Pioneer Medical Alerts

January is our Busiest Month

2011-02-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

Just this past week we got a call from a young lady that told us that "After spending time in December with my aging parents, their frailty became almost impossible to ignore. Though they remained cheerful with their living situation, I couldn't help but notice the way they took much longer to perform their day to day tasks. Mom took much longer to work her way around the kitchen and it took Dad longer to go to the bathroom during those commercial breaks during his beloved ball games." We know that for many children with elderly parents just like mine and yours, spending holidays with our parents is enough to make us realize that we need to bring up the discussion of a medical alarm system. For that reason, January is the busiest month for the medical alarm system.

The realization that the parents need the medical alarm system can be a difficult decision to come to, for both our parents and us. As children, it's hard to look at the people who looked after you and cared for you during your weakest moments and realize that they could be in danger during the times you aren't there to look out for them.

For your aging parents, the discussion can bring up concerns about their independence being taken away. For some, any implication that they might need assistance could serve as a warning that they are not quite as self-sufficient as they once might have been. This raises concerns about needing to live in assisted living homes or nursing homes.

But the very things that both we and our elderly parents fear are reasons that medical alarm systems are a good idea to have in one's home. For you, the systems allow peace of mind that comes with knowing that your parent will still be safe, even though you can't be there to constantly check on your parent.
For your aging parent, medical alarm systems allow help to come more quickly in the event of an emergency. This can actually help reduce the amount of long term damage done by a fall or other medical emergency. As a result, the need for long term medical care is diminished and the time spent in assisted living or nursing homes can be eliminated.

So while the conversation about medical alarm systems may be a difficult one to have, it is an essential part of the aging process, both for the elderly and for those of us who love them. Historically, it buys our parents two additional years of living independently. Two years of living in their own home versus a senior facility.
Priceless.

More on New Technology

2011-02-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

Everyone wants to have the latest and the greatest in technology. But what about when the hype exceeds the benefits? Lets start with the fall detectors. We are getting more and more calls for them as some of our competitors advertise them aggressively. If you can read the fine print, the units work 90+ % of the time, so many build in a push button anyway. Our customer experience on the fall detectors stands at 100%. We have returned 100% of the units clients ordered, and exchanged them for old fashioned tried and true waterproof buttons. Clients complained the fall detectors we bought false were too sensitive and false activated too many times. Clients reported "life was hell" with the buttons. We will continue to test all available products in anticipation of the day, that they work as advertised. Caveat emptor. We have completely pulled these off the shelves.
A second new trend we see is incorporating the microphone and speakerphone into the wearable button. We believe, one vendor, has finally gotten this correct. But, the button is still 5X bigger than our standard button, the battery life is months instead of years, it is pricier...and lastly how many seniors are living in 8-10,000 square foot homes. Our standard unit covers a 3500 sq. ft.
house easily, and its reliability has been proven for 25+ years. We have these units in stock in case you live in a castle.
What we do need. More and more of our clients are switching phone services to VOIP, cable companies, or giving up landlines. We are waiting for our manufacturers to deliver a reliable system that works via GSM cellular at a reasonable cost for our senior clients. We remind our manufacturers of this regularly, but we are still waiting. I can only speculate the manufacturers don't think the market size is sufficient to spend the money to build one.
We are now handling a mobile 911 phone for emergency use. It is not a fancy full featured phone, rather quite simple. It only does one thing, it dials 911. It is not designed to replace our medical alarms, as it is not small, waterproof, no long life battery...etc.
Please visit our website www.pioneeremergency.com for further information.

New Technology : Blessing or Curse?

2010-08-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

The current generation of medical alarm systems hasn't been substantially updated for a few decades. The systems consist of a wireless push button and a console with a speakerphone. The devices have historically been simple and reliable. But not much innovation.
But things are rapidly changing. A new generation of systems has arrived.
Some of these have the speakerphones in the pendants, others have a nurse call feature, sophisticated fall detectors with algorithms that work 97% of the time. Mobile PERS with GPS built in. Which products are winners? What companies will fail and close their doors? And what about the core problem of disappearing POTS phone lines and clients switching to less reliable bundled VOIP solutions and broadband. There are dangers of moving too fast into new unproven technology, and pitfalls of falling behind competitors in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Not to mention the danger of overblown performance claims, and underperforming units that could put a clients life at risk. Some campanies have killed their clients with neck cords that didn't break away when a client fell and cord tangled around a walker.
Some recent examples. New PERS manufacturing company comes to market with speakerphone built into pendant . Aggressive advertising campaign recruit many new players into PERS business. Manufacturers advertises all legacy products obsolete. Company gets in bed with major distributor partner and pretty soon many new competitors appear all over the internet. Two months earlier, these competitors didn't know what a medical alarm was. Distributor buys thousands of these units to push thru to new PERS companies. Companies start selling products. Seniors buy products and discover they are six times size of normal pendants. Heavy and Bulky. Difficult to change batteries. Not really waterproof in shower. 2/3 of the units get returned. New companies unhappy with their new found business failure. Distributor unhappy, units sit in warehouse. Manufacturer gets into patent litigation. Company publicly traded. Shares hover around .01 per share. Total enterprise value $200K. Company still in business. Survival questionable.
Second manufacturing company makes newer smaller unit with speakerphone built in, with more easily changed batteries. But they forgot about the VOIP phone line issue...so the unit only works on POTS lines! Existing PERS manufacturers have been very slow to solve the problem of changing phone technology with VOIP and broadband becoming more popular daily. By the way, this would be a great product for a 10,000 square foot house or for the back yard. Not too many seniors in homes that size. We are waiting for the next generation of this product to solve the phone line issues and will consider offering it at that point.
Anyway, to summarize. Its a technology minefield. We look forward to new technology to offer our clients, but find cash starved companies rushing into market without doing all their homework. Field testing should be done by the companies, not the gullible seniors.
Call me old fashioned. I await solid new technology that is reliable.
I won't sell it until I test it myself and I have a comfort level with the manufacturer financial strength. New technology is great, but at the end of the day we are in a life safety service business where saving lives and increasing independence are our goals. Gimmicks are cute
You can check out my product reviews on you tube.

