Last Updated on August 3, 2021
Some seniors like the idea of having their smartphone double up as a mobile medical alert device.
The Lively Smart (former Great Call Jitterbug) comes with an emergency call button app built into the phone. The app is customized and integrated into the dashboard of the phone. This makes it easier for seniors in need to issue a medical alert call. There are a few different emergency button apps on the market.
Lively’s app (formerly Jitterbug’s 5Star app) stands out as it is one of the few that offers a direct dial button to a live emergency alert monitoring center rather than 911.
Lively was originally known as Great Call, before it was renamed. Great Call was a US company headquartered in San Diego, California. They started the Jitterbug senior cell phones, now known as lively phones. They also successfully branched into medical alert devices through the introduction of the Great Call splash, the predecessor of the current Lively Mobile Plus.
What Is It
The Lively Smart phone is a customized senior Android smartphone with it’s own proprietary medical alert app. To get started, a customer would purchase a Lively Smart (previous called Jitterbug) phone from their website. To operate the phone, the customer would then subscribe to a Lively (formerly Great Call) phone service plan.
Lively (formerly Great Call) offers the option to add a 5Star emergency response monitoring plan, known as a Health and Safety package. This provides 24/7 access to emergency response monitoring service with trained live agents to help customers. The agents will help customers by contacting their caregivers, personal list of emergency contacts or dispatch emergency help. For customers who choose not to add a Health and Safety package, the emergency calls are directed to 911 directly when customers touch on their urgent response (formerly 5Star) help buttons.
If emergency response monitoring with live agents is an essential feature for you, you will definitely need both a Lively (formerly Jitterbug) phone and a monthly subscription to their emergency response monitoring plan.
You will not be able to purchase an unlocked phone and have it work with Lively’s mobile network. Neither will you be able to download their emergency button app from Google’s Playstore to add it to your non-Lively phone.
If you have a non-Lively or non-Jitterbug phone but want to download an install an app, you can take a look at the LifeFone app. It is an independent app that can be installed on both Android and iOS smartphones.
Customized App With Lively (or old Jitterbug) Phones
The emergency button app is not an app that can be downloaded onto any smartphone, whether Android phones or iPhones. The button’s functionality comes built into a Lively (formerly Jitterbug) smartphone, so customers must have a Lively (formerly Jitterbug) phone to access the app. Customers who want private medical alert monitoring will pay for a monthly Health & Safety package.
Customers can opt not to subscribe to their $20 a month monitoring plan. In that case, pressing the alert button will connect the phone user directly to 911.
There are two version’s of Jitterbug phones, one is an Android Smartphone, and the other is a flipphone called the Jitterbug Flip. Even as more and more seniors are moving to smartphones, the flip phone continues to be a practical alternative for people who prefer that format.
Quick Button Press
The 5Star alert button is located at the bottom of the Jitterbug Smart2’s Home Screen. The phone will enter into a lockscreen mode if you haven’t used it in a while. In that case, the emergency call button can still be accessed directly from the lockscreen. There is no need to unlock the screen to touch the emergency button.
The extra step of unlocking the screen is a complaint that some have with other emergency alert apps. As the Lively (formerly Jitterbug) Smart is a specially customized Android phone, it is able to incorporate the emergency alert button feature directly on the lockscreen.
24/7 Monitoring Center Access
Once the emergency button is pressed/touched, the phone will call into Lively’s monitoring center. A trained urgent response (formerly 5Star) agent will answer the call and assist their customer. The advantage of having a dedicated monitoring center is that an emergency monitoring service agent is able to tailor the help to their customer’s situation.
For example, one satisfied customer described how she was in a medical emergency and the monitoring service agent was able to co-ordinate a conference call that included her doctor and caregivers to decide on the best approach to assist her.
Another advantage of having a monitoring service, such as Lively’s, is that the cell phone’s GPS data is transmitted to the monitoring center. If you are calling 911 direct, you will rely on 911’s location data to decipher where you are. According this article, some people have experienced delays in 911 finding out their location.
For family members and caregivers of Lively phone customers, the service works with their Link app. This is an app that allows authorized users to check into information transmitted from their loved one’s Lively (formerly Jitterbug) phone. For example, they can track the locations of their loved one, and get alerts of button presses.
Lively (formerly Jitterbug) phones with their emergency alert app is best recommended for people who appreciate having a senior-friendly cell phone with a medical alert button feature integrated into their phone. In addition, it is for people who like the option of having their medical alert button connect to 24/7 response monitoring service rather than directly to 911.
No Emergency Monitoring Subscription?
For customers who do not subscribe to Lively (formerly Great Call’s 5Star) urgent response emergency monitoring service, the emergency contact or SOS button will connect to 911 when pressed. This still allows customers to get emergency help easily. While there is always the alternative to install an SOS button app on any smartphone, the Lively (formerly Great Call’s Jitterbug) advantage is that it has the customized app integrated into phone. That provides for easy access when a medical or other emergency occurs.
The Lively (formerly Great Call’s Jitterbug) smart cell phone is worthy of consideration for seniors who like to the functionality of a mobile medical alert button built into their smartphone.
The phone comes with a customized help button app integrated into the dashboard of the phone. By pressing on the button, customers who have subscribed to Lively (formerly Great Call)’s monitoring service are connected their monitoring center. An urgent response (formerly 5Star) agent will be able to assist them.
If you prefer to find an independent app that will work with non-Lively smartphones, check out this post for more choices.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this review, the information is supplied without warranties of any kind. We advise all readers to do careful due diligence before purchasing. Take time to visit the company’s website and speak with their representatives.
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