Life Alert,or Phillips Life line?

Hi, lovestodance!

I don't have personal experience to relate, but when I saw your thread I remembered a Consumer Reports e-newsletter I saw last week.

They have a new article (July 2014) with in-depth info about what to consider before making a purchase, a specific check-list of criteria, comparisons of a few of the companies, etc.

What to look for in a medical alert system

(link goes to: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2014/06/what-to-look-for-in-a-medical-alert-system/index.htm?EXT...)

We got Senior Safety for my Mom a few years ago. I did my research and they came out on top. Best price, no contracts to sign. Very nice to deal with. Life Alert has some very negative reviews.

My aunt had Life Alert. It was terrible.

She died 3 years ago this week in her bed while she was sleeping, so she never pressed the button. 3 weeks later, I called them to cancel her program. They didn't even check on her & didn't know she was gone!

I thought they are supposed to notify family (that was me) if someone doesn't respond to them on a daily basis? She could have been dead 3 weeks (if she was someone without family that checked in every day like we did!)

They were also very rude because I couldn't find every piece for their equipment.

DON'T use Life Alert!

I have the Phillips Life Line system. On the whole I'm pleased with it. They have different models to choose from. Mine has gone off a few times for no reason at all. One time they didn't believe me when I told them I was ok. Next thing I knew the Rescue Squad, fire dept and an ambulance were at my door. I convinced them that I was fine and they left.

I just always 'wear' my cordless and cell phones, using a fanny/hip pack.

Blessings to you both.

feline groovy, I don't know if this is true or not but I heard that if you use a cell phone to call 911 they don't have your name or address on file. This could cause a serious delay in getting help to you. Also the Life Line can be used to report any type of emergency, fire, break-ins etc. They also have your medical needs on record. I also wear a Medic Alert bracelet. This is also a great help if something happens to you and you can't speak. It has my medical condition and medications engraved on it. You can order one on line.

Look into GreatCall's 5-Star Response. I have that for my mom and it's great. Same people who have the Jitterbug phones. Since Mom doesn't use her cell phone, the 5STar Responder is worn around her neck. Push a button and she can immediately talk to someone from anywhere -- this has GPS built in so she doesn't have to be home. No contracts. Reasonably priced, and they now make a waterproof model. You can also get 5Star Response on a Jitterbug phone, but since Mom doesn't use her cell we opted for the little responder device instead.

On 9/24/2014 CAROLINA2 said:

feline groovy,

I don't know if this is true or not but I heard that if you use a cell phone to call 911 they don't have your name or address on file. This could cause a serious delay in getting help to you.

Also the Life Line can be used to report any type of emergency, fire, break-ins etc. They also have your medical needs on record.

I also wear a Medic Alert bracelet.

This is also a great help if something happens to you and you can't speak. It has my medical condition and medications engraved on it. You can order one on line.

Hey, Carolina

I totally understand your concerns, and that's why I also have my cordless phone on me at all times.

Each phone is a backup for the other, in case one stops working due to a dead battery or whatever. And '911' also takes care of any type of unexpected emergency.

However, through pinging and triangulation, your location (in most cases; your cell phone must be a newer model) can be found via today's technology.

Like you, I wear a medical ID bracelet (from laurenshope.com), and have a wallet card/list of my current drug allergies and most-serious medical conditions.

In fact, I have so many medical challenges (and more than a dozens meds), my bracelet plaque has to say "SEE WALLET CARD", lol.

My med ID bracelet is worn on my left arm, BTW, as that's where most emergency responders look for one. The only time I remove it is when I clean it.

Hope that's where you're rockin' yours, too!

Another plus of wearing a cell phone indoors: you always have a camera and/or video recorder to catch the exact moments of your pet's / kid's / home's wildlife cuteness.

Thanks for the info and caring, Carolina; you're helping others as well. 8)

ETA: I'm 51, but have had health issue most of my life. So aging is truly a blessing.

I see a bad review for Life Alert above. Our experience was just the opposite. We had it for my FIL and I was there one time when he had to press it. I was right by the speaker. They responded instantly and I spoke to the person and provided details of what was going on. They were very helpful. Help arrived extremely quickly.