There are literally dozens of different national and local medical alarm companies available for you to choose from. Some advertise on television while others gain their business from word of mouth. With so many options available it is hard to know which one is best. However, by knowing what is most important to you in a medical alert system you can begin to research and ask the right questions to narrow down your options until you are left with the medical alarm system that is right for you.
Below you will find some of the more commonly desired traits that seniors and their family members are looking for in a medical alarm system. You should add your own requirements to this list in order to find your own unique match.
What to look for in a medical alarm system that is right for you:
• A company that is honest and straightforward – the last thing that you need is to have to worry about the small print of some companies that will require such things as lengthy agreements, excessively high late payment penalties, extra fees for services that you assume should be included in your service plan, etc. A good company values their customers as real people and will not use tactics to squeeze money out of those customers at every available opportunity.
• You get what you pay for – of course you would not settle for second hand medical service or mostly efficient medical help. But all too often that is what you get when you choose a medical alarm system solely because of their low price. Reputable providers cannot offer top-rate medical services for next to nothing.
• Satisfaction guarantees – you should be re-assured that you will be given the opportunity to test your system, have repairs done, or even have the whole system replaced as part of your company’s commitment to providing you with the best service possible. A device that falls into disrepair or a customer support team that can only be reached during business hours does not constitute a company that is committed to the satisfaction of their customers. Your medical alarm system service providers should be accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Most emergencies don’t accommodate “business hours”.
• Building a reputation takes time – ask around to find out how long certain medical alarm systems have been in business. Ask to see if they have their own facility, monitoring center and staff or if they are outsourcing some of these services. You want to choose a medical alarm system that is all inclusive, meaning that you only have to talk to one company by calling one number to be connected with the party that can assist you best. Also, ask your friends and neighbors for any personal experiences that they may have with certain medical alarm companies and get referrals that way versus trusting a compensated celebrity endorser that you may see on TV.
• Make sure that both your medical alarm system monitoring center is UL listed – when your medical alarm system is UL (Underwriters Laboratory) listed, this means that the facility has met the high independent standards to achieve the distinction of being a benchmark for all monitoring centers.
• Regular self-tests – make sure that you test your medical alarm every week or couple of weeks to make sure that everything is still in working order. Just as it is wise to check your smoke detectors regularly, you must be able to test your monitoring system so that repairs can be made early so in case you need to use the system, you have the peace of mind of knowing that it is in good working order.
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