Medical Alert

My understanding is that if I use it, if I call, that the ambulance service has to come. Two of my children live right in town. They would be here quickly. We live in a small town, volunteer EMTs, and fire people. There should be a step between calling for this and an ambulance showing up at your door. The children should be notified first and let them make the decision. And maybe that's a waste of time, but it's a waste of time to call a whole squad here when there's no emergency.

There's a light blinking on the device and it's low power. And the only problem I have with that when the power goes off is the people that Medical Alert is supposed to respond to might get a message from them 24 hours later that something's wrong with me. We know the power was off for five minutes a day ago. And when my children got the message, they didn't respond to it. I talked to someone who said, “Oh, yes. We will connect you. You need to have that machine replaced.” And they said, “Well, we don't replace. When it's only five years old, we don't replace them.” I got nowhere. So, I just don't pay much attention to it. But it just makes the children feel better for me to have it. So, I'm very grateful that I can still live alone and I'm able to be somewhat mobile.

We test the device once a month. They have me to push the Help button and then talk to me once a month for the test. They respond really quickly. The longest it's been was like 20 seconds before the person came on. Having Medical Alert makes me feel more confident. We got the one we wear around our neck because I didn't want something for my wrist. I feel like at night, I'd have better luck with around my neck. I didn't wanna get one that’s a phone because unless I have it in bed with me and could get it real simple, that wouldn’t have helped me.

The one I wear around my neck is really lightweight. You don't even know you have it. That's good, too because I've seen a couple of them on TV that I thought, “It looks like they’re wearing their cellphone around their neck.” I don’t think I want that. Initially, they told me that the device would be coming in the mail in five to 10 business days, and we got it two days later. I was really impressed. I had called Life Alert, and they’re well over $100 a month. We’re paying about 37 to Medical Alert. Also, they always know my name, check my address and stuff with me when I called to check it. So, they know who we are.

When I first had this new button and I was wearing it at night, about four times within a couple of weeks, I got woke up during the night because the button had gone off, apparently. But I didn't hear it because I'm totally deaf. I have to wear hearing aids and I take them off at night. The reps at Medical Alert called me in the middle of the night and asked me if everything was all right. They responded really well, but I complained because I didn't know what I was going to do about this thing. If the medical alert system was going to make be calling all the time, it was not going to be good for me.

The woman that I talked to suggested that I just wear my old button at night and that was okay, but that kind of defeats the whole thing. Right now, I'm wearing both of them and I'm well covered. But I've been a little bit disappointed with that new button and I feel like it was not needed that bad. But otherwise, I can't complain about the company. I've been with them for so long. I'm 94 years old and I started with them when I was 80. My children talked me into it because I live alone and the few times that I've had a problem, they've been good and very quick about connecting the people that I needed for help, like the EMTs. And they stay on the line until they make sure that I'm cared for, so that has been great.

I know that the system works though and it alerts my daughter as well as my grandson. My grandson’s in Bush, Louisiana, but he's in charge of everything. And my daughter works at a medical clinic and they'd call her. Then, they'd call them back, but sometimes, the Medical Alert team would be already on their way. And sometimes, 12 people would show up, which happened twice. But I thanked them for coming and I know I’m covered, so I’m okay.

At another time, they said the thing had gone off a couple times, but I didn't punch the button. I decided that the cords around it were too long. I’m short and I’m sure that if I got it close to the sink and that one was hanging down, I might turn it on. I didn’t want to do that, so I shortened the cords on each one of them and hadn’t had any more problems since. I could wear them around my neck and not worry. I just have to be careful because when you’re short and you’re getting up to the washing machine or around the kitchen, it can set the alarm off.

Other than that, my bill has gone up now. I had to pay $599 a year for both the fall thing and the Medical Alert. Then I got this thing about insurance and I don't need any more insurance on anything. However, they deducted $10 from my bank account and I wasn't too happy about that. But I hadn't been able to get ahold of anybody about that yet. Besides that, I have recommended Medical Alert to several friends because I felt like they needed it as well as I did.

However, I set the device off too much. It's sensitive and sometimes it's very frustrating when it goes off. I've hit the bathtub when I'm scrubbing it so I either take it off or be very careful when I do that. One day, I was in the kitchen trying to make a pie and I don't know how I hit it. I was rolling dough. I had a phone call and they couldn't reach me. They reached my daughter. Before she could get back with them that I was fine, I had the EMTs here. They were very nice. One time, they couldn't find me. They called my daughter who happened to be in Florida. She told them I was supposed to be at a play with my granddaughter and that was where I was. I never did know that I had set it off 'til they told me and I still don't know how I set it off.

One thing I do dislike about this is you can't talk to somebody unless you're near your transmitter or have your transmitter with you. One company makes one that has the button you can push and also talk, but it's larger than what the round button is that you have to wear. Another thing is I don't like the black cord. I wish it was a lighter color. Also, one rep will say one thing and somebody else will tell me something else. You don't know who's right and who's wrong.