Medication Dispensers / Medical Alarm Systems

2009-01-04T17:47:00.000-08:00

A medication dispenser is a machine that automatically delivers the client their prescribed medications in the correct quantity and at the right time. Many seniors end up in nursing homes because they are not compliant with their medications. This is unfortunate because many could continue to live at home with the help of a medication dispenser. Our system dispenses medications automatically, and needs to be manually refilled (by the caregiver) about once a month, depending on dosage requirements. The system is automatically monitored, so that, if the senior does not open the compartment to take their pill at the appropriate time, the system will make noise, and then send a signal to the monitoring center, so the caregiver can be notified and take appropriate action. This complete service is available for under $90 monthly including our medical alarm system. This can help keep seniors safely at home The alternative, the nursing home, results in reduced independence, and is substantially more costly. We have recently added these products to our medical alert product line. The units are not currently shown on our website www.pioneeremergency.com so call me personally for further information.

Medical Alarm / Customer Testimonials

2008-10-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

One of the blessings of the medical alarm business is hearing from clients expressing their appreciation for our services. Its a special business ...saving lives while making a living. We are responsible for saving peoples lives on a daily basis, and we are so busy with the details of running our business, that we don't take the time to solicit referrals. But I can tell you, our staff is very appreciative of hearing the success stories. When I first got involved in the medical alarm business, I visited with my good friend Art Hoffman, of Berkeley, CA who has been in the medical alert business for decades. Art showed me a drawer full of letters that his satisfied clients, had sent to him after his clients pressed their buttons and utilized his services. I was impressed. Today, I've learned it comes with the territory in the medical alert business. After their emergency is under control, we get many calls, e-mails, and letters of appreciation from clients and loved ones. Even when the equipment is returned to us after completion of service, it is often accompanies with a note expressing gratitude for providing family members and loved ones peace of mind. So on behalf of my staff and myself, Thanks and please keep those letters coming. By the way, sometimes we do post these letter to freshen up our website. If you are a current client and want to express your gratitude just call our testimonial hotline at 800 609 9006 extension 3333.

Acadian Ambulance Heroes Working Overtime

2008-08-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

It is Sunday August 31, the day before Labor Day 2008. Hurricane Gustav (now Cat 3) is heading for the coast of Louisiana. Acadian Ambulance (our monitoring center) has activated their back up center, and are now monitoring from both Lafayette, LA and Houston, TX. Eight Acadian Monitoring center A Team members were dispatched to Houston yesterday. The monitoring locations are 242 miles apart. This sounded like a good plan when it was implemented post Katrina. However, no one knows exactly where the hurricane will go.

Acadian Ambulance is extremely well prepared. Their preparations were demonstrated, tested and refine since Katrina. They are the first responders for medical assistance for the most of Louisiana, Mississippi, and parts of Texas. For the past 60 hours they were busy evacuating 1000 people from hospitals, nursing homes, including babies from NICU units.
My concern has multiple levels. First, I'm concerned for all the people in the Gulf Coast. Katrina was three years ago. Many people have still not recovered. Second, I have friends at Acadian that I have worked with for years. I talk with Acadian every day. I spoke with my friend Blane Comeaux yesterday. He was packing his prized possesions from his house in his SUV. He lives in Abbeville, LA and the expected storm surge may take his home. Like other Acadian members, he somehow manages to put this aside, so he can take care of others. His wife, is busy working at the hospital, she is a nurse specializing in Neonatal pediatrics. My heart and prayers go out to all the Acadian team members (2700 strong) who are dedicated to protecting and saving the lives of the Gulf community. Last, I am concerned about the thousands of Pioneer Emergency clients. Acadians primary monitoring center should survive, it was built to withstand 170 mph winds. The building (which also houses the backup 911 center for the region) has dual redundant power lines from the city in two directions. Phone lines are dual path fiber optic lines. It has dual redundant UPS systems, and dual redundant generators. The computer systems between Houston and Lafayette mirror each other. There are cells phones and multiple 2 way radio systems for communication. Last Hurricane Acadian staffed 100 inbound phone lines throughout the emergency. Inc. magazine awarded the company runner up for Entrapeneur of the Year , and they were credited with saving 7000 lives during Katrina. In short, everything humanly and technologically possible is ready to go. The monitoring center also has a third backup plan with a disaster recovery center in Michigan...just in case. I'm still worried, and concerned. No one expected a storm of this magnitude. I'm praying for all my friends at Acadian, our clients and all the people in the affected area. My son Matthew just called me to inquire about the situation and our medical alert clients. I told him I am cautiously confident. Having multi-state resources has become essential. The Hurricane contingency plans are in place, they have been rehearsed and they are being methodically executed. Good Luck to everyone affected and may G-d Bless you.

