| Type | Personal Emergency Response Services |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1987 |
| Headquarters | Encino, California |
| Website | http://www.lifealert.com |
Life Alert Emergency Response, Inc. is a nationwide company, with headquarters in Encino, California, which provides services that help the elderly contact emergency services. The company's system is based around a main unit and a small wireless help button that is worn on the user at all times. Life Alert was founded by Isaac Shepher in 1987. Former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop has appeared in commercials for Life Alert since 1992, stating that he wears one.
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Life Alert service consists of a pendant-shaped device, worn on a necklace or wristband, and an automated dialer connected to a telephone line. When an elderly or handicapped person falls down and cannot get up, or has an emergency, such as a break-in, a telephone may be out of reach. To get quick assistance, the customer simply presses a button on the pendant. This activates the automated dialer and calls a company call center. The dialer then works as a speaker phone. At the other end is an emergency services dispatcher to alert the authorities to the customer's predicament.
The service is marketed as a way for seniors to continue living at home rather than move to a retirement home and is available nationwide.[1]
The phrase "I've fallen and I can't get up!" was originally trademarked in September 1992 by LifeCall that went out of business in 1993.[2] In June 2007, it was registered as a trademark of Life Alert Emergency Response, Inc., which first used the slogan in its commercials in 1987. A similar phrase, "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!", was registered by Life Alert in October 2002.[3] Both phrases have been used in Life Alert TV commercials since 1987 and have been featured on its websites. The classic commercial featuring this slogan was ranked Number One by USA TODAY in its 2007 list of the most memorable TV commercials from the past 25 years.[4][5] In late 2006, Life Alert entered into a licensing agreement with Hallmark Cards to sell greeting cards that feature an audio recording of "I've fallen and I can't get up".[6]