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#Post#: 3984--------------------------------------------------
Consumer Reports on medical alert services
DIR By: agate
Date: April 3, 2023, 1:20 am
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From Consumer Reports (March 11, 2023)--"Best Medical Alert
Systems." The actual ratings are available only to subscribers
but the article without the ratings has useful information.
HTML http://bit.ly/40zsJ1S
#Post#: 4113--------------------------------------------------
A caution about personal emergency response systems
DIR By: agate
Date: August 5, 2023, 1:43 am
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The article cited in the previous post doesn't mention this but
a personal medical response system that is based on a cellular
connection runs the risk of being in an area with poor
connectivity.
I recently changed from a landline-based Medical Guardian system
to a cellular one, hoping that it would be simpler at least to
set up. It was simpler to set up, but after a couple of weeks it
developed a blinking-light problem.
If an amber light blinks persistently, the user is supposed to
call Medical Guardian. I've done that twice now. I was told that
I ought to move the unit closer to a window. I did that. I still
have a blinking-light problem.
The Medical Guardian people told me that they're using AT&T, and
if AT&T doesn't have good connectivity in my area, the problem
might not be fixable.
I've looked into several other recommended personal emergency
response systems, and it looks as if this might be a problem
with any of them that offer a cellular version.
One (Bay Alarm Medical) has been coping with the problem a
little better than the others I looked into. Its Website directs
people to call if they would like to know how strong the
cellular coverage is in their area. I'll be looking into getting
that information from them.
#Post#: 4114--------------------------------------------------
An update about the cellular coverage problem with personal
emergency response systems
DIR By: agate
Date: August 6, 2023, 1:49 am
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In the previous post I discussed a problem with personal
emergency response systems such as Medical Guardian--that many
of them offer a cellular version that is often more appealing to
customers simply because it's easier. You don't have to tinker
with a landline phone. You don't even have to have a landline
phone. You just plug the unit into a wall outlet.
Except that where you plug it into that wall outlet matters, at
least for some people.
I have moved my Medical Guardian unit around, and lately it has
been in the ideal place: right near both a window and a glass
door. Still I get the blinking light letting me know that
cellular coverage is failing. In other words, the system would
not work so long as that blinking light is on.
Most of the systems I have checked into use AT&T. Some also use
Verizon. Medical Guardian uses only AT&T for my type of device.
The latest go-round with the blinking light (there have been
four instances so far) resulted in this new information: Every
month or two I should press the red button on the back of the
unit and unplug the unit from the wall outlet, and 30 seconds
later I should plug it back in and press the red button again.
This is supposed to clear the system somehow and prevent these
blinking-light episodes.
It will be another thing to remember to do but it's probably far
better than changing to another brand of personal emergency
response system, which was the best alternative I could come up
with.
#Post#: 4225--------------------------------------------------
Updated Consumer Reports article on medical alert systems
DIR By: agate
Date: November 20, 2023, 1:23 am
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Consumer Reports has updated the original article (see first
post in this thread) about medical alert systems:
HTML https://bit.ly/47D4hQa
--And an update on my post of August 5:
I finally arranged to have the landline version of Medical
Guardian reinstalled. That happened about 6 weeks ago and so
far, there has been only one weird problem that hasn't been
repeated, and I'm no longer troubled by a blinking light that
means the unit isn't working.
Medical Guardian has a good track record overall, according to
various ratings and reviews.
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