“It pays to advertise,” they say and, apparently, that’s absolutely true, as I’ve been getting a number of good questions via e-mail about this-and-that, all of which stem from advertisements, so let’s go over them as a group, shall we? Holding hands is optional.
Let’s begin with the advertisements we see for various “panic button gizmos.” These devices are generally worn around our necks or as bracelets or some such, and they allow us to summon help via landlines or cell phones in the event that we need help, e.g. a fall. Generally, you’ll see them called “_____ Alert” or “_____ Line.”
In my world, these devices are referred to as “personal emergency response systems,” because we like to make things sound as complicated and unfathomable as possible, but they are WONDERFUL! These things save lives! Seriously.
They all work basically the same way, which is that if you have an emergency, you can press the button on your gadget, which calls a “response center” somewhere. Said response center then tries to call you, which is your chance to say, “Oops – Sorry…” or “Send help” or whatnot; generally, if they can’t get a response from you, they will summon help, whether that’s your niece down the block or an ambulance or whatever you’ve arranged with the vendor.
I have absolutely no reason to think that the companies that are advertising these life-saving devices are any or more or less reliable than those that don’t advertise in expensive media, so it comes down to consumer preference. Please note that there is tremendous variation in pricing as well as add-ons (“bells & whistles”), which might be well worth the money, e.g. medication reminders, and a host of others, so it’s purely a matter of doing your homework and selecting the model, company and accessories that best suit your personal needs and tastes.
If money is an “issue,” it would be worth your time to do a web search for “personal emergency response systems,” then take the time to do some comparison shopping. Allow me to make my obligatory, personal observation: DON’T TAKE THEM OFF WHEN YOU GET IN THE SHOWER!
Thank you for your patience. Here’s another:
We all know (well, many of us know) that “ObamaCare” is looming on the horizon; the “horizon” being 2014. To grossly over-simplify, the immediate 2014 issue is that “…everybody has to have health insurance…!” Well, yes, but…
First of all, if you’re on Medicare, you have health insurance, so forget it. If you have insurance through your employer and expect that to be in place next year, forget it…etc. But if you don’t have any kind of health insurance, the odds are pretty good that you’re going to have to figure out how to get it.
Currently, a number of us are seeing advertisements for a “Hotline” that we can call to find health insurance for ourselves and our families, that will even cover “…PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS!” (I’m sure it will, that’s the law, but let’s not quibble).
Here’s the deal: Come October 1, 2013, every state (including Washington) will have a “Health Benefits Exchange” up-and-running. This will be a “marketplace” (accessed via internet, or by phone, or by sitting with a live human who will help you access the internet, or whatever) where you can discover what health insurance policies are available to your family and what subsidies you might qualify for, or even whether you might qualify for Medicaid, etc. You will, as they say, be able to compare “apples to apples.”
These Exchanges are NOT yet operative, so the “Hotline” that is offering to help you find health insurance coverage will, undoubtedly, do exactly that: Help you find one of the policies that they would like to sell to you.
Now, in fairness, there’s nothing wrong with that, and I have no reason to believe that this isn’t a perfectly reputable operation, so if you’re looking for health insurance right NOW, you could certainly give them a call and see what happens, but the way they are linking themselves to “ObamaCare” (“Health Care Reform,” the “Affordable Care Act,” blah blah) is a bit of a…stretch. Is it a “scam?” I have no reason to think so.
Here’s another: “A _____ for Mom” or “Dad” or something like that. A number you can call or a web site you can visit that will help you find the “best” assisted living facility or nursing home or dementia community or retirement community or wide-spot-in-the-road for Mom – FREE!
Now, again, I have no reason or experience to think that this (These!) isn’t a perfectly reputable business, but it is a “business.” What I trip over is the word “free” – Really? Then, who’s paying the bills? Various facilities that have “subscribed?” If YES, what about wonderful facilities that haven’t subscribed (or sponsored or paid a fee or whatever)? Will said business make referrals to them? I don’t know.
The truth is, I don’t know the true answer to any of those questions, but I’m pretty sure that somebody is paying the bill, so I…wonder; by all means, feel free to contact them and see if they are helpful to you and yours – If they are, Great! – If not, call any of the numbers at the end of this column, and we’ll see if we can help. Or, call everybody (including us), then paste all the info together in a way that works for you. Help only helps if it helps.
Look: Most of us have been on the receiving end of advertising/marketing for as long as we can remember, so the skills that we’ve developed in the face of commercials for cars, laxatives and food processors (not necessarily in that order), need to be applied to the explosively expanding “senior market.” The fact that something (or some service) is advertised nationally doesn’t make it inherently good or inherently bad – It just means that we have to apply some common consumer sense and make informed choices.
And remember the single MOST important word in response to any advertisement or commercial:
REALLY?!
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