in the home and have the equipment programmed to call their monitoring center for assistance. Medical alert monitoring companies typically charge a monthly subscription fee for the equipment and monitoring services.

In addition to standard medical alert monitoring, some companies offer related services such as 'fall monitoring' and 'call check-in' for additional monthly fees. Fall monitoring involves wearing a special transmitter that detects falls, abnormal body movements, and/or extended periods of inactivity. These special transmitters use microcomputers

and accelerometers to distinguish between falls and normal movement, even if that movement involves shocks such as dropping into a chair or descending stairs. When a fall or an abnormal period of inactivity suggests that an emergency condition exists, the system will automatically summon assistance without end-user intervention. These transmitters also have a button where the user can call for help manually.

Call check-in is a service where live operators from the monitoring center will attempt to call the end user via telephone once or twice per day. If the operator is unable to contact the user over a given period of time, the operator will contact family, friends, or other caregivers on a pre-designated list so that they can take appropriate action.

Although they perform essentially the same function, not all medical alert monitoring centers are the same. Many use their own employees to staff their monitoring center, but some outsource to other call centers. Some medical alert monitoring centers also monitor traditional home burglar alarms. Finally, some medical alert monitoring centers use only live operators to answer calls, while others will have some calls routed to voice mail.

Regardless of which medical alert service company you choose, there are a few features of the equipment that you will want to consider. First of all, you'll want to make sure that the transmitter and base unit are easy to understand and operate. Look for large, color-coded and easy to read buttons plus illumination that make it easy to see in lower light levels. If the user is blind, make sure that the base unit buttons have Braille lettering. LED indicators for power (power on, low battery) and alarm status (shows if the alarm has been activated or not) are also helpful. Some equipment has remote telephone answering capabilities, which allows you to answer and disconnect regular phone calls using your transmitter. Finally, and very importantly, make sure that the medical alert system has backup power so that it will operate in event of a power outage.