Seniors Living Alone

2008-06-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

Almost every day in our business, I am reminded that seniors living alone sometimes need a little extra help. Last week a feisty, independent and proud senior needed some assistance plugging in her medical alert system. After she spoke with one of our customer service representatives, the call was accelerated to me. The poor lady could not find her telephone jack. When I suggested to her that her daughter could help solve the problem in 3 minutes, she got insulted and threatened to return the unit ! Then tearfully , she told me how painful it was for her to ask for help from her daughter. She indicated getting her daughter to help her was like pulling teeth. I contacted the daughter to explain the situation. The daughter explained to me that she had already told her Mother that she (the daughter)would hook up the system later that day. About three hours later the daughter called me to report that she had painlessly installed the system in minutes by following the E-Z written directions and it worked perfectly. Sometimes the tension between parent and adult children grows as the roles reverse and the adult child becomes the caretaker. Fortunately everyone got what they wanted. The daughter and the mother both get peace of mind they deserve from their new medical alarm.

Mothers Day + Medical Alarms

2008-05-11T20:30:00.001-07:00

We just returned from celebrating Mothers Day. As the years roll on, each Mothers Day with my Mom becomes a blessing to my family. My siblings, and most of her grandchildren were together. This past year, she has changed lost considerable weight, and took a bad fall three weeks ago. If you are worried about your Mother, consider getting a medical alert for her. It will give both of you some peace of mind. Between visits and phone calls, I worry less.
I visited another relative today in a nursing home. It wasn't pretty. Although the facility and staff was excellent, it was depressing. I hope and pray my Mom is able to continue living independently.

Medical Alert On Line Ordering System

2008-04-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

We launched an on-line ordering system about two weeks ago. I had been thinking about this for a couple years, but I'm not an early adapter, especially on the internet. Fortunately for me, my wife Barbara (internet publisher) and my son Matthew (Caltech student) eventually pushed me into action.( My daughter is too busy worrying about her driver test tomorrow to nudge me about anything) Barb sent me to a friend of hers to build the system, and in a couple of weeks of fine tuning it was up and working. Within the first week our first order arrived. The second followed 16 hours later. While I don't think any of our representatives have job security concerns, I'm glad to be able to help a new client conveniently place a medical alarm order 24/7.

Medical Alert Fall Detectors

2008-04-27T17:52:00.000-07:00

A fall detector is a device that automatically detects a fall, and sends an emergency message to the monitoring station ...without the wearer having to press any buttons. This is a good concept, if the wearer is concerned with instantly collapsing without any prior warning. The warning signs, would of course allow them to manually activate the button. I have investigated several of these fall detectors, and want to report on the pros and cons. First, I believe less than 5% of medical alarm systems in service today are equipped with these detectors. In my experience, very few people instantaneously drop over unconscious. Usually, there are either warning signals, or the client falls down with injuries, but remains conscious. In these situations, the senior could of course deploy the button. I've never heard of a client unable to push the button when they went down. But, I stipulate, it must happen . Here are the problems I've observed with the fall detectors. They contain either an accelerometer, or a mercury tilt switch. These detectors are overly sensitive, if for an example they are attached to your belt, when your drop your pants to the floor,or you lay down, the tilt sensor activates. As a result, one of the systems has a built in audible "USER HAS FALLEN" whenever the fall detector activates. This give you a certain time frame, say one minute to untilt the sensor. If you straighten out the switch, or put it in its cradle when you sleep, it announces "USER IS OK". Interesting technology, for the 5% that have special needs, but a nuisance for most people. The original application for these devices was a man down sensor for prison guards ! Another model features an accelerometer. I'm not sure exactly what that high fangled technology means, or how it works, but it is supposed to detect a sudden fall. The device clips on to your belt. You kind of have to throw yourself on the floor a few times to test it out. I felt like Chevy Chase playing with these devices. Sometimes they worked, sometimes not. Belt clips work find for men, but I don't know how the women are supposed to wear the device. I was told you could strap the device in a pouch on a dementia patient. The battery life on the fall detectors is also less than a year, and compared to 50,000 presses on our pendants and wrist bracelets. We offer these systems on a special order basis and a premium price as an accomodation. We also offer sip and puff sensors, for paraplegics. For the average person, stick with the simple, field proven tried and true neck pendant. It works.

