Frequently Asked Questions
Smart Dialer
- How can the CareAlert Smart Dialer save me money?
- Isn't a monitored system a much more reliable emergency dialer to have?
- What is the range of the waterproof remote pendant?
- Can I have more than one remote pendant with my CareAlert Smart Dialer?
- Will I need to re-program the CareAlert Smart Dialer if I lose power?
- How does the CareAlert Smart Dialer know that my call for assistance has been live answered and not by an answering machine or answering service?
- Will I completely own my CareAlert Smart Dialer once I have purchased it outright?
- Has the CareAlert Smart Dialer been tested and approved for the North American market?
- Are there any installation costs after I have purchased my CareAlert Smart Dialer?
- Am I able to have the CareAlert Smart Dialer pre-programmed on my behalf?
- How is the CareAlert Smart Dialer boxed and mailed to me?
- Is the CareAlert Smart Dialer only for the elderly living on their own?
- How does the CareAlert Smart Dialer connect to my home phone line?
- How long does it take from ordering to receipt of product?
- Can I have the CareAlert delivered to another address other than my own?
- Can I communicate with the person that is in trouble?
- Will my email details be used for other purposes other than communication with CareAlert?
- What do the calls cost me if the CareAlert Smart Dialer dials out for help?
- How does 911 know to send an ambulance and how do they know the address?
- How do I know if my battery requires replacement in the pendant?
- In the event of power failure to the premises does a battery backup system continue to protect the user until power is restored?
- Is it safe to wear the pendant if I have a pacemaker?
- Can the pendant be worn as a wrist button?
- What if the first person on the dialer is away on holidays?
- Is a land line required for the CareAlert to operate or will it work with a cell phone?
- Is it easy to accidentally activate the pendant by leaning on the button?
- I have a wall phone high up in the kitchen – can the CareAlert still be connected to it?
- I have ADSL Broadband and use a computer system and phone line - can I also use a CareAlert at the same time?
- When I no longer have a need for the CareAlert Smart Dialer how do I de-commission it and what do I do with it?
1. How can the CareAlert Smart Dialer save me money?
The CareAlert Smart Dialer has been designed and manufactured to do away with the need for a monitoring call centre to take the emergency call. This means that you will save up to $500 a year and in some cases even more. Also it is important to note that the full price of the CareAlert Smart Dialer is in most cases less expensive to purchase outright than other monitored system dialers.
Over a 5 year period the CareAlert Smart Dialer will save you up to $2,000 or more compared to similar monitored systems.
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2. Isn't a monitored system a much more reliable emergency dialer to have?
Many years ago the answer to this question might have been yes. However today, the gap between offering a reliable service between monitored emergency dialers and the CareAlert Smart Dialer has been minimized to the point where it is no longer an issue. With the advent of cell phones and the ease in which people can be contacted nowadays makes the CareAlert Smart Dialer an extremely reliable product. And even in the event that the numbers programmed into your Smart Dialer are not answered live, the final number 9-1-1 will provide you with peace of mind knowing that help is on the way.
As the CareAlert Smart Dialer has the capacity to dial up to 5 different numbers including cell phones or even overseas numbers, the chances of none of these numbers being live answered are highly unlikely and so the degree of service reliability of the CareAlert Smart Dialer is very high. In fact it should be noted that many other expensive monitored systems, when activated will go through to a call centre, who in turn then ring through to the persons that you have requested to be notified in case of an emergency. This can sometimes take up to 30 minutes or more for the personnel at the monitoring station to contact your relatives or friends and have them check up on you.
To use the terms of an expensive monitored system marketing brochure, "the vast majority of calls are handled by relatives or friends of the person in need". The CareAlert Smart Dialer simply does away with the "middle man" or "monitoring call centre" and therefore saves you a lot of money but still provides you with an excellent degree of 24-hour peace of mind protection.
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3. What is the range of the waterproof remote pendant?
The waterproof remote pendant is a transmitter operating on a frequency of 433.92MHz. Its range depends on a number of environmental factors; however it will generally function within and even beyond a 50 metre or 150 feet radius of the Smart Dialer. In many cases it operates in excess of 50 metres or 150 feet, making it suitable for providing excellent coverage within the perimeters of even a relatively large home and garden area.
