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In 1972, Dr Andrew Dibner came up with a novel idea involving a wireless emergency alarm system. Little did he know that this invention would become a pillar for seniors and recovering patients that valued their independence. The technology was constantly refined and eventually gave birth to the Lifeline System that became public in 1983. Fast forward to 2006 when the company was bought by Philips, leading to the Philips Lifeline medical alert service that we know today.
Despite becoming a major force in the industry, Philips Lifeline hasn’t forgotten its roots. They still have strong ties with hospitals, with mutually beneficial partnerships where hospitalized patients can rent the system for a small amount or subscribe to the service through an organization. Philips Lifeline has won several awards over the years and continued to upgrade its technology. Currently the company offers both in-home and mobile devices, coupled with a stellar monitoring service and an advanced medication dispenser.
Philips Lifeline offers a reliable monitoring service through its centralized response centers, where the care agents are available every day of the year. The company offers help in the U.S. and Canada with local headquarters that are UL certified. If the caller doesn’t speak native English, the staff contacts a third party translation agency who offers assistance in 140 languages.
Whenever a help button is pushed, it takes an average of 22 seconds to get in touch with an operator. After carefully assessing the situation, these care agents might then dispatch the closest emergency personnel or contact indicated family members or caregivers. They will also call back the senior in 30 minutes to check whether they have received proper help.
In addition to the wearable help button included in the order, registered customers have access to a downloadable smartphone app called Lifeline Response App. It combines the effectiveness of a help button with the useful nature of the vial of life. The application stores the user’s medical history in case it’s needed, while placing a call to the monitoring center is only one button press away (or two if we count the opening of the app itself).
The AutoAlert feature is meant to negate one of the biggest fears for seniors: becoming incapacitated after a fall, and therefore being unable to call for help. The fall detection pendant combines accelerometers with barometric sensors and monitors all readings with a special algorithm that differentiates sudden movements from true falls. In cases where the wearer collapses, the device sends a distress signal to the monitoring center so that care agents can act accordingly. It should be noted, though, that the system won’t detect every fall accurately, because the sensors still have blind spots.
The heart of the Philips Lifeline medical alert system is the in-home unit called HomeSafe. By connecting either to a landline or a cellular network, the hub is able to dial the toll-free number of the monitoring service whenever an emergency occurs. The main station maintains a long-range connection with a small wearable button that is designed as a pendant or wristband. The button is lightweight and waterproof to a limit, allowing seniors to keep wearing it while swimming, showering or washing the dishes.
The base station is fitted with a two-way communication system, too. The amplified sensitivity of the speakers and the microphone allows the struggling senior to hear what the operator is saying and reply, even from a great distance. Since the company aims to cover the customers in every possible scenario, the hubs also come with a long-lasting backup battery that keeps the system running for 30 hours even without power. As a cherry on top, Philips Lifeline products perform self-testing on a regular basis to check whether the system is operational.
Aging adults with an active lifestyle can also enjoy the protection of a medical alert system thanks to GoSafe. The system is a combination of the traditional HomeSafe base station and the mobile help button. The advanced pendant is able to call for help without a base station by connecting to the AT&T network. Since it’s fitted with the same two-way communication technology as the base hub, the elderly person wearing it can talk and listen to the monitoring agent while staying outdoors.
Customers who are only interested in the pendant are free to ditch the home console with the GoSafe 2 package that only includes the mobile help button. It comes with a charger to keep the wearable operational, not to mention the built-in fall detection and six different locating technologies – including GPS – that can pinpoint the wearer’s location both indoors and in a crowded city.
The Philips Automated Medication Dispensing Service is designed to help seniors stay on schedule with their pills. The device does more than simply dishing out doses of medicine at set intervals of time. It’s able to house 40 days of medicine and has a solid locking mechanism so it can’t be tampered with. Up to six cups can be distributed per day, with a loud reminder constantly repeated for 90 minutes. The unit itself is connected to the company’s monitoring system and if the owner misses four occasions in a row, the monitoring agents and caregivers receive an alert.
Philips Lifeline is one of the few medical alert companies who still offer professional installation. Seniors who live alone and lack the proper technical skills may call the customer support to schedule a visit from a company representative who delivers the equipment and performs the setup during a two-hour process. The service fee for requesting professional installation is decided on a case by case basis. For quicker work it’s also possible to contact one of the Philips Lifeline’s local associates, who will perform the same tasks.
Naturally, DIY installation is still an option. In this case customers receive the package via ground shipping. Don’t worry though, installing the device doesn’t require any technical skills. The first step is to plug the base station or charger into the power outlet, while the HomeSafe landline model also requires a landline connection. The second step is to conduct a range test and contact the monitoring center for the first time.
These steps are very easy to perform when users stick to the step-by-step guide that comes with the package. For more complex operations – like the test call or programming a new button – Philips Lifeline has uploaded video tutorials that explain the whole process in more detail.
Philips Lifeline offers very straightforward pricing with no lock-ins or contracts. With the pay as you go plan being the only option, customers have the freedom to cancel the service whenever they want. Therefore each medical alert system has its own monthly price tag that won’t change. However, the absence of quarterly and semi-annual plans means that there are no added benefits for longer commitments, such as free shipping or a discount on the monthly fee.