Medical Alert Monitoring Secrets

2008-03-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this blog is to explain to the layman how to tell the difference between a first class monitoring facility for medical alarms, and a lesser service. The points of differentiation, include (a)staffing, b) training, (c) primary mission, (d) technology, (e)track record and (f) back up plan. Let me start by saying having any medical alert system is better than none in place. Like any industry, we have good competitors. As a founding member of the Medical Alert Monitoring Association, I can tell you the senior market is growing. Growing markets also attract new players with unproven track records. This guideline should help you ask the right questions to increase your confidence in whoever you chose.
(a) STAFFING is a primary consideration when operating a monitoring center. Many security alarm companies dabble in medical alarms and use the same personnel for monitoring security systems as well as medical alarms. The problem here, is security systems require very quick dispatch calls. Each operator can handle several thousand security systems efficiently and quickly. If the alarm activates, a quick call is made to the premises to verify the alarm as false/actual. A medical alert is not a quick process. When the alert activates, the medical alert operator might need to remain on that call with the customer until help arrives...ten minutes or maybe longer. A second operator might be needed to dispatch the authorities, while the first operator keeps the client calm, and reassures them help is enroute. The bottom line is it requires double the number of operators to handle the medical alarm workload as compared to security alarms.. Of course, this doubles the labor expense. Putting a medical alarm customer on Hold is not an option for a medial alert monitoring center. Seconds count and literally mean life or death.(b) Staff TRAINING is important in any business. When lives are at stake, it is more critical. All medical operators, of course, should be 100% trained before they handle live calls. While this may seem like common sense, its not always standard procedure.In fact, The Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) has a standard requiring this and other qualifications. If the central station meets the standard, it is awarded the prestigious 5 Diamond award. If the prospective monitoring center doesn't 100% train the staff members before handling actual emergencies, in my humble opinion, they should be in another industry. There are a hundred + CSAA 5 star stations. There are a thousand + stations not certified.Other industry standards include UL listing, which while not directly related to medical monitoring, provides additional third party assurance that the facility, monitoring and staffing meet stringent insurance industry guidelines for fire and burglar alarm systems. A UL listed monitoring center would also be on my guideline checklist. (c) What is the PRIMARY MISSION of the
monitoring location. If it is a true medical alert monitoring facility, staff members should be familiar with medical terminology, and understand the critical importance of allergies, and medical history. The monitoring staff members also have to be empathetic. as we are dealing with frail and elderly clients in distress. Our monitoring operators bring three unique characteristics. First, they are Southern and flawlessly polite and patient. Second, the operators are employed by the largest private ambulance country in the country. They speak in the language of medical emergencies. There are over 2000 employees, including over 1500 that are medically trained. There are paramedics on duty at the monitoring center 24/7. Last, our operators are employee-owners of the company. This reduces staff turnover, and greatly increases employee accountability.(d) TECHNOLOGY is important at any monitoring center. Todays monitoring centers are continuous upgrading to keep up with advances in technology. We employ special phone lines that boost our audio signals, and make our two way voice systems sound louder, and hear better. Our special lines, provided by AT&T improve the quality of our audio performance by 25-30% over competitors. The phone lines are also self healing in case of outages, and all our systems are programmed to automatically dial multiple numbers to route around telephone line problems. I haven't mentioned about our equipment. It is made in the USA, and built for us by a manufacturer with 30 years of proven performance. (e) TRACK RECORD We have been installing and monitoring systems since 1979. This is not a sideline. I've seen medical companies have come out of the wood work on the internet with experience measured in days not decades. The next month they are gone. Tens of thousands of clients rely on our monitoring centers' expertise. (f)Secondary BACK UP centers are important when clients rely on you for their life safety. We have learned lessons from Hurricane Katrina, the wildfires in Southern California, blizzards, tornadoes, power outages, and terrorist attacks. A back up monitoring center is no longer luxury. it is a requirement. Every piece of monitoring equipment, also needs a spare ready to go on line instantly without missing a beat. This includes back up power generators, UPS systems etc. Today, I believe every monitoring station should have a back up station, with a redundant live database, and it should be located hundreds of miles away from the primary center. This eliminates the a natural disaster from knocking the monitoring center out of service. This is not paranoia. One major competitor learned this lesson the hard way, when their primary and secondary stations in Florida were both adversely affected by a hurricane. Our primary monitoring station is located in Lafayette, Lousiana. Our secondary center is at an undisclosed location in the Houston, TX area. A third disaster recovery center is in Michigan. As always, I hope you are better informed by this long winded blog, and if you have any questions please go to our website Pioneer Medical Alarm, or call us at 800 274 8274.

