Lifeline

I've had this device since 2016. If it's charged, I don't have to be taking the whole thing with me everywhere I go. That was why my grandson wanted this one. I had to pick up the little thing and carry it with me with the other one. The only time I really take this device off is when I charge it. It doesn't take about 30 minutes to get it charged. This morning, the device went off and it woke me up, so I gotta put it on charge. There was a time when I was at church on a Sunday night and we were singing. I wanted to look nice so I removed the device from my neck and laid it in my purse. The thing went off. I was just gonna cut it off but it didn’t cut off. Everybody thought it was funny and the preacher said, “At least you know it works.” Three weeks ago, Lifeline also called me when it went off that day. It’s really sensitive. Other than that, I would recommend Lifeline.

Everything was perfect until a couple of years ago when they changed the system and we started getting these annoying phone calls. For example, one night, the police came out here at 2 o'clock in the morning, shining red lights into the windows and everything. And we said, “Oh, it's our lifeline system again.” And then, they came back again, two hours later. They didn't know what to do. It has been a major harassment to our neighborhood. And it was always on a Saturday morning that they call and tell us, “We're receiving something that the thing isn't plugged in.” And it was plugged in. I'm secure if it works. But when I get these calls from them, telling me that it's not working, and it's working, something wrong, that doesn't make me very secure. But they've sent us a new unit now which we're going to try.

I just keep my device near me. I don’t like things on my neck. I don’t even wear jewelry around my neck. So, I just have it with me while I’m at home. When I go to my bedroom, it’s the same where I have it right there near me. The only thing is if you lose power at your home, especially with storms, then that's not going to work. It will be affected if I was to lose power because that's plugged in. Thank God, I’m in an area where there’s not a lot of power shortages. If they can make a product that one can take outside of the home, I'll be glad to be in on the details of it. It would be wonders. What I have is an in-home model. Overall, Philips Lifeline is an awesome service for those of us that’s disabled, and even for the families taking care of someone that's disabled. It provides comfort and peace to the person that's needing it and to the family member that's taking care of the person that needs it. It’s working both ways.

I was sitting on my butt on the floor and I got a hold of my wheelchair. I turned it around and I started pulling it with me. I was almost by the base unit of my Lifeline, because I don't have to be that close. I thought, “Oh, well. The only way I'm going to get up is by calling for somebody.” It was 2:30 in the morning, so I pushed my Lifeline and the rep came on and asked if I needed help. I said, “Yes, I fell like the commercial. I have fallen and I can't get up.” First caller was the fire department, because they're just across the street over here, and my neighbor across the street from me. And they all have my key box combo.

The paramedics came. They were pulling their gurney with them and I told them they didn't need that. I was now in the front and I had turned off my alarm. They came over and said, “How can we help you? Are you hurt?” I said, “No, I'm not hurt. I just had to get back up on my wheelchair.” One took me under one arm, and the other took me under the other arm, and they put me in my chair and said, “Is there anything else we can help you with? Are you sure you're all right?” I said, “I’m fine. I have my wheels under me now and I'm just great.” So they left, relocked my gate, took off.

The next morning, my daughter called me. She lives four hours away from me. And she's almost 70 so she's not a spring chicken either. I'm 93. She said, “I heard you fell.” And I said, “Well, who told you that?” Because all she can do is be upset and worried because she can't get to me. And she said, “Well, your Lifeline called me.” And I said, “They're not supposed to call you. I told them not to call you.”

Right after she hung up, I called Lifeline and told them they were not supposed to call my daughter. And they said that she was on there for some reason. I said, “Well, she's not to be notified because she can't get to me anyway. It doesn't do any good.” So the rep said that she would take my daughter off immediately, and she did. She said, “Now she won't be called for any reason whatsoever.” And I said, “Not any.” She said, “Nope. Not any.” The next day, I checked my answering machine. There was my Lifeline, and they said, “Your alarm went off during the night, but someone that knew the combination turned it off, so we didn't send the police so there'll be no charge.” That was the end of my experience.

As far as having somebody come, I'm very satisfied. But I've been having problems with the prices since I change from the telephone landline, being connected to it, and having the new unit. They told me it would be one price. And then when it was on my bill, it was another price. That was the third time I called them, and each time, I would get a different person and they would quote me a different price.

The last one was a price I was satisfied with, so I said, “Okay, that'll be on my bill on my Visa card.” They take it out automatically. And it was $5 and some cents more than they quoted me. So I thought, “Maybe the last quote they did will be on next month, so I'll just wait.” But that's the only problem I've had is with the billing. If I could get the same person twice, it would be a good thing. There are good people when they come on the line, and they all mean well, except that things get messed up. Also, I don't like the cord that goes around my neck. It makes me itch. And I'm afraid to cut it to put a gold chain on it for fear the gold chain wouldn’t fit through the hole on the little device. Philips Lifeline should change that cord. More metal. Maybe silver or something that doesn't turn color.