Life Alert
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Life Alert is a company that provides services that help the elderly contact emergency services. The company's system is based around a device with a button shaped as a pendant to be worn on the user at all times. Life Alert was founded by Isaac Shepher in 1987.
[edit] How the service works
When an elderly, handicapped or feeble individual falls down, or has a medical emergency, he or she may be incapable of obtaining assistance because a telephone is out of reach. Life Alert sells a service consisting of a worn device and an automated dialer connected to a telephone line. When needed, he/she activates the system by depressing a button on his/her pendant (worn as part of a necklace or wristband). The pendant activates the telephone device/dialer, which calls a company call center and the telephone dialer then acts as a speaker phone to an operator who performs the service of emergency services dispatcher to notify emergency services of the condition of the customer.
The service is marketed as a way for seniors to continue living at home rather than move to a nursing home. Life Alert's services are available nationwide.
[edit] See also
- "I've fallen and I can't get up!" This phrase was originally trademarked in September 1992 by the (now defunct) company LifeCall, until its status was cancelled in 1999. [1] In October 2002, the similar phrase "Help, I've Fallen And I Can't Get Up!" became a registered trademark of Life Alert Emergency Response, Inc. [2], and is currently used on their website as well as in their commercials.[3].