Abstract: Individual subscribers belonging to a class including superannuated, disabled, sick and medically unstable are monitored in a communication system by establishing time-based periods for telephone link responses between each subscriber and a monitor station where separate electrical signals are produced corresponding to the telephone link responses. The electrical signals are used to energize indicator means including lights used to detect a failure of a subscriber to respond according to the established time-based period for a telephone link response. An alert is provided on behalf of a subscriber based on the detected failure of a subscriber to respond. The indicator means is reset at preselected intervals of time corresponding to the time-based periods for telephone link responses.