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Does your elderly parent live at home alone? What if something happens when you’re not available? Or maybe you don’t live nearby. Medical alert systems can save you from worrying about your loved one — and maybe save their lives.
You have a lot of options, from home units that use landline or cellular connections to on-the-go GPS devices that can help keep your active loved one safe no matter where they are. Some even let you keep track of their movements via smartphone apps. We’ve chosen some of the best options for whatever your needs may be.
Article Overview
- Who Needs A Medical Alert System?
- Best Medical Alert Systems
- Comparison Table
- Other Options To Consider
- Why Is Fall Detection Important? (Video)
- Tips For Caregivers
5 People Who Need A Medical Alert System
Here’s a guideline to help you determine if you or a loved one is a good candidate for a medical alert system. You should consider a system for:
- Senior citizens who live alone or who spend a large part of their day alone
- People with epilepsy, seizure conditions or other potential emergency health situations
- Anyone who is hard of hearing and may not be able to communicate well with 911 dispatch
- People recovering from major surgery, a heart attack or stroke
- Senior citizens or disabled people who are prone to debilitating falls
What Are The Best Medical Alert Systems?
We’ve chosen our top recommendations based on a number of factors, including reliability of equipment and monitoring service center, device options, fall detection availability, pricing and other features.
Best Home-Based: Medical Guardian Review
Visit Website | Call: 800-825-6700
Medical Guardian has an excellent variety of home and mobile units, including its Classic and new and improved home and on the go options.
Thier home products (Classic and Home 2.0) have a long 1,300-1,400 foot range from the base and long battery backups if the power goes out.
With the Mobile Guardian products, you can get extra protection on the move with 2-way communication and assistance anywhere via 4G cellular. They even offer a smartwatch that has activity tracking and messaging with loved ones or care givers.
Medical Guardian is hard to beat for its level of service and reliability, with no activation, equipment or cancellation fees and a fully certified, in-house monitoring center. Medical Guardian gets overall excellent consumer reviews for their equipment and 24/7 monitoring services. Plus free shipping on any quarterly or annual plans and a MyGuardian app for all plans (except the Classic).
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Pricing & Tech Specs
With Medical Guardian, you only pay a per month service fee. You’re not required to purchase a long-term contract, but you can enjoy some perks if you pay quarterly or annually.
Payment Frequency Perks
- Monthly – No Add-Ons
- Quarterly – Free Ground Shipping
- Annual – 1 Month Free, Free 2nd button, Free Lockbox & Free Ground Shipping
- View all options
| Classic Guardian | Home Guardian | Family Guardian | Mobile Guardian (GPS) | Active Guardian (GPS, WiFi) | Freedom Guardian (GPS, WiFi, Cell) | |
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| Monthly Price | $29.95 | $34.95 | $79.95 | $49.95 | $44.95 | $44.95 |
| Quarterly Price | $89.85 | $104.85 | $239.85 | $149.85 | $134.85 | $134.85 |
| Semi-Annual Price | $179.70 | $209.70 | $479.70 | $299.70 | $269.70 | $269.70 |
| Annual Price | $329.45 | $384.45 | $879.45 | $549.45 | $494.45 | $494.45 |
| Equipment Cost | None | None | None | None | None | $179.95 |
| Communication | Landline | AT&T Cellular Network | AT&T Cellular Network | AT&T Cellular Network | AT&T Cellular Network | AT&T Cellular Network |
| Range | 1,300 feet | 600 feet | 1,300 feet | 350 feet | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Battery Life | 32 hours | 30 hours | 32 hours | 24 hours | 36 hours | 48 hours |
| Waterproof Necklace or Bracelet |  |
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| Wristband Color | Black band with white button | White or Black | White or Black | White or Black | n/a | White or Black |
| Fall Detection For $10/month | |
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Read Our In-Depth Medical Guardian Review
Best Mobile GPS: GreatCall Review
GreatCall is an excellent option if your loved one is on-the-go a lot. Its Lively GPS-enabled mobile device is among the best values you’ll find. And fall detection is included in its affordably priced highest plan. Your loved one can get help 24/7 no matter where they are, and you can even keep tabs on their location via a smartphone app.
The device is about half the size of a credit card (although thicker in-depth), and it comes with a keychain clip. GreatCall offers AARP discounts, free shipping and no long-term contracts.
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Pricing & Tech Specs
The GreatCall GPS-enabled device is a one-time charge of $49.99. You then choose from three monthly service plans.
| Basic | Preferred | Ultimate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price Per Month | $24.99 | $29.99 | $39.99 |
| Communication | Verizon Cellular Network | Verizon Cellular Network | Verizon Cellular Network |
| 24/7 Connection to Emergency Services | |
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| Unlimited Access to Registered Nurses & Doctors | |
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| Fall Detection Included | |
Best Fall Detection: LifeFone Review
LifeFone, in business since 1976, offers all the features you’d want, including a lifetime equipment guarantee, a lifetime subscriber price and a 30-day money-back guarantee — all for attractive pricing compared to its competitors. But LifeFone really stands out for its affordable fall detection add-on pricing at only $5 per month for all but one plan (most others charge $10 per month).
