Components

Help at Hand Emergency Telephone Dialer comes with a dialing console or main unit and a wireless pendant, which includes an emergency ring and call button. The pendant can be carried in a pocket or worn around the neck. The Help at Hand system is very simple. It works on the premise that a wireless signal is sent from a small pendant to a dialing console or base unit that measures approximately 5 x 7 inches. In the event of crisis, a chrome ring on the bottom of a small white plastic pendant is pulled. The pendant sends a signal to the base machine from anywhere in the home; then using your home telephone, it automatically dials up to three numbers and a numeric pager number and plays a pre-recorded help message. Dialing is silent for additional safety. To stop the dialing, the metal ring can be reinserted into the pendant

Besides calling for help outside the home in the case of an emergency, Help at Hand offers another type of help: a system for an in-home alert. The blue call button on the pendant can easily be depressed activating a loud buzzer in the base unit that lets individuals within the home know help is needed. 

Batteries

The pendant comes with its own battery. A 12-volt alkaline battery is installed that should last up to two years. It is easy to test the pendant’s battery by pressing the call button on the pendant. If the battery is operative, the indicator will flash and the dialer will sound. If not, the battery needs to be replaced. Monthly testing of the pendant and dialer is recommended.

The base unit also has a battery. The Help at Hand base comes with its own battery backup. It has an internal NiCad battery with a three-hour charge. It stays charged while the AC adapter is supplying power and runs the device during power outages. This information is not clearly stated in the instruction handbook, but newer models will include information about this very helpful feature in the manual.

Installation

It only takes about fifteen to twenty minutes to set up the Help at Hand dialer. If you have ever hooked up a telephone answering machine, the procedure is very similar. Only a power supply and a telephone jack are needed. The instructions are very specific about getting the right cord hooked up to the right spot. This beige plastic base unit is small enough to sit next to your telephone. The range of the pendant is 75-feet from the console, so pick a central point in your home to locate the base unit.   In my testing, I found the Help at Hand pendent worked very well within the confines of a normal house. The audible alarm was loud enough to be heard even in an upstairs/downstairs situation.

After the phone lines and the power cords are connected and the antenna is screwed into the base unit, the console is ready for programming. Record a personalized message and enter the contact numbers that you want Help at Hand to call in an emergency. This unit can be used to summon the police, the fire department, family members, neighbors, or friends. The dialer will call the numbers in succession. The fourth number can be used to dial a pager and has a provision for entering numeric information.

It is very important to test the dialer after programming to assure the numbers will be called properly. Further, each party that is to be a contact needs to be notified that they may receive a call from the Help at Hand Dialer. The same procedure will need to be followed again in the future, if the contact numbers need to be updated.

The installation itself was not complicated, but an elderly user of this device may not be capable of programming the dialer on their own as it takes some effort to input the numbers, make the recording, and run through the double-checking process.

One other caution, the design of the alert trigger may be a problem for certain types of emergencies. It does take some strength and leverage to pull the emergency ring from the pendant. The chrome ring may be difficult to pull during a severe problem like a stroke or heart attack. Pushing a button would be easier than pulling out the emergency key.

The only way to activate the system is through the pendent. There are no buttons on the base unit that can be pushed to initiate the dialing. 

Features

The dialing console has three buttons that light up to indicate power is to the unit, the unit is receiving a message from the pendant, and the auto-dialer is actually making the calls.

Additional pendants are accommodated and can be purchased. A good idea is to put one near the bed, bathtub, or favorite chair or even hang one on a wall for easy access. This assures that you are always within reach of a pendant even if you are not wearing one. Multiple people within the same household can wear pendants that will work with your existing dialer. Other add-ons are a very loud 110db siren and strobe light.

Help at Hand comes with a limited 90-day warranty good for defects in materials and workmanship. The product is backed by an exclusive risk-free trial. It may be returned within thirty days for a “No Questions Asked” refund of the purchase price.

Once you have bought the $139.95 unit, you are home free. There are no additional fees unless you add-on more pendants, a siren, or a strobe light. This is probably the most attractive feature about Help at Hand   - the absence of costly monthly fees for rental or service monitoring. Because you do all the work, there are no installation fees. Everyone will be happy to steer clear of installation fees and monthly service charges that can accumulate to a sizable amount over a year’s time.

Ultimate Value

Help at Hand can provide real comfort and reduce the risk of being home alone. But you do not have to be home alone to find this device helpful. Help at Hand is valuable in that it can call for help when family members are spread throughout the home.

Because multiple people can use it and because additional pendants can be placed at various places around the home, the system is very inclusive. The peace of mind this system offers can be incredibly valuable; should the telephone dialer be needed for any emergency reason, lives could be saved.

The pendent in the pocket, around the neck, or by the favorite chair is ready to spring into action, twenty-four hours per day. The base unit sits ready to automatically call for help when there is trouble at home and a phone is not in reach. Help at Hand could easily be used by independent seniors, people with serious medical conditions, a spouse, a child, or a babysitter. But keep a pendent close at hand, for the system is useless without it.

It is hoped that you will never have to use Help at Hand, but if you do, help is at hand, thanks to technology and its wireless and digital talents.

Note: A new model of Help at Hand is due out late in 2002. This model will feature two-way calling so the person needing help will be able to communicate voice to voice with the number they have dialed. This will be an excellent addition to this product.

Note: A similar product is the Telemergency dialer.  You might like to compare the two products by reading my review of Telemergency.