In addition to the common question of whether Medicare pays for medical alarm systems (it doesn’t), another frequent question is whether a person can get financial help in paying for a medical alert.
Maybe.
That’s the best answer I’ve got.
A lot of it will depend on what resources you have available to you locally.
For example, in the comments on a recent discussion in the Traverse Ticker (on an article about an elderly woman who had suffered a fall and was stuck on her garage floor for 24 hours), one of the commenters bemoaned the fact that many seniors can’t afford a medical alert system. And not all families step in to help out.
At a cost of about a dollar a day, medical alerts aren’t really that expensive, but even that amount is a hardship for some people, especially if they don’t realize the risks.
Luckily for people who live in Leelanau County, Michigan, the local senior services agency not only puts on workshops to help people understand how to buy the medical alert that’s right for them, but they also offer a limited amount of financial aid for people who need alert systems.
I don’t know what’s available in your area, but the local senior services agency or council on aging might be a good place to start.
For seniors who can’t afford a medical alarm, this kind of help is invaluable.
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