my father in law is hard of hearing and shakes so this limits his use of a phone. he has recently fallen several times and he can not get up by himself but needs help from his wife or another helpful person. i did research on these devices looking a value and available options. i ended up buying a 5 alert system not from walmart but from the 1 800 number because they included a wrist band, pendant necklace, and waterproof pouch at no charge. the unit cost was 49.95 with a 35.00 activation fee and 14.95 monthly monitoring charge. the biggest advantage of this domino size unit is that it is similar to a cell phone where once the button is pressed it will connect you to the service no matter where you are at with both the microphone and speaker in the unit. it does not have a home base unit that has to be connected to a phone line but is a stand alone system. it also has a gps system which gives the service your location at home or any other place you might be. it has a 30 day money back guarantee so my father in law will be trying it out to ensure he can hear the monitoring service and they can hear him. in other words if the unit will work due to his limited capabilities. the down side is that like any electronic device it is not waterproof so if you use it in the shower you have to correctly put it in a waterproof pouch and like a cell phone the batteries need recharging. it also does not monitor for fire or carbon monoxide as other systems do. this will not be a deal breaker as he does not live alone. the largest advantage of this system is less cost for monitoring each month and gives his wife the ability to run errands or leave my father in law alone at home knowing that if something happens (he falls and cant get up) she will be immediately notified and a successful and timely resolution can be made. one final note is that in a severe emergency my father in law can hold the button down for over 5 seconds and 911 is immediately notified with the code given to enter the home so they do not have to break down the front door. i hope this helps because i know how important independence and mobility are to the well being of ones soul.
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