Archive for August, 2010

MedFirst Alert LLC provides medical alert systems for the upstate of SC including the Greenville / Spartanburg areas.  With it’s monitoring station located in Greenville, SC and it’s sales and service division in Greer, SC.

MedFirst Alert has recently become a member of two senior organizations located in the Greenville / Spartanburg area.  SPIN is the Senior Professional Industry Network which provides an interactive environment allowing professionals and their organizations, to network with the Senior Industry Professional community.

MedFirst Alert is also proud to be a member of the Upstate Senior Network,  a coalition of senior service industry professionals dedicated to making a difference in the lives of seniors.

MedFirst Alert is pleased to announce our new affiliation with the Upstate Senior Network of Spartanburg, SC.

The Upstate Senior Network is a coalition of senior service industry professionals dedicated to making a difference in the lives of seniors and MedFirst Alert is proud to be an affiliate member.

The common theme MedFirst Alert shares with the Upstate Senior Network is our dedication to the seniors we serve.  We don’t just provide medical alert systems. We provide seniors with the means to remain independent in the safety of their own home.  We frequently make house calls for the installation of our medical alert systems if a senior feels they are unable to plug the system or adequately test the system.

The following links are just a few government resources you may want to check out.  Everything from home care services to housing information.  The state in which you live will also have resources for seniors.  Usually they are listed under the Department of Aging.  Please let me know by leaving a comment if you are trying to find special assistance or have a special need and I’ll try and point you in the right direction.

Administration on Aging
Washington, DC 20201
202-619-0724
www.aoa.gov

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Benefits Administration
Veterans Health Administration
810 Vermont Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20420
VA benefits:
800-827-1000 (toll-free)
800-829-4833 (TDD/toll-free)
To speak with a health care benefits counselor:
877-222-8387 (toll-free)
www.va.gov

Eldercare Locator
800-677-1116 (toll-free)
www.eldercare.gov

Federal and State Government Benefit Information
800-FED-INFO
(800-333-4636/toll-free)
www.govbenefits.gov

FirstGov for Seniors
www.seniors.gov

SERVICE PROVIDERS:

American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
2519 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008-1520
202-783-2242
www.aahsa.org

National Adult Day Services Association
2519 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
800-558-5301 (toll-free)
www.nadsa.org

National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers
1604 North Country Club Road
Tucson, AZ 85716
520-881-8008
www.caremanager.org

For more information about health and aging, contact:

National Institute on Aging
Information Center
P.O. Box 8057
Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057
800-222-2225 (toll-free)
800-222-4225 (TTY/toll-free)
www.nia.nih.gov

You’ve probably heard of KISS, no it’s not a rock group from the 70′s.  It’s an acronym that stands for Keep It Simple Stupid.  This tried and true concept holds true for not only our professional and business lives but also for seniors and those who care for seniors when purchasing a medical alarm system. Let me explain.  The more complicated the medical alarm system is the less likely it’s going to be put into use by a caregiver or senior citizen.

There are several new medical alarm products coming into the market place from China which have bluetooth compatibility to link with your GPS enabled cell phone.  This would require the senior to have a cell phone and to make sure that the bluetooth connection was activated and the phone successfully paired with the device.  On the surface this might sound like a new technological improvement but remembering the KISS principle here is key.  How simple is it going to be for someone to program and maintain the functionality of a product like this?  What happens if the cell phone’s pairing with the bluetooth device becomes interrupted or the bluetooth is turned off accidentally from the phone.  Cutting edge technology is great for some industries but not in where medical alarm systems are concerned.  This is not to say that medical alarm systems have not improved in quality over the years, they have! But as with anything else technology needs time to be tested and seasoned when it comes to a senior to put their life on the line.

A medical alarm system needs to be simple to be effective.  It needs to be easy to install and simple to use. The MedFirst Alert system is just that.  The technology used in our medical alarm systems has saved 1,000′s of lives and it’s simple to use.  You simply plug it into a wall outlet and an available phone jack.  Place the medical alert pendant around your neck or wear the wristband like a watch.  That’s it! Nothing else to remember and nothing to program.  If an emergency situation arises, you simply press the alarm button on your pendant to summon help.  Our Care Specialist at the central station will call 911, your physician, or even family members in the event of an emergency.  By keeping it simple you can help ensure the safety of a loved one or even yourself.

Frequently I am asked about how our medical alert system works with the two way voice system.  Aside from actually listening to a call in progress it’s hard to accurately explain just how valuable the two way voice communication is.  Our trained care specialists work very hard to not only assess the situation so the appropriate contacts are called (EMS, family, physician, etc) but to also try to comfort and reassure the person at the other end of the call.

Here is a short clip of an audio taken from an actual medical alert call.  It demonstrates how our care specialists work together with the caller and stay on the line until paramedics arrive.  When you have a serious fall at home, it’s important to know that help is on the way and that you are not alone.