CAC Preferred Provider

The Consumer Advisory Council is pleased to award the CAC Seal Of Approval to Medical Alarm Services for Medical Alarm services.

Medical Alarm Services provides medical alarm service nationwide. The company offers the highly respected Linear PERS-2400 medical alarm system.

Medical Alarm Services has been providing security and medical alarm monitoring services to homes and businesses for nearly two decades.

The medical alarm service facility is UL approved to ensure continuous service nationwide by their 911 trained medical alarm response agents.

A proud member of BBBOnline, Medical Alarm Services is recognized by AARP and AAA for their quality of service and reliability in providing medical alarm services to consumers online.
Contact information: Medical Alarm Services 1-800-655-6872

This review is reprinted from and is credited to The Consumer Advisory Council

Medical Alarm Service Monitors (part 3)

As with other businesses, a good way to judge a service provider is by their years in business. You don't want to be the customer they learn from. Ask how many years the provider has been offering medical alarm services and how many customers like yourself they currently service.

Another good barometer of quality is whether the service provider also provides security alarm services to residential and commercial customers. Smaller companies can experience life threatening excessive response times when only a few members of the staff are out sick. Larger firms with a broad customer base are more likely to have adequate staff to meet all service demands.

Today, many service providers sell and service customers nationwide via Internet advertising. Before calling any company that advertises on the Internet, look for the BBBOnline logo on their website. The BBBOnline logo is your protection that the firm has met strict guidelines for quality and service.

Read Medical Alarm Service Monitors Part 2

This review is reprinted from and is credited to The Consumer Advisory Council

Medical Alarm Service Monitors (part 2)

When selecting a medical alarm service provider, choose one that offers service 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days per year. Be sure to ask if there are ever any periods when service is not provided.

Confirm the notification policies of the service provider. Are the response agents trained to evaluate the level of emergency and qualified to determine whether to first call your perferred contact person or an EMS unit?

Ideally, you should choose a provider with response agents who have received 911 training. 911 training ensures the call response agent knows how to handle more serious emergencies such as a heart attack, stroke, or seizure. Such serious emergencies are not the time to find out that your response agent doesn't understand the difference between calling a relative to provide basic aid and calling an EMS unit.

Ask whether the service provider's facility is certified by Underwriters Laboratory (UL). UL certification ensures that the facility has been inspected and met stringent standards for operation during emergency conditions.

To receive UL certification, facilities must submit to an extensive review and have implemented approved backup systems for their phone lines and electrical power to ensure continuous operation. Additionally, UL certified facilities are sufficiently protected to prevent internal fire from spreading to vital systems areas.

Read Medical Alarm Service Monitors (part 1)

This review is reprinted from and is credited to The Consumer Advisory Council

Medical Alarm Service Monitors (part 1)

While the selection of a medical alarm unit is an important decision, the choice of a monitoring service is at least of equal importance or, in many ways, even more important.

Your medical alarm service provider is the company your medical alarm console calls when you need assistance. Not all medical alarm service providers are alike. Prices vary, quality varies. This is often reflected in the price of your medical alarm purchase.

Most medical alarm packages cost between $20 and $35 per month. When purchasing a medical alarm system, remember, your safety and security are not something you want to trust to the lowest bidder.

Because there is no government regulation of medical alarm service providers, almost anyone can setup a phone bank and claim to be a service provider. Ask questions, lots of questions, before signing a service agreement.

Verify the provider's hours of operation. Do they have blank spots in their service availability?
Ask about response agent training. What are the qualifications of the staff receiving calls?
Confirm that the provider's facility is secure. Do they have backup systems in case of a power outage, communications failure, or fire?

This review is reprinted from and is credited to The Consumer Advisory Council

Linear PERS-2400 System

The PERS-2400 has 16 radio channels for use with a wide variety of Linear panic buttons, including pendants, keyrings, handhelds, and wristbands, as well as specially configured door/window signalers and smoke detectors.