GPS and other new fangled Phones for Seniors

2008-02-03T20:27:00.001-08:00

I am regularly, being asked to review new products and technologies to help clients safe in their homes. Vendors, visit me. I travel the world looking.I also attend trade association meetings including the American Telemedicine Association, and I'm on the Board of the Medical Alert Monitoring Association. New technology fascinates me. Some have great promise. Others duds.

As I write this blog, I am reminded of a letter we received this week with a returned medical alarm unit. The letter explained that our medical alarm had been delivered to the Senior, one an hour too late. Unfortunately, The client fell, required hospitalization, and ended up in a skilled nursing facility. The client is not expected to return home, and therefore the family member was returning the unit.. The point I'm trying to make is, if your loved one needs our services, (or any other senior safety product) don't procrastinate. Order today. A year too soon, is better than a minute too late.

One of the best products I've reviewed recently include the Jitterbug (www.jitterbug.com) cell phone for seniors. This is a cellular phone specifically designed for seniors. Big buttons, easy to see and push. Continuous dial tone, so it acts like a regular phone, and a comfortable loud speaker system. I think this is a winner, and bought this service for my mother.I am pleased to recommend it to clients. This is not a substitute for a medical alert system. I looked another cell phone with GPS tracking built in. The manufacturer boasted it helped track down, and save a lost dementia patient. I would argue the dementia patient never should have been allowed to wander the neighborhood. They could have been hit by a car. Powerful technology, but buttons way too small and complicated for seniors. When I tested the unit, it sent out the wrong address.Another limitation was an 18 hour battery life. I saw another product, that claims to be a medical alarm that will dial 911, without a monthly fee. One of our long term clients bought it this week for her husband, because it saved the monthly fee. I think this product, has some serious drawbacks when compared with a professionally monitored system. For example, the manufacturer claims the product is splash resistant. With a high probability of senior falls in the tub or shower, I don't want splash resistant. I want waterproof. If the device can't be worn in the shower or tub forget about it. Free monitoring sounds like it could turn into a costly mistake. Dialing 911 is great... if you are able to communicate. My experience suggest, the clients in trouble, may be unable to speak for themselves. Without communication 911 will dispatch police to investigate. In a medical emergency this is a waste of precious time. When the senior falls, we need to get them help immediately. The first hour is called the Golden Hour. Help received in the Golden Hour is the difference between continued independent living, and a nursing home or death. Our operators can relay all the critical client information, medical, personal, and lockbox codes to allow paramedics immediate access to the clients home. Not a bad deal for a buck a day. Last this product was the size of a cell phone. Not exactly the product grandma wants hanging around her neck.

New Technologies for Senior Safety

2008-02-03T20:27:00.000-08:00

I am constantly searching for new technologies and approaches to keep our clients safe in their homes. I have scoured the planet, visiting Israel, Europe, and investigating products from Taiwan, China, and our neighbor to the North Canada. Some of these new products have great promise. Others look like fancy technology in search of an audience. All of the products can enhance safety, some greatly, others minimally. As I write this blog, I am reminded of a medical alarm unit we had returned this week. It arrived via FEDEX to a client. But it was an hour too late. The client fell, required hospitalization, and ended up in a skilled nursing facility. Sometimes, our units are returned , never opened, because the clients have expired before FEDEX arrives. The point I'm trying to make is, if your loved one needs our services, ORDER THEM IMMEDIATELY. A year too soon, is better than a minute too late. Some of the products I've reviewed recently include the Jitterbug (www.jitterbug.com) cell phone for seniors. This is a cellular phone specifically designed for seniors. Big buttons, easy to see and push. Continuous dial tone, so it acts like a regular phone, and a comfortable loud speaker system. I think this is a winner, and bought this service for my mother, and am pleased to recommend it to clients.

Medical Alert Technology from Israel

2007-11-25T17:37:00.000-08:00

I have just returned from two weeks in Israel. I visit at least once a year in support of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (www israelsoldiers.org) and Shurat Hadin (www.israellawcenter.org), an organization that sues terror organizations to break their backs financially . I also go to investigate new breakthroughs and business opportunities in medical alert technology. Israel is a small country, about the size of New Jersey. It has two natural resources, (a) minerals from the Dead Sea, and (b) brainpower. There are thousands of interesting technologies developed in Israel, Some of the products we are involved with include a Dick Tracy style watch phone with GPS developed by Aerotel (www.aerotel.com) Another wristwatch device measures blood pressure, EKG, pulse oxymetry, temperature, etc. and sends this wirelessly back to a monitoring station. This was developed by medic4all, (www.medic4all.com) These devices are in widespread distribution in Israel and Europe, and are starting to be sold in the US. Our rigorous FDA approval process usually delays the US adoption 18 months on average. Other exciting products include medical alarm systems made by Visonic, including medical alarms, automatic fall detectors, and bluetooth wireless medical monitoring devices. See (www.visonic.com) .My company, Pioneer helps introduce some of these products to US markets. Many other Israeli breakthroughs provide benefits here, such as the pill camera. You swallow the pill camera, and it transmits pictures as it navigates through your digestive tract, non-invasively. givenimaging.com)

