People now have a much longer life expectancy than they did a few decades ago, and in most developed countries the average person commonly lives beyond 70 years of age. As they reach their later years, people are inevitably more likely to need the aid of others, yet they still want to keep their independence.

The majority of people do not feel comfortable being under the constant care of others. There is a solution to this problem though. A way for elderly people to live as they wish, but to still have others come to their assistance in the case of an emergency, is through the use of medical alert systems.

So, what exactly is a medical alert system? Well, it gives the user a direct line of communication to a care specialist at all times - they simply need to press a button and then they can speak with someone trained to deal with a wide range of situations and emergencies.

The difference between this service, and simply calling 911, is that a lot more flexibility is provided. By dialing 911, an ambulance will pretty much always need to be called out, but a medical alert system can be used for minor emergencies as well as serious ones. The user, as well as requesting an ambulance, can, for example, just call for advice, or ask that a doctor pay a visit the next day.

Many companies are offering medical alert systems, but what specifically they are offering is not the same, with some being much better for the purpose than others. Therefore, before making a decision on which one to opt for, answers to the following questions should be sought...

- Is it simple and easy to operate?

- Is the medical alert button, or pendant, easy to carry about?

- Does it have inbuilt two way communication?

- What is the range of coverage?

- Is the service available throughout the day and night, for 365 days a year?

- What level of medical certification do the Emergency Response Technicians have?

- Can relatives and neighbors be contacted through the service?

- In the event of a power failure or disaster, will the service still operate?

- What languages can the call center operatives converse in?

All of these considerations are important, so do not be tempted to simply opt for the cheapest medical alert system. Spending a few dollars a month extra can really be a life saving decision.

Another point on cost, be sure to get full details on the type of service being signed-up for before making a commitment to it. Look for a medical alert system that does not require a long term contract, and which does not have any set-up or activation fees attached to it. Monthly subscription contracts are advisable, whereby the user can return the equipment at anytime without incurring any penalty costs.