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.

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.

Imagine a medical alert device you wear everyday. When you need to make an emergency call, it works, and immediately connects you to a highly trained care specialist.

The device you’re imagining is a MedFirst Alert Personal Help Button supported by our Medical Alert Service. If you choose MedFirst Alert , in the event of a fall, you now have 24 hour emergency help available at your fingertips. Is your cell phone able to do that? Cell phones are very convenient, but they can’t give you the 24 hour emergency protection you need.

With a MedFirst Alert personal medical alert button, built for a specific purpose, and unmatched reliability, you can expect  24 hour round the clock emergency help when you need it the most. No worrying about dialing a cell phone or remembering a phone number. The Medfirst Alert System is always with you.  Around your neck, on your wrist or clipped to your belt, the choice is yours.

Here are just a few advantages of the MedFirst Alert system over a cell phone:

• 24 hour monitored medical alert
• Waterproof for use in a slippery shower or tub
• Always accessible in an emergency
• Convenience
• Automatic redialing, just in case
• Large, one button access to help
• No “downtime” for charging like a cell phone has
• Backup battery in case the power goes out in your home
• Prompt connection to a Care Specialist
• Assessment by Care Specialist using your personal medical profile and instructions
• Never out of reach

While cell phones are great for keeping in touch and talking to family, there is just no substitute for a medical alert system in and around the home for seniors and those with disabilities.

Is there a catch?

There is no catch. The system itself is provided for you at no cost to you (if you are lucky enough to be reading this post).  When you order your system just mention the coupon code: 8093700.  There is a monthly monitoring fee but no annual contract. You can cancel at any time and for any reason. The system even has a self-diagnostic operation that is performed and a new system will be sent to you overnight (again free of charge) if something goes wrong with your existing unit.

Even the installation is easy enough that you should be able to do it on your own. You simply plug the base unit into the wall and then plug the telephone cord into your wall jack. The next thing you need to do is test the device to ensure it is working properly. You do this by pressing the wireless button and waiting for the care specialist to respond to you and conform that the system is in fact working. Voila!

How does it work?

When an emergency happens (intruder, chest pains, fall, etc.) you need to press the button on your wireless transmitter (the button on your pendant or wrist band). Within two seconds of the button being pressed you will be connected with a live operator who will discuss your situation with you and contact the proper point of contact for whatever will come next.

Your operator will have a list of information that is specific to you and includes contact information for physician, neighbors, friends, family, and hospital of choice if necessary so he or she can quickly get in touch with the people who need to be contacted in the event of an emergency. They have also been trained to immediately contact emergency personnel if they are unable to hear you on the other end of the line.

After the conversation with the care specialist, the proper people, according to your preferences, will be contacted so they can arrive to provide assistance. In an actual emergency, minutes can be critical. With the one button ease of your alarm monitor there are no phone numbers to remember or try to dial, you do not have to worry about making it to the phone, and you do not need to worry if you feel you cannot speak. Help will arrive for you and all you have to do is press one button.

Why should you consider home medical alert systems for you or your loved ones? The simple reason is because those minutes matter so much. Hours matter even more and days can be fatal between the moment of the actual emergency and when help arrives. An alert system will have help on the way in a matter of minutes rather than hours or days and that can mean the difference between full recovery and maintaining an independent lifestyle or needing to be admitted to a nursing home or even death.

This personal data which must be provided to the state is:

• The client’s name, telephone number and address, including an apartment number and floor, where applicable;

• Personal medical history, including age, sex, medical condition, primary diagnosis, and other relevant medical history;

• The name, telephone number, and address of each person whom the PERS recipient has designated as the emergency responders;

• The name, telephone number and address of the person whom the PERS client has designated as his/her representative, if different from the emergency responder;

• The client’s written authorization for the emergency response organization and emergency responder to enter his/her home and provide emergency treatment and transportation; and

• The name, telephone number, and address of the client’s physician and preferred hospital.