Medical Alert / Triple System Redundancy

2007-10-23T00:24:00.001-07:00

I write this post from Los Angeles after midnight. My family has evacuated from Del Mar CA today as a result of the San Diego Fires. Our home lies directly in the path of the firestorm in a neighborhood bordering Rancho Santa Fe. At a time like this I am reflecting on what I could have done better to reduce the risk. First, the customer alarm monitoring center is totally safe and secure.It was never at risk. Our monitoring center is owned by Acadian Ambulance Services and located in Lafayette, LA 1500 miles away. Acadian is the largest privately owned ambulance company in the country. Acadian wrote the book on redundancy. And they weren't afraid to rewrite it with lessons learned after Hurricane Katrina. Acadian is run by a former Westinghouse engineer who believes in triple redundancy. Acadians monitoring center was built to withstand 170mph winds, and has back up generators to power the facility for weeks in the event of a power failure. The dual telephone and power feeds are underground. The Acadian building also houses the 911 backup center for the county. During Hurricane Katrina a 3rd party backup monitoring facility was in place in Michigan...just in case. Acadian staff slept at the facility, and manned 100 phone lines throughout Hurrican Katrina. This was accomplished while they operated the triage center at the New Orleans Superdome. rescued infants and elderly from facilities throughtout the state. They were credited with saving 7000 lives. In the Spring (07) Acadian bought another monitoring facility 240 miles from Lafayette in Houston ,TX. The two facilities (Lafayette and Houston) continuosly back each other up. And just in case,the Michigan center is the third back up.. Before we evacuated Solana Beach, I made one phone call to Blane Comeaux VP of Acadian Monitoring. Blane instantly agreed to handle all customer service needs. We forwarded all phones to Acadian, who continued to instantly live answer our telephones, and handle customer service needs immediately. We packed our vehicles, grabbed emergency earthquake supplies and left town in a hurry. At this point in time, I'm pleased to report, our valued customer were 100% unaffected by our San Diego disaster. Our sales calls were patched to our sales associates in Florida.(( Christy , our sales manager. was busy writing orders for new customers medical alarms until she was forced to evacuate her own house in Solana Beach, and reluctantly turned the sales over to Art . and Roberta . in Florida.)) Other employees had to evacuate their homes as well.
Before we evacuated we removed the computer servers and locked the fire proof safe. We evacuated our family, two German Shepherds and two cats. Please keep us in your prayers as the firestorm was three miles from our homes and closing distance. We won't know for a few days if we will be fortunate enough to have a home to return to, In the course of evacuating we made two other stops, and abandoned those locations after they became dangerous as well. We also stopped in to see my son Matthew, and his girlfriend Michelle at Caltech in Pasadena.
Thanks to my dedicated staff and the excellent professionals and disaster experts at Acadian Ambulance.

Medical Alert Videos

2007-10-07T12:04:00.001-07:00

While my son was home from college (Caltech) this summer he updated our website
www.pioneeremergency.com , and convinced me that I had to leave the comfort of the Stone Age, and it was time to start creating this blog, and to make videos. I knew nothing about blogs and videos. I am not a techie. Not accustomed to hearing "no," he pulled out the video camera, wrote a script, and sat me down on the living room couch, and the camera started to roll. If these videos look like they were made by total amateurs, in the privacy of their homes, it's because they were. I think this was the first time my son used the camera. I've done several TV interviews before, but always with real cameraman and real TV interviewers. None came with scripts. Anyway, we hope the videos will be helpful to the audience. Please notice one of my German Shepherds walking through the film shoot. Her first film. Next time, I'll try to look straight at the camera.

Medical Alert Video

Medical Alert Lock Box Video

Medical Alert Videos

2007-10-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

Medical Alert Bracelets

2007-09-30T15:28:00.001-07:00

Medical Alert Bracelets have two distinct types. The first is a piece of jewelry that identifies the wearer as having a significant medical problem, or serious allergy. This might warn a would be rescuer that the patient has an artificial heart valve or is allergic to penicillin. The second medical alert bracelet is an electronic bracelet, like a wrist watch with a help button . When the button is pressed, an alarm mechanism is activated and help is summoned.

This article is about the electronic bracelet type. The medical alert bracelet is designed so that the wearer can call for help anytime, if they fall, experience chest discomfort, or need attention. These devices should be waterproof, so the user can take the wrist bracelet into the shower or bath tub. Most of the devices contain batteries which will power the devices for several years, but they should be tested at least monthly. Our batteries last ten years or 50-100,000 pushes.

