World

How Life Alert’s 40-Year Track Record Keeps Seniors Safe

Published

11 months ago

August 5, 2024

Few names carry as much weight in senior safety as Life Alert. Its journey began in 1987 when it introduced a personal emergency response system that allowed seniors to call for help with the push of a button. This launched an entire industry and transformed elderly care. Today, its dedication to protecting its users remains, as evidenced by its claim of saving a life every 11 minutes.

From Catchphrase to Household Name

The company’s suite of products designed specifically for senior safety is central to its success. Its flagship offering, the Micro Voice Pendant System, is a small, waterproof device never needs charging, so help is always available, whether the wearer is in the shower or garden.

Notably, its iconic catchphrase, “Help! I have fallen, and I cannot get up!” tagline has become ingrained in popular culture since its introduction in 1989. This memorable slogan encapsulates a common fear among the elderly and their families while offering a solution. The brand’s recognition has become so strong that its name is often used generically to refer to any medical alert system—proof of its market dominance.

Life Alert’s Dispatch Center

Life Alert maintains complete control over its emergency response operations, unique from competitors who outsource this critical function. This allows for consistent quality control and personalized service, a hallmark of user experiences.

The dispatch center is staffed 24/7 by highly trained professionals who undergo rigorous training. The result? A service that provides rapid assistance and compassionate support during what can be frightening and vulnerable moments for seniors.

Commitment to Providing Safety

The company has advocated for senior independence, stressing that its system allows older adults to live in their homes longer than they might otherwise. This provides notable cost savings compared to assisted living facilities and supports seniors’ dignity and autonomy.

Moreover, the company has invested in educating the public about senior safety issues. Its website, marketing materials, and community outreach programs provide valuable information on fall prevention, home safety, and the importance of quick access to emergency services. This educational strategy covers its broader mission of supporting healthy, independent aging.

What Seniors Say About Life Alert

The true measure of Life Alert’s impact is found in its users’ testimonials. The company boasts over 45,600 testimonials on its website and more on various review platforms. Many of these highlight the speed of the response system.

“Mom must have had a massive heart attack, but before she went out, she pressed her Life Alert, and you guys did your job and called emergency personnel. By the time I received my call, help was already there,” shares E.O. from Missouri.

Perhaps most tellingly, numerous reviews come from family members who express gratitude for the independence Life Alert has afforded their aging parents or grandparents.

“Life Alert has saved my dad countless times. If he had not had Life Alert, I do not know what would have happened. We highly recommend it to everyone we know, especially if someone lives alone for extended periods. It really gives us peace of mind,” says J.M. from Illinois.

Life Alert approaches its fourth decade of operation, and its track record speaks volumes about its importance in the lives of the elderly. While the space of senior care continues to improve with new technologies and competitors entering the market, Life Alert’s 40-year legacy provides a strong foundation for continued success.

World

TRG Chairman Khaishgi and CEO Aslam implicated in $150 million fraud

Published

2 weeks ago

June 23, 2025

Jenny Jackson

In a scathing 52-page decision, the Sindh High Court has found that TRG Pakistan’s management was acting fraudulently and that Bermuda-based Greentree Holdings historic and prospective purchase of TRG shares were illegal, fraudulent and oppressive.

The Sindh High Court has further directed TRGP to immediately hold board elections that have been overdue and illegally withheld by the existing board since January 14, 2025.

In the landmark ruling, the Sindh High Court has blocked the attempted takeover of TRG Pakistan Limited by Greentree Holdings, declaring that the shares acquired by Greentree, nearly 30% of TRG’s stock, were unlawfully financed using TRG’s funds in violation of Section 86(2) of the Companies Act 2017.

“Having concluded that the affairs of TRGP are being conducted in an unlawful and fraudulent manner and in a manner oppressive to members such as the Petitioner (Zia Chishti), the case falls for corrective orders under sub-section (2) of section 286 of the Companies Act,” Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry concluded.

The case was brought by TRGP former CEO and founder Pakistani-American technology entrepreneur Zia Chishti against TRG Pakistan, its associate TRG International and TRG International’s wholly-owned shell company Greentree Limited. In addition, the case named AKD Securities for managing Greentree’s illegal tender offer as well as various regulators requiring that they act to perform their regulatory duties.

The case centred around the dispute that shell company Greentree Limited was fraudulently using TRG Pakistan’s own funds to purchase TRG Pakistan’s shares in order to give control to Zia Chishti’s former partners Mohammed Khaishgi, Hasnain Aslam and Pinebridge Investments.

According to the case facts, the Chairman of TRG Pakistan Mohammed Khaishgi and the CEO of TRG Pakistan Hasnain Aslam masterminded the $150 million fraud. They did so together with Hong Kong based fund manager Pinebridge who has two nominees on TRG Pakistan’s board, Mr. John Leone and Mr. Patrick McGinnis.

According to the court papers, Khaishgi, Aslam, Leone, and McGinnis set up a shell company called Greentree which they secretly controlled and from which they started buying up shares of TRG Pakistan. The fraud was that Greentree was using TRG Pakistan’s funds itself. The idea was to give Khaishgi, Aslam, Leone, and McGinnis control over TRG Pakistan even though they owned less than 1% of the company, lawyers of the petitioner told the court.

This was all part of a broader battle for control over TRG Pakistan that is raging between Khaishgi, Aslam, Leone, and McGinnis on one side and TRG Pakistan founder Zia Chishti on the other side. Zia Chishti has been trying to retake control of TRG Pakistan after he was forced to resign in 2021 based on sexual misconduct allegations made by a former employee of his. This year those allegations were shown to be without basis in litigation that Chishti launched in the United Kingdom against The Telegraph newspaper which had printed the allegations. The Telegraph was forced to apologize for 13 separate articles it published about Chishti and paid him damages and legal costs.

After Chishti resigned in 2021, Khaishgi, Aslam, Leone, and McGinnis moved to take total control over TRG Pakistan and its various subsidiaries including TRG International and to block out Chishti. The Sindh High Court’s ruling today has reversed that effort, ruling the scheme fraudulent, illegal, and oppressive.

It now appears that Zia Chishti will take control of TRG Pakistan in short order when elections are called. He and his family are now the largest shareholders with over 30% interest. He is closely followed by companies related to Jahangir Siddiqui & Company which have over a 20% interest. The result appears to be a complete vindication for Zia Chishti and damning for his rivals Aslam, Khaishgi, Leone, and McGinnis who have been ruled to have been conducting a fraud.

TRG Pakistan’s share price declined by over 8% on the news on heavy volume. Market experts say that this was because the tender offer at Rs 75 was gone and that now shares would trade closer to their natural value. Presently the shares are trading at Rs 59 per share.

According to the court ruling, since 2021, shell company Greentree had purchased approximately 30% of TRG shares using $80 million of TRG’s own money, which means that that the directors of TRG Pakistan allowed company assets to be funneled through offshore affiliates TRG International and Greentree for acquiring TRG’s shares – a move deemed both fraudulent and oppressive to minority shareholders. The Sindh High Court also found illegal Greentree’s further attempt to purchase another 35% of TRG shares using another $70 million of TRG’s money in a tender offer.

The ruling is a major victory for the tech entrepreneur Zia Chishti against his former partners and the legal ruling paves the way for him to take control of TRG in a few weeks.