How do I get a medical alert button without paying monthly?

What this means

• In Medicaid language the device is called a personal emergency response system. Ask for it by that name or the worker may not know what you mean.
• Some counties, fire departments, and hospitals lend devices free to people who live alone, and some sheriff's offices run a daily check-in call instead.
• If you buy one yourself, devices that call a family member directly have no monthly fee, while devices that ring a monitoring center almost always do.

What to do first

1. Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 and ask whether your Area Agency on Aging has a personal emergency response system loan program.
2. If you have Medicaid, call your case manager and ask for a personal emergency response system to be added to your care plan.
3. Ask your hospital's discharge planner or social worker, especially after a fall, because they can often arrange a device as part of discharge.
4. Ask about a free telephone reassurance program as a stopgap, where a volunteer calls you at the same time each day.

What you'll need

• Proof of age and address
• Your Medicaid number if you have one
• A note from your doctor about fall risk, which many programs require
• The name and number of the person the device should call

Where to go

• Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 or https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx — ask about device loan closets and daily check-in calls.
• Medicaid home and community based services: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/home-community-based-services — your state waiver decides what devices are covered.