Our company provides these bracelets, but I typically advise clients to consider wearing a neck pendant instead of the wristband. My logic is simple. Imagine you are wearing the wrist bracelet on your left wrist. You fall, and hurt your right arm, rendering it temporarily numb. Now, try and deploy the button on you wrist band. To simulate this, put your right hand behind your back. If you are like most people, you can't press the button unless you have a real pointy nose! So my choice would be the more reliable one... the neck pendant. People ask me why we even offer to provide the wrist bracelet. Here is my answer. One of our largest customers is the Veterans Administration. Many of our VA clients served in the US Marine Corps in WWII and find it effeminate to wear a neck pendant. So for our beloved leathernecks, if you want it, you got it! Just don't blame me you can't press the button.

I strongly recommend the neck pendant. The chain we provide is hypo-allergenic, so the client can wear the pendant 24/7 without a skin reaction. It should be worn continuously and the pendant is waterproof so it can be worn in the shower or tub. The pendant employs the same ten year battery as our wrist bracelet, but should still be tested monthly. When the button is deployed, the button activates our special super-amplified speaker- phone which calls our monitoring center. Within 45 seconds one of our trained operators will speak with the client over the speaker-phone. If help is required, we dispatch assistance promptly.

Whatever button you chose, be sure to wear it, and test it monthly. More information about our systems can be found at www.pioneeremergency.com or calling (800) 274-8274

Medical Alert Devices

2007-09-29T20:27:00.001-07:00

When someone has a stroke they are in big trouble, and time is of the essence. Quick response, correct diagnosis, and new wonder drugs can dramatically affect the outcome for the patient.
Unfortunately, many stroke victims don't get the help they desperately need. Too many people suffer from the misconception that if they had a stroke they could simply call 911 and get help.
Unfortunately, when a stroke occurs the normal thinking patterns get scrambled just like eggs.
This is why speech gets garbled (aphasia). The brain knows what to say, but the words simply don't come of the mouth correctly. The same pattern seems to be true for dialing 911. Patients y want to dial 911, but the end up dialing 119, or 191 and they are unable to get help. If they are lucky enough to dial 911, and can't speak clearly to explain the problem, they will probably get a police car dispatch instead of an ambulance. Critical time is wasted. When the police arrive, they may have difficulty gaining entry to the house, and may not correctly assess that the patient has had a stroke. They may think the patient is inebriated. Hopefully, they will call the paramedics.

With a medical alert installed, the situation is dramatically improved. First, all the client has to do is press the button. No tricky dialing sequence, labored or futile attempts to communicate, just one press of the button. In 45 seconds medically trained operators are speaking to the client. The operators instantly have the clients complete medical history, allergies etc. on their computer dispatch screens. Critical information is be relayed to the paramedics enroute. Friends and relatives are notified. When the paramedics arrive on scene, they can be given a lockbox code to allow easy entry into the house, without breaking down a door or window. When seconds count, we don't waste time. Time is brain function

Stroke diagnosis is critical. The American Stroke Foundation has a simple 3 part test to identify stroke victims. (1) Smile. Can the patient smile symmetrically or does one side droop. (2) Raise both arms. Can they hold both hands up or is one arm weak. (3) Repeat a sentence. Ask the patient to repeat a simple sentence like "The sky is blue". Can they form the words properly? If the answer to any of these questions is NO call 911 immediately. Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death and disability. Other common symptoms may include :(a) numbness on the face, arms, legs (b) confusion trouble speaking or understanding (c) difficulty seeing from one or both eyes, (d) sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination. (e) sudden severe headache. This is not meant to be medical advice, but if any of these signs are present call 911 immediately, and note the time of the onset of symptoms. The time may be important to hospital physicians.

If the patient has had a stroke, they may be a candidate for a clotbusting drug, which can diminish the effects of the stroke. This drug must be administered within 3 hours of the stroke.
So in other words, the patients needs discovered, transported to a hospital, evaluated, correctly diagnosed and treated in a very short time frame. Some cities have special stroke centers in the hospitals, but this is not universal.

Unfortunately, I've had up close and personal scary experience with strokes. One of my closest friends had a stroke at age 45 . It was very frustrating for him. He couldn't talk intelligibly, and it took him months to regain coherent speech. He also had to relearn simple tasks, like making change from a dollar. Fortunately he was taken to a major stroke center in San Diego. I've also experienced a TIA (transient ischemic attack) or mini-stroke and know first hand the confusion that resulted. Fortunately, I am on medications and have not had a repeat occurance.

My own experiences with TIA and open heart surgery give me the passion to help protect others. Further information about medical alerts can be found at www.pioneeremergency.com

Medical Alert + Stroke

2007-09-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

Free Medical Alarm Service

2007-09-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

There are many companies that purport to have free medical alarm services, or very low monthly rates. Yet there is always something to give if you want to get something. These businesses operate no differently, and the services they provide can be less than meets the eye. Before buying, carefully understand what goes into a medical alarm.

