Visit GreatCall SplashFree Delivery & Activation Coupons| Editor's Rating | |
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| Overall | |
| Monitoring Services | |
| Alert Equipment | |
| Pricing | |
| Customer Service | |
Positives
- Completely mobile
- Great extra features
- Reliable monitoring service
- Fall detection
Negatives
- No fire or smoke detection
- Need to purchase Splash button
You never know when or where you may need help. GreatCall knows this, and their vision is to empower their customers to live the independent life they love. To be connected, protected and maintain control of their everyday lives. GreatCall has a suite of different products aimed to make seniors’ lives easier ranging from user-friendly smartphones with unique health apps to medical alert systems. Their Splash medical alert button is completely mobile and doesn’t need a monitoring unit located in your home. It has built-in GPS tracking and the highly trained, NAEDI certificated operators can be contacted with a single button push. The flexible pricing starts at just $19.99 per month, and you can choose between three packages with various features. They have the perfect solutions for elders who treasure their independence but still require protection.
Monitoring Services
Splash comes with a special monitoring service called 5Star for which it has collected all the positive features of the latest eldercare solutions for your protection. 5Star’s help can be requested for every situation that may threaten a senior citizen’s well being, even if it’s not health related. Elderly can contact them when feeling weakness or pain, having trouble breathing, in case medication gets mixed up, need healthcare advice, get lost on their way home, or locked themselves out of their home. When any of these occur, all they have to do is push the button on their device and they will instantly be in touch with a 5Star agent in the US.
They are certified by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED). All agents are trained to handle a wide variety of situations at any given time of the day. 5Star’s agents have access to the user’s confidential personal profile they set up earlier on the company’s website. This way, the agents can handle the situation in a professional manner by evaluating the stored information, such as the elder’s medical history or the emergency contact list. They can call the emergency services, arrange a visit by a nurse or doctor, conference with the relatives, give roadside assistance and send a locksmith to open doors. The agents can also provide translation support and assistance for over 100 languages, ensuring that every nationality in the US can call out for their help.
Fall Detection
Although Splash does not have any kind of system against fire, smoke or carbon monoxide, they make up for it with their stellar fall detection feature. When an elderly loses balance and falls to the ground, 5Star service will be automatically contacted. An agent from the monitoring center will speak with them through the Splash unit and alerts the neighbors or family members, or calls for direct emergency assistance.
Monitoring Equipment
GreatCall Splash is the perfect choice for those who prefer a mobile solution. Most medical alert services only work when the user is within the base unit’s range, which has to be plugged into a power outlet and landline, thus making the person a prisoner of the house. Splash, on the other hand, is entirely mobile and grants seniors the freedom to go anywhere they want. It is connected to a reliable wireless network that works in the garden, at the park, in the city or anywhere else where a cellular connection is possible. Splash doesn’t require a separate monitoring device connected to a landline: here the base unit and the help button are one and the same device. Splash does it all: this compact little product is entirely wireless, waterproof, and has a two-way voice communication feature.
Splash’s dimensions are only 2.9 X 1.7 X 0.7, so it can easily fit into the carrier’s pocket or suitcase. It is quite the lightweight, another advantage compared to other medical alert services, where the mobile emergency unit is either a big phone or just the portable version of the regular home station. Splash comes in two fashionable color variations you can choose from: desert silver and tahoe blue. If you don’t feel like shoving Splash deep into your pocket and wish to keep it closer in case of an emergency, additional wristbands can be ordered. To ensure full mobility doesn’t come at the expense of safety, GreatCall put GPS tracking technology into the Splash device. Agents can use this information to pinpoint your location before sending help and make location analysis, providing a map of your frequent locations for the personal profile.
Setup
Using Splash takes far less effort from the carrier than operating a smartphone with a monitoring app or using a medical alert system that relies on a central unit. Because the base unit is separated from any kind of wiring, it can be completely mobile and skips the hustle of installation. You can simply put it in your pocket or bag, and the 5Star service will protect you wherever you go. The unit is completely waterproof: you are able to immerse it into 3 feet deep water for 30 minutes without any consequence. Your Splash button will be delivered to you within just a couple of days with free shipping, and if you choose the ultimate package your Splash will be instantly replaced upon losing or damaging it.
Pricing
GreatCall’s Splash has straightforward pricing that allows subscribers to freely customize their service with many additional extras. A downside to GreatCall’s flexible pricing is that you need to pay a one-time fixed price of $49.99 for the Splash device, regardless of which monitoring service or subscription length you want. Your Splash unit can be ordered with three different GreatCall service packages for complementary monitoring with your medical alert button. The Basic package starts from $19.99 per month, and includes access to the 5Star service and a free charging cradle. The Preferred package gives you unlimited access to nurses and doctors who can give advice, diagnoses or even prescribe common medications over the phone. The offer also includes the company’s mobile application called GreatCall Link. This smartphone app enables friends and family to check the carrier’s location and stay well informed about their beloved relative’s well being. The Preferred package has a price of $24.99 per month. The Ultimate package costs $34.99 for a month, contains all the previous advantages, and adds fall detection to the package. It is also the only plan that includes a free replacement of your Splash button should it get damaged.
All these packages are billed on a monthly basis, and the subscriber has the option to choose the length of the service. Even though there are no annual contracts, those who opt for longer periods can book the service up to 12 months. However, the longer reservation doesn’t mean that prepaid amount will be lost upon cancellation: GreatCall doesn’t charge any cancellation fees. The products are also shipped free of charge. For an additional fee, you can also choose from the list of extra appliances. The list includes a slim wristband, so the Splash unit can be worn as a stylish accessory, an extra cradle charger, a car charger, and lanyard. Basic and Preferred plan subscribers can also choose to have an insurance to get a new Splash unit in case it needs replacement for an extra $3 charge per month.
Splash can be ordered over the phone or by visiting the company’s website. The latter is the fastest way to order your system and gives you a clear view on the available packages and features, so you can pick the best fit.
Customer Service
The customer’s satisfaction is just as important for GreatCall as their safety. Whether you reach out to them for a pre-sales question or with an enquiry about your new Splash system; GreatCall is proving it’s there for its customers. Their phone support line doesn’t let you go through endless menus and pre-recorded messages, and they’re quick in answering incoming emails. You can set up an online profile on the company’s website and easily manage the user’s personal profile and the payments all in one place. The website also contains many helpful information and free brochures that you can download to learn more about their service. GreatCall is present on Facebook, Twitter, and has a YouTube channel with many educational videos.
Bottom Line
GreatCall is a much-welcomed innovator in the medical alert industry. They developed their system with one clear goal in mind: to make health alert as convenient for the user as possible. Splash is a great choice for elders who are free-spirited and dislike being bound to a stationary monitoring unit. With the total freedom of the light weighted mobile unit they can bid farewell to the complicated installation and the need to stay within the range of the device. It’s true that GreatCall doesn’t provide features such as a medication dispenser or fire detection, but it makes up for it with the unique phone application and Urgent Care service. GreatCall’s flexible pricing with subscriptions for as little as $19.99 per month allows for plenty of customization options, but they make you pay that price upfront. It is sad to see they are charging $49.99 upfront for the purchase of the Splash device unit itself while free replacements are only included in the Ultimate plan.
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