The console is designed for tabletop use or wall mounting. Easy access is provided for installing a back-up battery to support the unit during power outages. The radio antennas are not visible when the PERS-2400 is completely assembled and installed. Two phone jacks are provided: one for connection to the household phone system; the other for connecting a telephone which is automatically disconnected when an alarm occurs.

Activating the PERS-2400 is simple and reliable. You keep a wireless transmitter with you at all times. In the event of an at-home emergency, you press the panic button, which functions like a TV remote control, to signal the console to automatically call the Emergency Monitoring Center, staffed by trained professionals 24 hours a day.

When the operators receive your call, they notify key people you have preselected to respond in specific situations: family members, neighbors, friends or appropriate rescue personnel.

The PERS-2400 includes versatile personal emergency transmitters that you should keep with you all the time. A number of accessories make it easy to adapt to different circumstances. These include a wristband, a pocket/belt clip, and a pendant.

The transmitters are completely waterproof, so you can even wear them in the shower. And they will tell you when a transmission has been sent to the console through visual confirmation (a red indicator light) and audible confirmation (a beep).

A long transmission range ensures that you can depend on signals reaching the console. However, for safety, you should be sure to test each transmitter for range at the individual location to ensure signals are not blocked by interference or obstacles.

Transmitters are continuously monitored by the console, alerting you even when their long life batteries get low.

This review is reprinted from and is credited to The Consumer Advisory Council

Linear PERS-2400 System

Of the systems we reviewed, the Linear PERS-2400 is clearly the easiest system to operate and best choice for elderly users. Linear Corporation is a 60 year old company. The inventor of the Personal Emergency Transmitter, Linear is a leading manufacturer of emergency reporting systems worldwide.

The Linear PERS-2400 is a high quality personal emergency reporting system. Linear has built a lot of capability into the PERS-2400. It is a flexible emergency, fire, and inactivity reporting package, but can also be custom programmed by the installer to work with and report several other functions. With 16 reporting zones, it can work with and report individual emergency alarms for up to 16 users. It can be configured to provide delayed alarm function, send silent alarms, and act as a speakerphone.

The uniquely-styled, ultra-compact console is distinguished by ease of operation for the user with a large, centrally located EMERGENCY button making it convenient to initiate a manual alarm. For visually impaired users, controls are indentified by braille characters. In addition to EMERGENCY, these controls include a CLEAR switch, which cancels any alarm or resets the system following completion of an alarm sequence, and a HOME switch, which resets the activity reporting timer (or disables the function when it is not required).

This review is reprinted from and is credited to The Consumer Advisory Council

Medical Alarm Systems

Most medical alarm systems consist of two parts, a base unit that dials a service center for assistance, and a wearable panic button that signals the base unit to dial for assistance.

The panic button, worn by the user, is typically designed to be worn as a necklace pendant or wrist band that resembles a wrist watch. Medical alarm systems depend on the ability of the panic button to transmit a signal to the base station. When the signal is received, the base station automatically dials the service center to call for assistance. The unit you select should be waterproof and rated for quality and endurance, remember, your life may depend on it working.
System base stations are typically no larger than an answering machine, and may be placed on a table top or wall mounted. In addition to autodialing for assistance, most base stations offer two way communication with the service center and double as a speakerphone enabling the user to answer regular phone calls by pressing the emergency alert button.

Inactivity reporting is an important life saving feature offered on higher quality systems. With inactivity reporting, the base station is programmed to require periodic responses from the panic button wearer. If no response is received, the base station will automatically dial the service center to request emergency assistance. This can be a real life saver in case of a seizure, an injury that renders the user unconscious, or when the user is injured beyond the system communication range.

This review is reprinted from and is credited to The Consumer Advisory Council

Review : Medical Alarms

A medical alarm is a device used to call for help when you've fallen or are injured and can't get to your telephone. With the baby boom generation beginning to reach retirement age, the number of senior citizens in America is exploding. Medical advances have made it possible for many seniors to live complete and full lives without becoming a burden on their families. They enjoy their retirement and cherish their freedom.

More seniors live alone as the sole occupants of a private dwelling than any other population group. A Labour Force Survey 2001 shows that nearly 3 in 10 seniors live alone, rising to almost 4 in 10 senior women. As more and more seniors choose the freedom of living alone, increasing numbers of seniors will face the risk of injury while alone.

