Comparing Personal Medical Alert Systems

If you have come to the realization that it’s time for you or someone you love in your family to have personal medical alert systems, you may now be wondering how to choose the right one.

Here are some tips to use when comparing the options on the market:

Price – Find out what the base monthly fee is on each system, and what that includes. Many companies have additional fees for additional services. Take a note of these. This is especially important if you are on a fixed income and have to make this new expense a part of an already tight budget.

Installation – In addition to the monthly fee, find out if there are installation fees. There are often fees that could be up to $100 for your account and system to be set up. This could be a shocking bill if you don’t know it’s coming.

Operations – You want to know how the company running the system works. In an attempt to save money, some monitoring systems use phone responses or voicemail systems that can mean when you really need help, you are stuck waiting for someone to realize a call is in the computer. You want a service that has a live bank of operators who are ready to pick up as soon as you need them.

Knowledge – Just as important as having live people pick up the phone is making sure those live people know what to do when they pick up the phone. You should find out what kind of training has been given to the operators at the personal medical alert systems you are considering.

Difficulty – Are there a bunch of buttons and lights on the system you are considering or is it a simple system. If you are in an emergency situation you don’t want to have to think about which combination of buttons you have to hit to get help. You just want the help to arrive. For this reason, look for a medical alert device that is easy to use, preferably with just one button to hit to get help.

Batteries- Just because the power goes out, you don’t want to be helpless. You need to make sure the transmitter with the medical alert systems you consider has battery back ups so you can still get a response even if the power lines are not operational.

Once you decide on a system, you should make sure it is all you hope it is.

Try it out – Insist on a trial offer that you can get out of. Most companies will allow you to try them out for 30 days, free. This way you can see if the system does everything you need before getting into a long-term contract.

Test it - Once you select a personal medical alert system don’t wait for an emergency to see if it works. Hit the button and see how long it takes for someone to respond to your call for help. You need to know how soon you will get assistance if you really need it. You also need to know that no matter where you are in the house you can get a clear reception. Many systems do their own self-tests.