any experience with "life alert" or other senior panic buttons?
 

I need to decide on an emergency panic button for my aging mother to wear around her neck. I just read a lot of bad things about "life alert" (the original "help I've fallen and I can't get up" company)'s business practices and customer service reviews. I also just bought a "5 Star Urgent Response" by Great Call at the WalMart pharmacy, but I have not registered and signed up for the service contract yet. Does anyone have any experience or feedback on any of these devices? TIA

I have a Life Alert for my Dad. Good item, great service, great price, waterproof.

Cellphone with a programmed 911 button?

We had Life Alert for my grandfather and we liked the service and got some peace of mind...

Signed my Mom up for one few months back, the ones on the web would not let me see the contract before ordering the unit. with a card :(

The life alert people were the most agressive.

They are all very close in price

I talked to the local hospital they were affiliated with a monitoring service. They came to the house with a contract basically a month to month service agreement,very simple.

Hooked up it to the landline gave her a couple test activations demos.

Find one that that is waterproof, odds are they will slip in or out of the shower.

The lady said 80% of the calls are from the bathroom.

A friend got one for his mother who has altsheimers. She kept pressing the button wondering what it was. It didn't last too long. :)

Get a lock box for your moms door and put keys in it. Most Fire/EMS services will keep a data base of the box code. Call and ask them. If she activates it in her sleep you won't have to replace her door if the keys are available.

Saw something on the boob tube whilst passing....that gal that got kidnapped. Elizabeth Smart. Phone app...


Elizabeth Smart endorses phone app for emergencies | The Salt Lake Tribune

Dunno if it was an infomercial or an interview, I did notice Smart came off dumber than a box of hammers.

My two sisters and I funded the Life Alert for our mother without any issues. As I remember all went well with the service and company, we never had any reason for concern about the workings of the device. Our Mother passed in Dec. of ’07 so this information is at least that old.