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4. Can I have more than one remote pendant with my CareAlert Smart Dialer?
Yes. You can have up to a maximum of 10 per Smart Dialer. The pendant that comes in the CareAlert Smart Dialer package is already programmed to work with your CareAlert. Extra pendant/s that are ordered later can easily be paired by following the instructions on page 9 in your instruction manual.
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5. Will I need to re-program the CareAlert Smart Dialer if I lose power?
No. The CareAlert Smart Dialer has EPROM technology meaning that whatever you program into it, will remain, even if power is lost or if the dialer is stored or taken to another premises.
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6. How does the CareAlert Smart Dialer know that my call for assistance has been live answered and not by an answering machine or answering service?
The CareAlert Smart Dialer has been especially designed with a response feature that allows it to know whether your call for assistance has been live answered or not. The recipient of the call is asked to press the * (Star Key). This sends a signal to the Smart Dialer which opens up the 2-way communication feature and also lets the Smart Dialer know that the call has been live answered. Obviously this signal will not be sent if the call is answered by an automated answering system. If the CareAlert Smart Dialer does not receive this * (Star Key) signal, it will continue to dial out to the next number that has been stored.
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7. Will I completely own my CareAlert Smart Dialer once I have purchased it outright?
Yes. Unlike some expensive monitoring systems that you rent and never own, the CareAlert Smart Dialer is yours completely once it has purchased.
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8. Has the CareAlert Smart Dialer been tested and approved for the North American market?
Yes. This product has passed all the strict and rigorous standards. A full set of test reports and compliance documentation is kept by CareAlert Products Inc.
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9. Are there any installation costs after I have purchased my CareAlert Smart Dialer?
No, there are not any installation charges. The CareAlert Smart Dialer has been designed to be user friendly and can be easily self programmed. If you are not comfortable with following the step-by-step instructions provided with this product, then we suggest allowing someone else (perhaps a family member or friend) do so on your behalf.
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10. Am I able to have the CareAlert Smart Dialer pre-programmed on my behalf?
Yes. For a small fee we are able to pre-program up to 5 of your designated numbers into your CareAlert Smart Dialer, prior to it being mailed to you. Once it has arrived at your door, you simply plug it in and it is ready for immediate use. To take advantage of this service, simply add the Smart Dialer Configuration Service to your order.
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11. How is the CareAlert Smart Dialer boxed and mailed to me?
This product has not only been carefully and attractively packaged but also has a high degree of transportation protection due to the thickness of the presentation box. It is then placed securely in an bubble bag and sent direct to your door. If you live in isolation then your CareAlert Smart Dialer will be sent to wherever your usual mail is sent. Your dispatch confirmation notification that will be emailed to you will have the tracking number attached to it, enabling you to keep track of the delivery progress of your product.
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12. Is the CareAlert Smart Dialer only for the elderly living on their own?
No. While this may be a primary reason for the purchase of this excellent product, nevertheless, the application of using the CareAlert Smart Dialer varies greatly. For a detailed look at these different applications please see Applications.
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13. How does the CareAlert Smart Dialer connect to my home phone line?
The telephone handset plugs into the back of the dialer and the dialer into the wall jack. Simple! We provide the cable. The dialer also plugs into the power point. Have a look at the sketch below.
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14. How long does it take from ordering to receipt of product?
Once paid for it is sent by Post and will generally arrive anywhere in North America from between 1-5 business days. Some remote country areas may take a little longer for delivery. If you live in a Capital city and require Overnight Express Post this can be arranged for an extra charge.
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15. Can I have the CareAlert delivered to another address other than my own?
Yes, this is fairly common. The system allows for a delivery address as against the address of the person ordering. This does not affect the warranty for the warranty will follow the product.
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16. Can I communicate with the person that is in trouble?
Yes, two way communications is possible over the loud speaker and microphone system built into the Smart Dialer. It sits alongside your phone and so obviously it is limited by how far the person needing help is away from that room. It will also depend on the layout of the home and its furnishings. Plush furnishings attenuates sound and can therefore limit the distance outside the room whereas open planned living and tiled floors allows for two way communication to take place over a greater distance. If the person needing help is outside and 2 way communication couldn’t be established the person called hangs up and loud doorbell chimes are then heard coming from the dialer to indicate to the person needing help that someone is on the way to the door to help. These chimes can be heard outside the house if one listens for them. There is no communication via the pendant.