The landline version of HomeSafe Standard is the best choice for budget-conscious seniors, considering that the charge is only $29.95 per month. Going with the cellular model significantly raises the price to $41.95 per month. For in-home devices the fall detection pendant is an optional add-on. Since the feature requires the advanced AutoAlert monitoring service, the base price of the HomeSafe Standard stations for the landline and cellular packages jumps up to $44.95 and $56.95 per month respectively.
The half-home, half-mobile GoSafe system also comes in two flavors in terms of pricing. Picking a landline connection charges $54.95 per month, while a cellular connection raises the fee to $64.95 per month. Since the GPS-enabled button is already fitted with fall detection technology, the feature comes as part of the deal. As for only the GoSafe 2 pendant, the company charges $44.95 per month.
Bear in mind, though, that the monitoring fee isn’t the sole expense when it comes to renting Philips Lifeline’s products. Each and every medical alert system comes with some form of one-time activation fee. The HomeSafe stations (with or without fall detection) must be activated for $50, GoSafe 2 has a device fee of $99.95 while GoSafe demands $149 as a one-time payment.
But don’t close your wallet just yet: without long-term commitment bonuses, customers must also add the expense of shipping too, which is another $19.95 to the final sum. In addition, the medication dispenser has a monthly fee as well, which is $59.95 per month.
Seniors who are tech-savvy or have a family member able to help them with online purchases should definitely take advantage of the site’s online ordering function. Not only is it quicker than calling the sales department, but offers the ability to redeem multiple coupon codes as well. There is typically always an active coupon code that rewards you with free shipping, while occasionally there are others that lower the monthly price or add a free gift to the package. The deals are temporary but constantly refreshed, and so it always pays off to check on the latest coupons.
Philips Lifeline received an A+ from BBB, which highlights their focus for devoted customer support. The website is very informative, with several videos and blog articles detailing the latest features. The helpdesk can be reached over the phone, email or live chat. Submitting a ticket suggests to expect an answer in one or two days, but the live chat promises faster help – though the staff isn’t available 24/7.
Philips Lifeline has an active social media presence, which is a fine opportunity to get further answers to your questions. Besides posting safety tips and educational articles, they also quickly respond to private messages and wall posts on Facebook.
Philips Lifeline hits all the right notes as a medical alert company, primarily because they cover both home-bound and on-the-go seniors and patients with their technology. The devices are feature rich and designed to stay operational in unexpected situations, such as during a fall or a prolonged blackout.
The ability to turn the smartphone into a help button with the Lifeline Response App is also commendable, just like the option to schedule professional installation. Still, the most unique feature is without a doubt the high-end medication dispenser that is also monitored by the care agents.
The only setback for Philips Lifeline is the high costs that customers must pay in order to receive the products. The monthly monitoring fees are high enough to begin with, and having no ways to reduce the amount via longer commitment discounts makes this frustratingly off-putting. On top of all that, each device carries a one-time activation fee that must be paid as well.
In the end, this might be enough to put newcomers off signing up for Philips Lifeline, even though it’s a great medical alert service for those who are new. It could still be the right solution for you, but committing yourself to it could end up costly.
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I reported the May 15 death of my aunt and requested that service be cancelled. The representative taking my call took the information and said that service would be cancelled. Yet, I have continued to be billed for June and July service. When I called to explain that I had cancelled the service soon after my aunt’s death, the representative said that no record of the request was available. Then she hung up.
Don’t waste your money. Especially on the “enhanced” service. EMS would come when she didn’t fall and fail to respond when she did. The final straw was the night she pushed her button and EMS came and asked her why she called for “just a headache” and why didn’t she “take an aspirin?” They never called me or reset her unit. She was having a stroke and I didn’t find out until 12 hours later. Presently, she’s on her deathbed. Thanks a heap, Lifeline.
I have had 3 heart attacks, and i live alone so i got the Go Safe model. thankfuly i have not had to use it yet. I have tested it several times in many different locations,and its the coolest thing ive ever owned. It may not fix my heart, but it sure fixed my peace of mind. highly recommend it
Okay, this service worked fine when my mother was living alone. She’d fall and the sensor would go off and the paramedics would come and pick her up. We just cancelled the service although I see other folks have had problems with that, hopefully not.
But here’s WARNING – the little white box with the big reset button on it needs to be sent back to lifeline otherwise they will charge you $400 – yes that’s right four hundred, not forty. Anyway when you’re moving your mother out and having to deal with everything else, keep that in mind. Because that box is definitely not worth 400 bucks, anywhere. Also, they scared my mother into the more expensive service, easy to do when folks are old and alone. But when she fell, it went off. so it works. It only went off once by accident. Paramedic visits can be pricey. Although still cheaper than the that white box with the reset button.
Does anyone know if these products interfere with a pacer/defibrillator when wore on the neck?
The basic response centre is based in the US?.
What if some thing happens over there?.
Why is there not an centre in Canada?
I find this very ,strange,if that centre has to serve the Canadian and US Clients!
