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My Grandma still lives in the same home she and Grandpa settled into back in 1965. Together, my Grandparents created many happy memories raising my mother, aunts and uncles in that home. As a child, I’d often stay overnight with my Grandparents. I have memories of learning how to write my name with paper and pen, eating steaks Grandpa brought from the commissary coupled with Grandma’s famous potato salad, and even helping them mow the front lawn.
I cherish these memories of time spent with my Grandparents. As you can imagine, it was devastating when my Grandpa passed away back in 2011. After we honored the life of my Grandfather, our family discussed how Grandma could continue to stay at home with nobody else to keep her company. One thing was certain: Grandma didn’t want to leave the home she loved. And we all agreed that she should stay and age in place.
Grandma will soon turn 89 years old. She remains physically sound and mentally cognizant, but living alone has not been without incident. Several times Grandma fell while gardening in the backyard or rummaging around the house in the middle of the night. My Aunts and Uncles started a rotating schedule of helping Grandma throughout the week, but they can’t be available Grandma’s every waking moment. Fortunately, medical alert systems are the perfect solutions to give her independence while always being there in case she needs help. My family agreed that a medical alert system would be a great Christmas present for Grandma.
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Installing Grandma’s Medical Alert
The Alert1 package arrived at my Grandma’s house soon after we ordered it, and I eagerly went over to help her out and get hands on experience installing a medical alert system.
Knowing my Grandma’s house well, I explained to her that the POM base unit would live next to her telephone in the living room. Immediately, Grandma demanded to know why she needed that “box” and how it would help her. I explained to her that the “box” worked like her cable TV box— it would connect her button to a trained operator at the Alert1 Command Center. The POM base unit installation was a breeze. (Much easier than setting up a cable TV box!)
With the base unit successfully installed, I gave Grandma her senior help button, which she chose to wear as a necklace. I let her know that she should wear her new senior help button at all times so it will be there in case she ever needs help. My Grandma was a little unsure about that, but I reminded her that Alert1 is a medical alert system specialist that's been in the industry since 1988. She can trust that they will be there for her. Grandma was really impressed to learn she could wear the button whether she was upstairs, in the backyard, or even while showering.
Grandma initially thought the button would get her directly in touch with our family in the instance of emergency, but medical alerts are more than just a cell phone. When she presses her button she will be immediately connected to the highly trained Alert1 operators at the Command Center. They will send her the proper people for her particular emergency and stay on the line with her to guide her. We personalized her medical alert so that we, her immediate family members, would be notified if she ever needs help. She won’t need to go all the way to the telephone, look up the phone numbers, and call us in an emergency.
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Testing Grandma’s Alarm Button
Now came the time for Grandma to press her senior help button and test her new system. Grandma was reluctant to press the button since she wasn’t in an immediate emergency, but we asserted that it was very important to test the button, and for her to test her button on a regular basis. That way she could be sure her system is fully functional and become used to talking with the Command Center. Convinced, Grandma pressed her button.
It wasn’t long before a comforting voice came on the line. The operator greeted my Grandma and asked her if everything was OK. Grandma replied that this was her first button press as a member. The operator was very friendly and welcoming and said that he was glad to hear she was fine. He also reaffirmed that she should feel free to press the button anytime and she’ll be connected to help instantly.
Grandma then understood how her new medical alert system would aid her in a time of need. Grandma was so pleased that the button would work no matter where she was in her home that she agreed to keep the necklace on permanently. I was very glad she grasped the life-saving quality of her present. It was such a relief to know my gift provided full monitoring service coverage for my Grandma.
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