A bed exit alarm is a simple idea: a sensor tells someone that she has left the bed. The paperwork around it can be less simple. Before you sign, the quote and any contract need to answer one question: when the alarm goes off at 3am, who hears it, and what happens next?
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Check the quote line by line
Ask each company to put the same items on the page so you can compare them side by side. Look for the device type, whether it is a pad that sits under the mattress or a sensor worn or clipped to clothing, and what comes in the box. Look for the battery rule, meaning who replaces the battery, how often, and what happens when it runs low at night.
Look for the alert path. Does the sound stay in her room, or does it reach your room, your phone, or a monitoring center? If a monitoring center is involved, write down who they call first, who they call second, and how long they wait before calling. Ask whether there is a monthly fee and what it covers, and whether the fee continues if the device is not in use.
Look for the cord and the install. Any cord that runs from the device to a wall outlet must not cross the path from bed to bathroom. Ask the installer to show you where the cord will run and to move it if it crosses stop two or stop three. Ask who does the install and who tests the alarm on the first night.
Check the exit terms
Ask how false alarms are handled, whether you can cancel with written notice, what happens to equipment after cancellation, and who picks it up. A contract that cannot be cancelled without a fight is one you should not sign until those terms are changed.
What to write down
Write down the device type, the alert path in order, the battery rule, the cord route, the install person, the fee terms, and the cancel and return rules for each quote. Then write one sentence for each company stating who will answer the alarm at 3am. If a company cannot name that person, the alarm is only a noise.
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