I’m confused:ems is different / separate from Philips, right? Did Philips ignore mothers symptoms or the local EMS?
I have found customer service to be polite, but I have a few comments re Phillips Lifeline:
My battery needs charging every day and a half. The earlier model needed charging every 5-6 days. Customer Svc. has no explanation. It is a pain trying to remember to charge it, and sometimes the charge bell goes off during a conversation or meeting or when I’m driving.
My Lifeline goes off about three-four times a week. “_____, do you need help?” There’s no reason that they should respond. I’ve tried to explain the problem umpteen times, but the employees just interrupt and keep asking if I’ve fallen…which I haven’t. I’ve found that these are paid employees, but they must have a written set of questions they ask no matter what, just like robots…and they keep repeating themselves. I can never explain anything.
The one time I did fall tripping over a vacuum cord, the Lifeline responder did NOT respond!
Philips Lifeline Canada is not dependable in that it does not deliver the promised services. Lifeline equipment constantly experiences false alarms for detecting falls.
1. Failure to send an ambulance to my father’s home, upon receiving alert that he had a fall.
2. Company noted and communicate the incorrect information to Police as to where my father’s lockbox was located False “falling” alarms. Hence, the police could not get access to enter the house.
3. Poor customer service. Calls to Supervisor were not returned. Official complaint letter sent to supervisor was also not replied to.
Philips Lifeline is not dependable in that it does not deliver the promised services has poor customer service and has equipment which constantly raise false fall detection alarms.
On January 28, 2020 I spoke to a sales representative, Mxxx, in Massachusetts and ordered a Philips Lifeline mobile device and, after putting me on hold to check, he confirmed that the equipment would be shipped in 7-10 days and would be delivered by Fed-Ex. I questioned previously reported issues regarding manufacturing delays and he said there had been some but that “things are running smoothly now”. On February 17, twenty days later, I called to inquire why the equipment had not arrived and was told by Exxx in Arizona that Mxxx had not entered “order new equipment” and that he, Exxx, would escalate my order which should ship in 2 1/2 weeks. Dissatisfied, I asked to speak to a supervisor. My call went to an ordinary rep in Boston and then to some overseas representative who disconnected my call when I requested her name. I called again and reached Axxx in Arizona and, again, requested a supervisor. Jxxx in Arizona took my call. She acknowledged that my original order was “done improperly” but that it had been corrected two weeks prior. Jxxx explained that my corrected order was scheduled to be shipped in 15 days and it had already been 14. She assured me that the equipment would be shipped in the next day or two, that it would be received “no later than Thursday” (February 20), and that Exxx in “Seniors” was personally overseeing the situation and he would call me when shipped. The equipment was not delivered nor did I hear from Exxx. On February 21 I called again, reached Mxxx in Arizona, and asked him to read the notes created on my last call to Jxxx. Though I had asked Jxxx to note my account that she promised I would receive the equipment by Thursday, she had not. I was shocked, though, that Axxx had entered in the notes that I had “threatened legal action” – which is absolutely 100% false and a review of the recording will confirm that I barely even spoke to Axxx other than to request a supervisor and I was totally pleasant in doing so. He told me that “it’s a pretty complicated situation” regarding equipment delivery because of the coronavirus problem and equipment production in China. I, again, requested to speak to a supervisor and I agreed to a 10-15 minute wait. Then he told me I could only speak to a supervisor by waiting 24 to 48 hours for a call from one. So, fortunately, I called again to reach someone else. This time, I was told the truth! The back-order for wireless devices is several months. The Coronavirus excuse is likely just that, an excuse. Production and delivery of wireless devices is in turmoil.
My parents have used Philips Lifeline since 2018. My Dad is deceased and every time I call we go through the process of them asking about my father and I have to explain that he is deceased. Every time I am told they will update the file…every…time….
In November my mother’s home unit began flashing. I contacted the company and they said her necklace device needed replacing-they would send one right out. I called in December-this time they would really send one right out. I called Jan 13-this time it would go out the next day with expedited shipping. I just called again, Feb 1, this time it would really go out, with expedited shipping.
I understand labor shortage, shipping delays, all that…but it seems Philip’s needs a lifeline.
Hello Robin, thanks for your comment, and we’re very sorry for your loss. We know it can be triggering to be reminded of your father every time you call Philips Lifeline, and we really hope that the company updates his file as soon as possible.
If we understood your comment correctly, Philips Lifeline hasn’t shipped your mother’s necklace even once. Is this accurate? Or did the company send the device, but it never got to your house? If it’s the former, the company may still be having difficulties answering the increased demand that came with COVID. If it’s the latter, we recommend calling the company to make sure they have the correct address. Even if your mother hasn’t moved away, there might have been a computer error that’s making Philips Lifeline ship the necklaces to the wrong place.
While we do understand how infuriating it must be to have this issue unresolved after two months and various calls, at least Philips Lifeline seems to be trying its best to help your mother. However, it’s also true that it’s risky to have your mother not wearing her necklace for so long. This way, if the company doesn’t solve your issue yet again, it might be time to start looking for other options.
Have a nice day, and we hope that Philips Lifeline has sent the necklace this time around.