"Help, I've signed a contract and I can't get out of it"
Well, that's not what the senior citizen on the commercial says, but maybe she should. Many people who sign up for these systems, who's advertising plucks at the guilt strings of children with aging parents, find that they are signing long term contracts which are very difficult to get out of, and have exhorbatantly high monitoring costs, much higher in fact than a tradtional home security systems which will protect seniors against home burglary.
Here is just one link to a list of many complaining about these companies:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/age/lifealert_sales.html
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/age/lifealert.html
A typical home security system can be equipped with a wireless necklace pendant or a wrist worn panic button, and listen in capability, all under the same monitoring fee (typically under $30) which is paid for the entire system to be monitored. A home security system can also provide a monitored smoke detector to summon the fire department.