That's where a medical alarm can become a life saver. A medical alarm enables an injured senior to call for help simply by pressing a button on a wrist band or necklace pendant. Many systems offer two way communication with caring staff members who stay on the line to keep the senior calm and comfortable until help arrives.

There are two parts to a medical alarm system, the hardware and the service center. The hardware, or medical alarm device, automatically dials a service center for assistance and may include a desktop base unit and a pendant or a wrist strap with a call button that triggers the dialer. The service center is a call center facility that is usually staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to receive calls from the desktop base unit.

This review is reprinted from and is credited to The Consumer Advisory Council

New Simple Medical Alarm

The idea is simple. If you need help, simply press one button and be connected to a live Personal Assistant standing by just for your call anytime or anywhere.

Tell the Personal Assistant what you need and they will stay on the phone with you until your problem is solved. If you don’t know where you are, your Personal Assistant may be able to pinpoint your location to within just a few feet.

In response to the huge demand from independent seniors - and their often distant family members - Clayton Communications, Inc. has introduced the world’s first SafeGuardian One Button Medical Alarm Cell Phone.

SafeGuardian One Button Medical Alarm Cell Phone is a small, lightweight battery powered cell phone with a built-in GPS locator. The most impressive feature is that it is designed to go wherever you do. Clip it to your belt, drop in into a purse or move it between vehicles, it provides one button protection and convenience even when you are miles from home.

The device is activated with just one push of the single oversized red “call” button on the front. Within seconds, a live “personal assistant & emergency dispatcher” answers the call 24 hours a day. The personal assistant can immediately dispatch local police, fire, paramedics or roadside assistance and much more.

The cell phone is “GPS–enabled” allowing the assistance center professionals to perform a “locate” in the event emergency assistance is dispatched to help the caller, if the caller is lost or in need of directions. When a clear view of the sky is available, the built-in GPS locator is accurate to within 30 feet.

“If you need help and call “911” from your regular cell phone, the 911 operator does not know who you are, where you are or have access to any information about you. Additionally, 911 service is reserved for true emergencies only.” said Thomas C. Franks, President of Clayton Communications, Inc., “The SafeGuardian Personal Assistant who answers your call addresses you by name, has all your important information that you have provided at their fingertips (names, phone numbers, medical information, etc) and are waiting to provide whatever assistance you may need.”

Designed for much more than just emergencies, the SafeGuardian One Button Medical Alarm Cell Phone also provides a wide variety of safety and convenience features. Callers can request to be connected to anyone worldwide, store important information (names, telephone numbers, medical information, etc) for quick contact, receive turn-by-turn driving directions and even request location and directions to any local business or facility including hospitals, doctors, dentists, restaurants, gas stations, hotels, etc.

The device is small (5” x 2” x 1”), lightweight (6 ounces), and uses commonly available lithium batteries (no charging required) that can last for months. It retails for $199 and the monthly service plan is just $34.95. The company offers free activation and free emergency calls. Non-emergency and optional concierge calls are $1.25/minute.

“Independent, active seniors also are finding the phone is a great companion when they are alone. They like the ease of use and the feeling of safety and security they feel knowing they can get assistance anytime and anywhere with the push of one button” continues Mr. Franks, “It truly makes a great gift for any aging parent who would never buy or use a regular cell phone.”
http://www.claytoncommunications.com/

Aarp Recommends Personal Medical Alarm

AARP's magazine lists American Medical Alarms as one of the best personal medical alarms being manufactured today.

If You Navigate Their Website at Www.Americanmedicalalarms.Com, You Can Read Testimonials from People Who Availed Themselves of Their Personal Medical Alarm Systems.
They claim to monitor any kind of emergency immediately and directly, and their personal medical alarm system immediately communicates with its Central Station.

The company claims to have the safest and most effective personal medical alarm system.
Again, American Medical Alarms Lists the Testimonies of Its Costumers, Both Without and Then with, a Personal Medical Alarm System. in Some Cases, during and after the Emergency, There Was Nobody on Call and No Response.

