If you’re interested in a monitored medical alert, you need to understand the different kinds of life alerts you can buy.
The monitoring service is pretty much all the same. But the equipment is very different.
You can buy units that work in a small area (e.g., a small home or apartment), ones that work across much larger areas, and ones that work even when you aren’t near your home.
Here’s how they break down:
The first is the standard “old-school” medical alert that consists of a base station that has a powerful speakerphone in it. These aren’t fancy, but they work great for many people. Click here for more info about the different standard medical alert systems.
The second is a medical alert with a “two-way pendant.” This means you communicate with the monitoring staff not through a speakerphone, but through the pendant you carry around. If this interests you, check out the Medipendant.
The third is a medical alert that also has automatic fall detection. Phillips Lifeline is an example of this (but you pay a good bit for the automatic fall detection feature).
The fourth is a mobile medical alert, which can contact a monitoring center when you’re away from your home. There are a lot of different systems in this market, and things are evolving rapidly, so it’s a little hard to keep it all straight. Some systems are hybrids which have standard functionality at home, and some are just for when you’re out. Others work with a special cell phone, or even your existing cell phone.
(My opinion is that the home is the most important place to protect yourself, because that’s where you’ll be alone.)
Don’t like any of the links above? Go back to the main monitored medical alert page.