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17. Will my email details be used for other purposes other than communication with CareAlert?
No. Your email details will never be shared with any other organization and will only be used by CareAlert for communication purposes.
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18. What do the calls cost me if the CareAlert Smart Dialer dials out for help?
The costs of the Smart Dialer dialing out is no more than if you lifted the phone handset and dialed with your own phone. After all that is what it is doing, only it is automated.
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19. How does 911 know to send an ambulance and how do they know the address?
The pre-recorded message that you place on the dialer mentions your name and address and the fact that you have pressed your CareAlert button. As soon as 911 operatives hear the Company name of CareAlert they know that an ambulance is to be sent immediately to the address stated in the pre-recorded message. They also have CLI (Call Line Identifier) software and know the location of the caller.
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20. How do I know if my battery requires replacement in the pendant?
The pendant battery is a 23A 12V battery available at most supermarkets. We state that they should be replaced every 2-3 years, they will however continue many more years in most instances. You can press the yellow centre button (Local Nurse Call Button) on the pendant and you will see a blue light flash on the pendant and also hear a loud door bell chime coming over the loud speaker of the dialer indicating that your battery is communicating Ok with the dialer.
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21. In the event of power failure to the premises does a battery backup system continue to protect the user until power is restored?
Yes, the dialer has a 9V rechargeable battery backup which usually lasts for some hours and will permit dialing for help during a power blackout. When the power is restored the battery is recharged automatically back to full charge by the dialer ready for the next power failure. Although the life of rechargeable batteries can greatly vary depending on the amount of times they are recharged, nevertheless we suggest you change your CareAlert batteries at least every 3 years.
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22. Is it safe to wear the pendant if I have a pacemaker?
Yes, the pendant has no electromagnetic field that affects a pacemaker and when activated sends a 433MHZ signal at a very low power rate (same strength as a Garage Door remote) which will not affect the pacemaker. If you still have doubts then please give these stats to your cardiologist to receive confirmation.
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23. Can the pendant be worn as a wrist button?
Absolutely! We provide in the standard pack both a necklace and a wristband and you can choose which one you wish to use with the pendant. The necklace is a soft nylon and the wrist band is Velcro with a chrome buckle.
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24. What if the first person on the dialer is away on holidays?
The Smart Dialer will dial that number and even if it should go to answering machine our dialer will then dial on to the next number you placed in its memory. It does not take the answering machine as a live answer but plays the pre-recorded help message onto the answering machine of the person on holiday and then dials on. It will continue to twice dial all numbers programmed in sequential order, however once a live call has been answered and responds with the appropriate key then the dialer will cease to dial any more numbers. You can change numbers and the message in the dialer whenever you desire.
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25. Is a land line required for the CareAlert to operate or will it work with a cell phone?
The CareAlert Smart Dialer needs a land line with dial tone to dial out for help. It will at this stage not work in conjunction with a mobile phone.
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26. Is it easy to accidentally activate the pendant by leaning on the button?
No, our pendant is unique in that it requires simultaneous pressure on the two red buttons on the sides of the pendant. This is a design feature to prevent accidental ambulance call out which is an issue with many other single button pendants.
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27. I have a wall phone high up in the kitchen – can the CareAlert still be connected to it?
Yes it can. It does however mean that two cables will be seen joining the phone with the Dialer on the bench below. If you have another phone port elsewhere it may be preferable to use that so that the telecom cables cannot be seen. It is purely a matter of aesthetics.
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28. I have ADSL Broadband and use a computer system and phone line - can I also use a CareAlert at the same time?
Yes, you can. Where you have the usual filter splitter with an 'ADSL' port and a 'phone' port alongside one another you simply plug the CareAlert Smart Dialer into the 'phone' port using the cable we provide in the pack and then your phone connects to the rear of the dialer where it is marked 'tel' for telephone.
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29. When I no longer have a need for the CareAlert Smart Dialer how do I de-commission it and what do I do with it?
The CareAlert Smart Dialer system belongs to you. So you can give it to other family members, or to an institution like the Lions Club or other service club who will ensure it finds a home with someone in need. In any case you can delete the numbers and voice message by following the instructions in the manual.
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