No monthly fees: A medical alarm company cannot have a staff of fully trained medical operators around the clock if they cannot pay the operators. Operators do not work for free. for any medical alarm company Instead what these companies sell you is an expensive box that sits in your home. When the button is pressed, they will not call the paramedics but a preprogrammed call list. These call lists are typically 4 friends. If one does not answer, the machine will call the next one. Some have the option of one way communication, where they can hear you, but not the other way. Either way, if there is a real emergency, the paramedics will not be notified until first one of your friends gets the phone call and dials 911 for you. Trusting friends with your life is one thing, but trusting them to be awake around the clock waiting for you to have a medical emergency is another. We offer medical alarm monitoring around the clock, and we are experienced enough to know when to call your friends first and when to call the ambulance. If you are having a stroke, for example, you may be unable to speak. With an automatic box, it will dial your friends, but they will hear nothing and may assume that they were prank called! When we get a non-responsive call, we first will call the house phone to make sure there was no mistake, and if no one answers, we will immediately dispatch the paramedics.

The costs of these systems also make them more expensive than our service. The boxes cost from $200 to $300 depending on features. Our equipment is provided free, but we charge a monthly fee for monitoring of $29.95. So for the cost of the "free box" you get ten months of our top notch service. If you need it for less time than that, you can return it. If you return it in the first month, you owe us nothing!

Very low monthly fees: This is another math trick. Some companies will ask you "why rent when you can buy?" This is highly deceptive marketing; they charge a lot of money up front to 'buy' the system that works only with their proprietary monitoring center. Once they have you locked in, they will charge you a lower monthly free, of course, but you have already paid a lot of money for something that is of no use to you without their monitoring service. They may charge up to half of our monthly fee, of $29.95, but they have already made up their costs by charging you $200 for the box. There is no reason to not 'rent' the box, because without the monitoring service you may as well have a lucky rabbits foot hanging from your neck. They may promise to buy the equipment back. You won't collect a dime if they are out of business.

Thanks for your time reading about medical alarm services. If you are still convinced that a free system is for you, by all means look online and there will be plenty to be found. Proceed with caution and verify their track record. If you are interested in top notch service with a dedicated monitoring center that handles only medical alarms, please call us at 1-800-274-8274. We are here to help, and our service and only start protecting you or a senior you love once you have signed up. If you do not like our service, return the box within a month for full refund.

Our Competition

2007-09-13T19:47:00.001-07:00

The medical alarm industry is small but rapidly growing . People ask me all the time about competitors. I think like any other business, there are good competitors and less scrupulous competitors. The consumer needs to do their homework. One good place to check for the less scrupulous is www.consumeraffairs.com. (although I don't think they did enough homework on one of their recommended vendors), Some of the best companies in the industry can be found at www.medicalalertmonitoringassociation.com. , MAMA, the industry website. Pioneer Emergency is proud to be a founding member. Quality competitors are concerned with their clients, and furthering the professional growth of the industry. MAMA does not filter unscrupulous companies from joining, and in fact encourages new members. So far, none of the less scrupulous has joined. Perhaps they are too embarrassed to sit with their peers. Anyway, check the reputations, make sure you are not locked into a long term agreement, and whatever system you decide be sure to press the button and test the system at least monthly. For more details on selecting a quality provider you can also get our free report at medical alert guide.

First Blog Entry

2007-09-10T00:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Readers,
This will be my first foray into the new exciting world of blogs.

My name is Howard Feldman and I am the owner of Pioneer Emergency. We handle personal medical alarm systems for mostly seniors in need. We have established our business in many states and it would be a pleasure to help you too. The best way to get help from my company is the good old fashioned telephone. Call us during business hours (we are a west coast company) at 1-800-274-8274 and we will answer your questions and help set up a system for you or your family. For those who are more digitally inclined, you can fill in our webform to get a fast response: CONTACT US!

Medical Alarms, as I may have previously listed are our business. Let me go over some of my personal history. My father was a prolific inventor. He held many patents, including the one on the touch tone telephone. My mother was a nurse, and I like to think that it was the combination of their talents that brought me to where I am today. I have been doing residential security since I was an adolesent, but medical alarms was a calling that I could not turn down. Not only is America getting older, but technology is getting better! There are new ways to save lives now that we did not dream of 30 years ago (before that touch tone telephone). I am highly optimistic about the future of the technology that I sell today. The future for telemedicine and senior care is bright. Today I offer a communications device that could not have been built a decade ago, and it is out in the field saving lives daily.

I would like to share one of my favorite testimonials with you:
For a long time I have felt that people, no matter what their age, should have a reliable method of contacting emergency help. This was dramatically proven when my active 95 year old sister-in-law, living alone, 3000 miles away, sustained a fall in her home. She was able to use her "First Alert" by pressing the button that automatically alerted a designated neighbor to call for an ambulance. It was fortunate that she was taken to a hospital quickly, where it was found that she had bleeding and edema in her brain. Without the rapid delivery of care she might not have survived. I would urge people, living alone, to have one of these medical devices to be used in the event of a medical emergency.-- Helen from Berkeley, California

That seems like a good sized inaugural entry. Have a good day and thanks for reading this page!

Oh right, and that ubiquitous link to Look at our free must know tips about medical alarms!