If you are willing to give up this personal data to state and local government employees, then maybe you should think about applying for a Medicaid waiver in order to purchase a home medical alert system. For many of us, the amount of personal and confidential information required is simply not worth it. Once this information is in a government database, who will have access to it in the future? How will this information be used? Could it affect your health care costs down the road?

Could there be certain circumstances where the risks of releasing your private information to government employees are justified?  One such reason may be the cost of having a home medical alert system. If $30 to $50 a month for the system is just not financially possible, then it may warrant divulging your private and confidential information in order for you to remain independent and secure in your home.

In conclusion, know that if you choose to apply for a Medicaid waiver to obtain a home medical alert system that you will have to share your private and confidential information with your state or local municipality in order to obtain Medicaid funding.  Decide for yourself whether this is something you are need and are willing to do.

I encourage your comments and responses on whether or not Medicaid should pay for home medical alert systems.

1)   Peace of mind. This is perhaps the greatest benefit that medical alert or personal emergency response systems provide families with. These systems enable the elderly to be one touch away from help at any time of the day or night. You will never need to worry about falls, trips, slips, and countless other medical emergencies that might make mobility an issue for your aging parent as long as this service is active.

2)   Instant access to help when needed. One of the biggest fears that the elderly and their loved ones face is help being needed but not available or no one knowing. A decent medical alert system allows for instant access, through the push of a button, to help at any time of the day or night.

3)   Help whenever it is needed. The other benefit is that you aren’t limited to office hours or certain times of the day or even days of the week. Your loved ones are monitored at all hours of the day or night and even on holidays. Since accidents and emergencies rarely happen according to plan or during convenient hours it’s great to know that your loved one will be monitored when you can’t be there to do it.

4)   Maintain independence. Your elderly parent is likely to want to maintain his or her own independence for as long as possible. An alert system allows your parent to remain independent longer than might otherwise be possible. Families often live greater distances away and sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to properly check up on elderly parents, no matter how great intentions may be. The additional lifeline to help that is offered by a personal alert medical system is worth its weight in gold if you are struggling to retain your independence despite your age or the risks that go along with living alone.

5)   Cost effective quality of life. The quality of life enjoyed in your own home can far exceed the quality of life most people experience in a managed care facility. There is nothing that can be compared to independent living. When you compare the costs of living on your own to those of living in a nursing home or other similar facility the differences in price can add up fast. If you aren’t in need of continuous or even moderate health care supervision then living on your own with a medical alert system as a backup plan sounds like an excellent choice.

As you can see there are many great reasons to consider a medical alert system for yourself or aging loved ones. It is well worth the cost in peace of mind and security alone. When you take into account the fact that it may one day save your life or the life of someone you love; this small device becomes priceless.

As you probably know by now, there are thousands of medical alert systems providers also called Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS). What you probably didn’t know is that most of the companies selling these medical alert systems are all using much of the same equipment. The medical alert equipment consists of a base unit or console
which houses an ultra sensitive microphone so that if you fall you can be heard by a dispatcher from most anywhere in your home. The second part of a medical alert system is the transmitter. The transmitter is usually worn around the persons neck as a pendant or can be worn as a watch around the arm. Our Pendant and watch style transmitters are water resistant to 60 feet of pressure. While some companies make claims that there’s are waterproof, this is just a play on words for marketing purposes. All medical alert transmitters have electronics inside and are capable of being taken apart thus have a rubber seal to prevent water from entering the transmitter. Ours have been rigorously tested to 60 feet of pressure. So, unless you are taking your transmitter diving in the Atlantic Ocean you will be more than covered.

So, what makes one medical alert systems provider better than another? It truly boils down to the service that is provided and the price you pay for that service.

MedFirst Alert is dedicated to providing the finest service at competitive prices. Our monitoring station is family owned and the management team has an average of over 25 years experience in the monitoring business (this is important because many do not).

