Life Alert Emergency Response Service: Legacy and Modern Solutions

Table of contents:

• What is a Life Alert Emergency Response System?
• Legacy Life Alert Emergency Response System: How it Started
• Modern Life Alert Emergency Response Medical Alert Solutions
• Why Use a Life Alert Emergency Response System
• AllsWell App for Life Emergency Alerts

 

If you have ever heard of life alert emergency response systems, you probably associate them with TV ads. These ads feature helpless grannies that have fallen and can't get up. No one is around to give them a hand, which looks heartbreaking. The speaker says that the disaster would have never happened if these grannies had had a panic button.

Although this description is valid for standard life alert emergency response systems, modern solutions offer more versatile uses. Besides monitoring the well-being of the elderly, they can protect adults in many emergencies.

Learn more about life alert emergency response options and why use them here.

What is a Life Alert Emergency Response System?

A life alert emergency response system is a device with a panic button that allows the owner to call emergency services in case of a threat. Whereas some solutions connect the holder with response centers, others send notifications to selected emergency contacts. It all depends on the brand and functionality you choose. 

The system is usually offered as a wearable device or a wall-mount panic button (e.g., in a shower cabin). The person in need can ask for help as long as they are around the life alert emergency response system. 

Legacy Life Alert Emergency Response System: How it Started

One of the first life alert emergency response medical alert devices appeared in 1987 in the US. It was far from modern app-based personal safety solutions. The solution included a base unit and a small wireless help button the users had to keep at hand all the time. Such configuration remains popular in traditional life alert emergency response systems consisting of the main unit and wearables.

Complaints about the life alert emergency response system

Why has the standard solution evolved? First, new tech capabilities and the spread of the Internet have affected every industry, including personal safety devices. Second, there were many complaints about the life alert emergency response systems the manufacturers had to deal with.

There was even a lawsuit in 1991 accusing the LAER system's manufacturer of misleading sales tactics. Consumers complained that the device didn't have special access to 911 services despite what the marketing materials said.

Apart from this, wearable devices had a limited signal range, were inconvenient, and couldn't protect the user in some cases. It was clear that the panic button didn't help when the person lost consciousness or was unable to reach the phone. These drawbacks led to the appearance of modern life alert emergency response systems, which we'll talk about below.

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Modern Life Alert Emergency Response Medical Alert Solutions

Modern solutions are available in a variety of formats. They also have more advanced functionality than the classic life alert emergency response system launched years ago. Find out what makes them so unique below.

How do they look

Modern life alert emergency solutions fall into two broad categories: devices and apps.

Wearable devices. Devices are smart wearables with a panic button you can wear on your neck, wrist, or belt. Some of them have a base station you need to install at home, yet in most cases, they work independently and connect to your phone via Bluetooth. In addition to sending emergency alerts, some safety devices also produce a loud, sharp sound when you click the panic button. It allows the user to attract the attention of people around and ask for help. Overall, wearables have a lot in common with standard life alert emergency response solutions. The major difference is that they are more convenient, mobile, and multifunctional.

Mobile apps. Mobile emergency apps are an alternative to physical devices. You don't need to purchase a home-based system or a wearable. Instead, you install the app on the mobile phone of the primary user and their emergency contacts to enable them to receive alerts in emergencies. 

The app gives all the features of physical life alert systems and more. It powers the user's phone with a panic button and real-time alerts. Apps like AllsWell Alert also support inactivity monitoring, saving lives when the panic button is ineffective. It's a feature that tracks the user's interactions with their smartphone to detect prolonged periods of inactivity and activate alert messages. If the individual doesn't check their phone for too long, it can mean they are in trouble.

Finally, mobile apps are more affordable than traditional life alert systems. They cost around $10/month compared to over $80 for life alert emergency response availability.

Functionality

There is no must-have pack for all devices and apps. The actual functionality always depends on the solution you choose. Yet, here are the most critical features to search for:

• Panic button. This button enables the user to inform selected contacts or an emergency response center they are in trouble. It's an essential feature present in all solutions.

• Real-time alerts. The emergency device or app must deliver alerts through multiple channels in real-time. Push-notifications, SMS, and direct calls are the most common alert types.

• Inactivity monitoring. This feature automatically detects that users don't interact with their smartphones for too long. It's a great addition to the panic button since it helps when the user cannot activate emergency alerts.

• GPS tracking. Location tracking in wearables and apps delivers emergency alerts with GPS coordinates. Responders get an exact user's location to act quickly.

If you want a life alert emergency response system for yourself or your loved ones, we recommend the solution with these features. It will make the user protected 24/7.

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Why Use a Life Alert Emergency Response System

Although emergency alert devices are marketed as solutions for seniors living alone, they can increase the security of every family member. These benefits of emergency response systems prove it.

Save Lives In Emergencies

Emergency alert devices and apps enable the user to dial a response center or notify their friends with a click. When something threatens your life, time matters. The sooner you get help, the more likely the positive outcome is.

Connect Family Members and Friends

You don't need to call your mother every day to ask if she's okay. Buy her a personal safety device, and be the first to know about any trouble. You can also get such devices for your kids or anyone else you worry about to enable them to ask for help.

Life Alert Emergency Response Availability Helps In Any Risky Situation

Emergency devices are pretty universal. You can send alerts not only when something threatens your life directly (e.g., armed attack or burglary). You can also inform selected contacts if you feel unwell, fall, or need any other urgent help.

AllsWell App for Life Emergency Alerts

AllsWell Alert is a personal safety & emergency alert app for people living, commuting, or traveling alone. It combines the panic button functionality with inactivity monitoring, enabling the app to send your emergency contact an alert with your location even when you cannot press a button. It's an easy way to stay safe and mobile.

Get AllsWell Alert free for a month and continue using it for $10/month only.