our loved ones independent and healthy for as long as we can.

I hated when my aunt Tillie was forced into a nursing home when my cousin would not provide her the proper support. She would tell me, “I don’t belong here!”. I cried and then I gave her all the support I could. I begged aunt Tillie to come out and live with me. She was afraid to move from Florida and became despondent, unhappy and isolated.

Our loved ones deserve the best life they can have…it’s difficult toward the end of life…but in my opinion, this is when we must step up to the plate giving service, help and love.

Name: Fran

Question: Does this medical alert system work with DSL? efficiently?

What is range outside of house?

Is monthly payment available? Direct from bank?

Does system require separate telephone jack?

City: Deerfield
State: Virginia

Hi there Fran,

Yes our medical alert system works quite well with DSL.

The range outside the house is approximately 300-400 feet depending upon your location and we can’t talk to you outside, but we will know you are in trouble and send help.

Quarterly payments are available at $29.95 per month, or $89.85 per quarter. After the first quarter if you cancel and return our equipment, you will be refunded any months not used.

We do not require a separate telephone jack. Just plug us into the wall and then your phone into our speaker box.

I hope this helps,

Jeff

Name: William

Question: Hi, I have a friend that is paralyzed. He can do a lot for himself but, he has problems when it comes to getting himself in bed at night. He gets stuck sometimes between his chair and his bed. He lives with his sister and she can not hear him at night if he needs help. He has a medic alert type device that hooks into his phone line, it has a remote. The problem is that in some cases he cant reach the remote. Is there a voice activated system we could use to get around this problem? This has been a regular occurence for a number of years.

Thanks

City: Ft Valley
State: Ga

Hi William,

I don’t know of any voice activated systems.

Is he wearing the pendant transmitter to activate the medical alarm? They should be wearing it on their wrist or around their neck…we find the neck to be the best to wear so that both hands can reach it if in an awkward position.

When he is in trouble, why is it that he can’t reach the remote?

I understand the frustration of his problem…I have dealt with many people with these type issues. Usually we can resolve it by wearing the transmitter help button properly. I find lots of people put the remote on their walker or bed post, then get up in the middle of the night and fall away from where the help button is.

Let me know if I can be of further help,

Jeff

To: Jeffrey Miller

Subject: Does 1st alert work in homes in remote areas In NY State?

Hi Jeff

I live in Scott, NY 13077 on the south end of Skaneateles lake ..

We currently are not able to receive phone calls on our verizon wireless phones. and want to know if the 1st
alert system will work in our home and surrounding area.

Please advise

Thanks

Eric

Hi Eric,

Our medical alert system is not called First Alert, however our senior safety medical alarm system will work in your location. You will need a regular land line to work our system.

I’m not familiar with Verizon Wireless phones. Is the problem that at a distance from the base you lose the signal, or that they don’t work at all?

Is there some kind of generator or high voltage lines nearby that might be interfering with your reception? Any kind of communications towers?

Tell me a little more about your problem.

Thanks,

Jeff

Name: Jeni

Question: My mother is a teacher and lives with me, my husband, my son 19 yrs old and brother 19 yrs old.
On the evening of December 30th I arrived home from work.  I sat down to dinner with my mother, sister and
the rest of the family in our household.  We began to converse as families do at dinner. In the middle of
dinner and completely off subject my mother calmly informs us she has been experiencing pressure in her chest
and pain in her arm throughout the day. DINNER WAS OVER!

I was not about to allow this to be the last meal we ate together! In less than 5 seconds I had the car keys
in my hand ready to make a B-line to the hospital and my sister had the phone in hers ready to dial 911.

At the hospital tests revealed my mother had a heart attack. On Friday, Jan. 2nd doctors informed us my mother
would be ok but needed to return soon for additional treatment and then released her from the hospital. At 8;00am
this very morning I was awoken by the panic in her voice that something wasn’t right. I immediately dialed 911.

Despite all of this I believe with proper treatment/care she will ultimately be alright.  However, I am concerned for her
now more than ever.  I keep thinking to myself. WHAT IF WE HAD NOT BEEN AT HOME?

WHAT IF SHE COULDN’T GET TO US OR TO THE PHONE QUICK ENOUGH FOR HELP THIS MORNING?

I want to be aware and do everything I possibly can to make my mother feel safe. I want the family and myself to have a
little peace of mind knowing MOM is never really alone… HELP is with her always especially if we her family happen not
to be with her when help is not near by and counts the most. My mother means the world to me…. she means the world to US!

One question that remains for me is; What if she needs assistance when she’s away from home?
For instance, say she’s on her way to teach a class.  She’s walking from her car to class, suddenly needs help and no one is around.

What then??  I am determined to eliminate as many of these questions as possible if not all, I appreciate any information/advice/suggestions
you might be able to offer.

Sincerely,
Jeni

City: Channahon
State: Illinois

Hi Jenny,

I can relate to your concern about your mom…her problem is the reason I pioneered this industry in 1981.

Since then I have had heart issues myself. Besides a good medical alarm system I hope that your mom is prepared to
change her dietary and exercise habits. From personal experience, and writing on the topic, I can tell you that reducing
saturated fats below 10 grams per day, increasing fiber to 50 grams per day, and reducing overall fat intake will remarkably change her disease markers. Note, I am not a doctor, just well versed in nutrition and exercise. Starting a daily exercise routine with her doctors approval will greatly help as well.

Now on to medical alarm systems. Our system will give you the peace of mind you need for mom in the house and the yard.
Beyond that we find people are around to help. Regardless, she should carry a cell phone…by pushing and holding down
the 1 key it will automatically dial 911 and get her the help she needs.

Our in house medical alarm works in the shower and tub…even if she can’t be heard we will know she is in trouble and send help.

Through the years we have learned that before a major heart attack people get an uneasy feeling, that’s when we want her to
push the button…if it’s a false alarm no problem.

Often times our clients wind up in the hospital swearing they never pushed the button…obviously they did,
but it appears that the time before a major stroke or heart attack people often lose the memory of the event just prior.
However, they arrive at the hospital still wearing their pendant.

I hope this helps you…whomever you select as your medical alert company, it will be a good thing for you and your mom.

Personally I feel our Senior Safety medical alarm provides the best service…we care.

Good Luck,

Jeff