In Some Cases When Someone is Not Able to Get to a Phone, This Personal Medical Alarm System Alertes Its Monitoring Station by Just a Push of a Button.

This personal medical alarm system is unobtrusive for the wearer, available as a pendant which can be worn around the neck, or as a wrist band. Both are water proof, so they can be worn while taking a shower or a bath, where a lot of accidents or falls occur.

The button activation goes into effect within 45 seconds, alerting the central monitoring station, where the wearer can have a conversation with the representative through a main console inside your home.

You can then instruct the technician as to the type of help you need, and whom you wish them to notify, be it emergency rescue or simply a friend or a relative. If the representative doesn't hear a voice at the other end of the line, he or she will immediately contact the paramedics, rightly assuming that it's an emergency.

You might wonder if you need to be within close range of the main console for the technicians to hear you.

The system boasts of a computer which functions acoustically. So you may be heard from every room inside your home.

The company still emphasizes that even if you are close to the console, you might not be heard if you are unable to speak, in case of a severe fall, or a stroke, or if you are choking. Again, paramedics will be instantly dispatched.

As far as coverage, the company doesn't deal directly with your Medicare policy or your insurance company. You have to take care of this yourself, and after that is cleared then you are reimbursed for expenses paid.

The system also works outside your home. The company guarantees a range from two to 300 feet, whether you're taking a short walk, or gardening, or go out to get the mail. They will not be able to hear you, but the system will signal them if you have an emergency.

Apartment buildings or condos are a different ball of wax altogether because of their construction, so it behooves you to check the range yourself before you purchase. The company offers a ten-day free trial for their equipment.

Should there be a power outage, the system has a back up battery which can maintain the unit working for 18 hours, after which, once the electricity is restored, the battery automatically recharges itself.

Finally, if you have a life-threatening emergency which requires that an emergency rescue team enter your home and they are unable to do so, the system notifies a family member or neighbor with keys and access to your home.

Another option is letting the company know of a place where you might hide a second key for easy access.

You may view the sizes of both the main console, which is pretty much like a regular phone, and can be placed on any table or counter top. The pendant is very light, and can also be viewed on the website. It is very easy to use as well, as it doesn't require any force to activate it. You need to push it firmly, however, to avoid any activation which is not legitimate.

This article is reprinted from http://www.digits.com/articles/health-care--aarp-recomends-personal-medical-alarm.htm

Medical Alarm - Emergency Medical Alerts

Medical Alarm - a Necessity

Medical alarms have become an absolute necessity for those people who are over the age of 65 and lead a solitary lifestyle. More than 12 million US elders are reported to live alone and more than 4 million seniors suffer critical emergency situations without help at hand. The old age itself being a state of decreased physical and mental capabilities can also be at best judged to be a medical condition. Medical alarms come into assist such helpless seniors as well as people who need emergency medical attention at short notice.

Best Candidate for Medical Alarm Usage

Mainly the following persons can suitably benefit from a medical alarm.

1. People who live alone or those who have limited hours of care giver access.
2. People using orthotics or other orthopedic mobility devices.
3. People with history of falls or sudden acute seizures.
4. People with recent history of hospitalization or convalescing patients.
5. People living in unsafe neighborhoods especially elders.

Benefits of Medical Alarm Usage

It has been recorded that with the aid of medical alarm and its subsequent help in summoning immediate medical help, the number of hospitalizations do come down. It helps in instilling a sense of security and mental preparedness in patients bringing down their stress levels so that they tend to recoup from their illness with greater speed.

Common Medical Alarms

GPS locators, trackers, emergency telephone medical alert systems, emergency mobile, emergency medical alert, auto telephone dialer, watch alert systems, wander alert security systems and other personal medical alert systems are the commonest systems prevailing in the market. For the fashion conscious people, medical alarm system comes in a wide ranging fashion accessories such as armlets, bracelets, chains, charms, pendants, lockets, watches, etc.

You can read the full article at http://www.digits.com/articles/health-care--medical-alarm--emergency-medical-alerts.htm