We are interested in an alert system for our Mom. Any recommendations?

Life alert literally saved my Mothers life 3 times, before I came. It's $20 a month and comes right out of her account. I used it once when she fell while I was here.....MUCH slower than calling 911. We keep it for the 2 or 3 times a week, that I have to run for something and leave her alone for 20 minutes. I joke that I will be home before the ambulance, but for twenty bucks a month it gives me great peace of mind.

Maggie, I have that issue with my parents, they won't spend money to make their life easier. And I will be darn if I am going to dig into my own pocket to pay for these things :(

I would never discourage anyone from getting a personal alarm. No two people are the same. Some people, maybe even most people, wouldn't press the button. But some, maybe even most, would.

I'd strongly suggest the fall protection. Then, even if mom is the type to NOT press the button? If she free falls, she'll alert the service.

Family friend fell in the bathroom. She was a diabetic. She was found dead on the floor 12 hours later. Was she conscious when she landed? Don't know. But what I DO know is that she made a conscious choice not to spend the $50 for a Life Alert Alarm -- which, presumably, would have likely went off. Or, being as she was so cheap? She'd have been so excited to get her money's worth, she'd have pressed it herself.

She was worth over a million dollars when she died. Found she couldn't take it with her after all.

My brother and I installed cameras at the front of the house and the back of the house through Alarm. We both have full visibility of who comes and goes. long with the camera...they provide sensors for each window and door...you are able to set which notice you want through the website.
As an example...I wanted to know when a gnat was coming to her door...I have sine scaled it down some and only want to know when the front...back...or side door have been opened.
The alert is sent right to my iPhone or iPad and I can also see live streaming video. Both my brother and I can.
We hid the base...because our Mother doesn't understand how to work it...and honestly neither do we...so a panic button is useless...check into it. I think total to set it up was somewhere in the $1200 range. Totally worth the money.
I have to laugh about this...because a long term care facility that I was looking at for my Mom...called Adult Protective Services on me...when they came out and saw everything my brother and I had in place for my Mom...they were taking notes to share with others! Love it!

Agree also w/Freqflyer response forgot to mention my mother is also hard of hearing and that feeling of overwhelmed, that too :-)

I think a lot depends on the person themselves, and their age decline issues.

I know my Dad would know how to use it, if he doesn't try to open up the call box to see how it works.... [sigh, that's the electrical engineer in himself]. But Dad doesn't want one because "those are for old people".... HELLO, Dad, you are now 93. Guess he'll get one when he is 103.

As for my Mom, she would be too overwhelmed to remember to push the button, and with her poor hearing she wouldn't hear the call box if someone was asking if she needs help.

Love the previous responses but I will say it's a 'racket' these Life Alert Companies selling this, I inquired with one company and now they won't quit calling, they call all hours day/night, I'm thinking they all work on commission so be careful who you choose. I also agree my mom would be the type to either you show her and she won't remember or she'd be too embarrased. It's funny how people would rather lay there than get help!

I would get some ip cameras just to keep an eye on her. you can get pan and tilt cams and place them strategically so you can watch almost everywhere.
my elder has a panic button that came with the security system. It will work in a pinch. However, she did NOT use it when she did fall a couple of months back. Why??? "I didn't know what it would do." idiot. and don't say it's because she's old please. she has pulled this stubborn stupid all her life.

two cents ¢¢

Forget it. Mom won't push the button because she is embarrassed to have the EMT's in front of the house. Total waste of time.
Fall Alert systems are triggered by acceleration (the fall) and a sudden stop (the floor THUD). The problems are: nuisance alarms if she drops it, and NO alarm if she slides off a chair or grips something to slow the fall.
Fall Alerts triple the cost of the medical alert system.
Mom's system would test call her daily, and sometimes she would not hear, or ignore the test call. This created multiple problems.
When she did fall, multiple times, she never pushed the %&&* button