Medical Alert

Medical Alert called me and wanted me to change over to another system where if I fell down and will be unconscious, it will be better. But it was a larger unit. Also, it wasn’t gonna serve my purposes. When I got the information on it, it said that I had to take it off at night. I don’t take this one off at night, because if I get up at night, I won’t risk anything. I gotta be careful because if I break an arm, a leg, or my back, I’ll be in a nursing home, and I can’t afford a nursing home. I live alone, too. I’m using a walker in the house and I’m really watching what I do, and I don’t walk and talk. And if I go someplace, I go with my family.

I’m supposed to test my Medical Alert device every month. I’m afraid to do it for fear I don’t get it turned back on right. But my niece is a nurse and she comes and takes me to the doctors. And so I have her help me, and we do it. The girls at Medical Alert are so nice. I asked, “Aren’t I supposed to be paying you a bill for the following year?” The rep said, “Well, I can do it right here.” She went ahead and took care of it, and I paid $200 for the year. I’d gladly pay it.

The one issue I had was when my son came and installed it for me, there were discrepancies in the instructions in the booklet and online. If we'd look in the booklet, and then we'd look in the online instructions, there was a difference in the order of what we plugged into what and what we unplugged. The plugins’ ends weren’t exactly the same. We thought that we had the wrong cord. Eventually, we fixed it so it worked. But I still couldn’t get the phone and the machine far enough apart. Getting it set up was a minor problem ‘cause I couldn’t physically bend down and plug things into the wall. I had to have my son come and do it. The installation instructions contradicted themselves. We worked it out in the end, so it was okay.

There were a couple of times when I was drying myself vigorously that I accidentally set the device off. The people called me back instantly and I apologized. But thank god I haven’t needed it. My question is that if I fall and I’m nowhere near the phone, it’ll go off, I don't know if I can talk to them through the device. The thing is if they can’t reach anyone, they just send the ambulance. So, even if I fell in the shower, I couldn’t get to the phone. I'd call them and find out about it.

Whenever I do mash my button, which I call as my little pager, and then they talk, I have a hard time hearing them. I nearly have to sit on top of the speaker to hear what they’re saying. If I’m a little bit away from it in the room, I can’t hear them. Other than that, Medical Alert is the first one I’ve ever owned and this is the one I’m sticking with. I feel a little more secure since having it. I know I have help at the touch of a button and that’s nice because I’m in a home somewhere between 12 hours a day by myself, so just to know I do have help if I need it, I appreciate that.

I used my device when I got cut. I got my big toe caught in the back door. They came and they got the bleeding to stop, bandaged it up really good for me. I also had to be carried to the hospital. I remember mashing the button and they got me to go to the hospital. I appreciate Medical Alert being there for me if I need somebody. That means a whole lot to me. It makes me feel a lot better.

I was getting plagued a couple of months ago with accidentally setting off the device and I kept trying to find different ways of wearing it so it wouldn’t do it. I found out I had to wear it under my shirt and turn it backwards to try to prevent accidentally bumping of the button. Since I did that, it’s been a lot better now. But one morning around 7:00, I was sleeping and when I rolled over, I set off the device. But I wasn’t aware of it. Then, my daughter came by to visit and was here talking with my fiancée, and the police and fire people showed up. So, I know it works.

I also feel better about having it, especially since I went to the newer one. The first one I got was really more for my wife and unfortunately, she passed away in March. Then I decided I was gonna switch it over and get the mobile one because I’m going all over the place, getting groceries and going to doctor’s appointments. And because I’m going over the hill and doing all that traveling, that made me even more appreciative of taking this thing with me since it follows everywhere. It helps a lot.

I feel very secure and safe with Medical Alert. I wear the pendant when I'm in the apartment and also outside. When I go out, I take the mobile unit with me. Before, I took the pendant nonchalantly. So one time, I went outside to smoke a cigarette and I wasn't wearing the device then I fell. Had I had the Medical Alert around my neck like I should've, I could've pushed the button and help would've come. Then I would've gone right to the emergency room. Instead, I got myself into the apartment and I waited a couple of days 'cause I wasn't quite sure what I had done. When I went to the emergency room, my wrist was broken. I thought it was just sprained. I broke my wrist and it required surgery and the insertion of a metal plate. That taught me a huge valuable lesson to wear the pendant around my neck at all times and I take that more seriously now.