Medical Alert

One time, I was using my machine for breathing and my stomach was bothering me. But my elevator wasn't working and I had to go down the steps. It was about five or six of them and they said they could put me in a chair and strap me in, one in the front, one in the back, and they could take me downstairs. As bad as I felt, I could not let them do that as I've had problems with going downstairs. I said no and that my son could help me. They said, "What can your son do that we can't? And there's so many of us and there's only one of him." One of the gentlemen checked me out and asked if I really need to go and I said no.

Another time I went to sit on the side of my daughter's bed. It was an air mattress and it went down and I ended up on the floor and I couldn't get up. They tried to help me up but they couldn't. They asked what to do to help me and so I called the boys. They came and two or three of them lifted me off the floor. Then when I moved in the other apartment, I was asleep and I woke up and I was on the floor with the covers. I called the paramedics to come and get me, and it took three of them, one on each side and one behind me, and then they picked me up.

I was in a bad shape at another time and my blood pressure was up to 225. They told me that they would take me to the hospital and they didn't tell that time how much my blood pressure was. The only reason I found it out was after I got in the emergency room and then the nurses told me what it was. There was another time they had to stay because the hospital was full, had no rooms, and I had to be in the hallway. They did not leave me until the nurses in the emergency room got a bed for me to be in and got the equipment for me to use.

They checked me out in November. They came up first and the ambulance came out right behind them. They asked if I could walk to get on the little car in other room and I said yes and they helped me. When I got on there, they strapped me down. I asked them for something that would cover me up and they gave one. Even if I'm going from my home to a doctor and my insurance provides a ride for them to call, so I call a couple of days early and make the ride.

I feel safe with Medical Alert being there because they know how to carry and take care of me. They have the equipment that they can check with whatever is wrong with me and they run it up. If they see that I need to go to a doctor or to a hospital, they're gonna tell that they can take me, but it's up to me. They're a company that we need with a group of men that can get us out of an accident and the like. I just have one device that I need to send back, but they didn't send me the envelope, they just sent me a seal to put on there.

I'm in a wheelchair so there is always somebody with me. I asked Medical Alert if I could switch it back and they said no. This is the system they have now. But the cost is the same and it has always been a good system. I just got it a month and a half ago. I was just wondering why it took so long. Because when it went off to me, the rep called in monthly to make sure they check it was working. And I did that and it was answered right away.

I've had a couple of times when an ambulance came over the years I've had it. Nobody was here with me and I needed help because I got really sick. They came out here, so that was good. I've used it and it works because the ambulance and the paramedics are usually within less than three miles of my house. They come fast.

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.