A live operator (care specialist) will answer the phone 24 hours a day. We do not use “auto-attendants”. This means when you parent or loved one presses their medical alert transmitter they will be talking with one of our care specialists in under 30 seconds. It’s very important to know you will be speaking with someone on the other end who is knowledgeable and caring as this is sometimes your only lifeline to receiving help quickly.

My recommendation when choosing a medical alert systems provider is to do some research and compare online and then place a call personally to follow up with any additional questions you may have. Give us a call today at 1-800-595-0718. We would love to address any questions or concerns you may have in choosing a medical alert system for yourself, a loved one or someone for whom you are a caregiver.

MedFirst Alert medical alert systems cover all counties in Florida with an emphasis in Charlotte,  Citrus, and Sarasota.  Cape Coral, St. Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Clearwater are places where we see a high percentage of seniors living in Florida.

Seniors living in Florida aren’t the only people benefiting from the use of our medical alert systems. People suffering from stroke, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), arthritis, heart failure, and osteoporosis at also benefit from having a medical alert system that can save a life in the event of an emergency.

Even if you never need to use the medical alert system it’s a smart idea to have access to it.  It’s similar to having an insurance policy because none of us know when we may need it. It’s impossible to predict what life throws in our direction sometimes but being prepared is always better than the alternative.

MedFirst Alert proudly serves our Florida senior citizens and those with disabilities.  We invite you to call our toll  free number at 1-800-595-0718 with any questions you may have about any of our medical alert systems.  For just pennies a day, it truly is a small price to pay for your security or the security of a loved one.

Seniors in South Carolina have increased 128% over the past 30 years and are expected to increase another 123% by the year 2030.  This means that by the year 2030 we will have around 1,450,487 seniors.  According to the Census Bureau South Carolina’s population in 2007 is:

Statewide Total: 4,407,709
Statewide 65 years and older: 573,098 or 13.0% of population
Statewide 85 years old and older: 72,499 or 1.6% of the population

South Carolina has serious issues that must be addressed as the population ages.  Long term care will be one of those issues. It’s expensive these days for seniors to either go into a nursing home or an assisted living facility and many seniors just can’t afford it.

Several services have become available to seniors such as in home eldercare companies and medical alert systems to allow seniors to stay at home where they would rather be for an extended period of time.  Basic needs such as grocery shopping, household chores, medical prescription reminders and companionship are typically provided by eldercare providers.  Having a medical alert system in the home when a care provider is not available will provide peace of mind and security for both the senior and the care provider.

Children of senior citizens worry about their parents being alone at home and unable to call for help often purchase their parents with a medical alert system only to discover that they don’t want it and refuse to use it. This is a common problem confronted by children concerned about their senior parents. Oftentimes, it takes an emergency medical event like a fall or heart attack before your loved one realizes the benefit of  medical alert systems.

How is it possible for a child to convince their elderly parent that it is in their best interest to have a medical alert system and even more importantly -use it?

In an effort to make this process easier, begin communicating about the future with your parents regardless of their age. Talk about what their thoughts are on assisted living facilities, in home care, medical alert systems.  Let them know that you love them and this is the reason you are bringing  up the conversation.  Experts believe that by laying down this communication groundwork in the early stages, children and parents will benefit in the long run.

Statistics show that 9 out of 10 parents do not want to burden their children and as a result will often respond to this honest communication method.

When placed under duress, the majority of us will resist regardless of how sound a plan or another person’s arguments are. With that said, psychologists believe that by encouraging parents to use a medical alert system they will more than likely be willing to change their routine and wear the alert pendant or wristband if they feel that they have done this on their own accord.

It may take a parent, falling, having a heart attack or being spooked by burglars. While this is not always the case, it can wake up a stubborn parent who is refusing to have a medical alert system. However, in many cases it may also be necessary for other family members to encourage the parents to have a medical alert system.

Be persistent, caring and patient with your parent with these difficult decisions and it will pay off for both of you in the long run.

Please give us a call if you have any questions about how medical alert systems can work for your situation.  1-800-595-0718