They have a good variety of devices, bundles and upgrades to choose from. What’s missing? LifeFone’s wireless range from its base is shorter than other systems, which could make a big difference if your loved one lives in a larger home.
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Pricing & Tech Specs
| At-Home Landline | At-Home Cellular | At-Home & On-the-Go GPS | At-Home & On-the-Go GPS, Voice-in-Pendant | |
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| Price: Month to Month | $24.95 | $30.95 | $39.95 | $43.95 |
| Price: 3 Months | Unlisted | $98.85 | $119.85 | $125.85 |
| Price: 12 Months | Unlisted | $340.45 | $406.45 | $439.45 |
| Communication | Landline | AT&T Cellular Network | AT&T Cellular Network | AT&T Cellular Network |
| Range | 1,300 feet | 1,300 feet | 600 feet from base station 350 feet from mobile unit |
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| Battery Life | 32 hours | 32 hours | 30 hours | 30 days |
| Waterproof Necklace or Bracelet | |
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| Fall Detection Available (up to 600 ft range) | $5/month | $5/month | $10/month | $5/month |
Best Budget: Bay Alarm Medical Review
Bay Alarm Medical has been in business for nearly 70 years and has an excellent reputation for reliable devices and monitoring service. Overall, their monthly pricing is the most affordable you’ll find, especially for home-based units. And they also offer member discounts from AARP, AAA, and USAA.
For a one-time fee of $34.95 you can order an additional lanyard button, and your spouse gets free monthly service. You even get a 30-day risk-free period with a full refund if you’re not satisfied. And there’s no contract required and no activation or cancellation fees.
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Pricing & Tech Specs
You have the option of bundling either in-home device with the GPS device. View all options.
| In-Home Landline | In-Home Cellular | GPS Mobile Help Button | In-Home Landline + GPS Bundle | In-Home Cellular + GPS Bundle | |
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| Equipment Cost | N/A | N/A | $79 | $79 | $79 |
| Price: Month to Month | $19.95 | $29.95 | $24.95 | $49.95 | $59.95 |
| Communication | Landline | AT&T Cellular | AT&T Cellular | Landline | AT&T Cellular |
| Range | 1,000 feet | 1,000 feet | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Fall Detection | $10/month | $10/month | N/A | $10/month | $10/month |
| Battery Life | 5 years | 5 years | 72 hours per charge | 72 hours per charge | 72 hours per charge |
| Battery Backup | 32 hours | 32 hours | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Compare Medical Alert Systems
| Best Home-Based: Medical Guardian | Best Mobile GPS: GreatCall | Best Fall Detection: LifeFone | Best Budget: Bay Alarm Medical | ADT Medical Alert System | Alert 1 | Life Alert | Lifestation | MobileHelp | Philips Lifeline | Rescue Alert | |
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| Lowest At-Home Monitoring Price (Month-To-Month) | $26.95 | N/A | $24.95 | $19.95 | $29.99 | $28.95 | $49.95 | $29.95 | $24.95 | $29.95 | $32.95 |
| Lowest GPS Monitoring Price (Month-To-Month) |
$49.95 | $24.99 | $39.95 | $24.95 | $39.99 | $45.95 | $69.95 | Unlisted | $37.95 | $49.95 | $44.95 |
| Activation Fee | |
$95 | |
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| Equipment Fee | $179.95 for GPS watch (none for standard GPS) | $49.99 for GPS | $79 for GPS | $99.95 for GPS | |||||||
| Range From Base | 1,300 Feet | In any Verizon area | 1,300 Feet | 1,000 Feet | 600 Feet | 600 Feet | 800 Feet | 500 Feet | 600 Feet | 800 Feet | Unlisted |
| Battery Backup For Home Unit | 24-48 Hours | 30 Hours | 30-32 Hours | 32 Hours | 20 Hours | 24 Hours | 72 Hours | 32 Hours | 30 Hours | 30 Hours | Unlisted |
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What Are My Other Options?
ADT Medical Alert System | Alert 1 | Life Alert | LifeStation | MobileHelp | Philips Lifeline | Rescue Alert
ADT Medical Alert System Review
You likely recognize ADT as one of the largest home security systems in the world, but they also offer medical alert systems. Unfortunately, the medical alert branch of their business doesn’t live up to many other medical alert companies’ services.
We’re less than impressed with their devices’ range and battery life. They do offer a 20% discount for AARP members and a monthly service price guarantee for life. But compared to other systems, ADT just doesn’t get our vote.
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Pricing & Tech Specs
ADT charges an extra $5/month for an additional button for you or your spouse. You’ll also incur a $9.99 delivery fee for any of their systems.
| Medical Alert Basic | Medical Alert Plus | On-the-Go | |
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| Price Per Month | $29.99 | $35.99 | $39.99 |
| Communication | Landline | AT&T Cellular | AT&T Cellular |
| Range | 300 feet | 600 feet | Unlimited |
| Automatic Fall Detection | No | $10/month extra | $10/month extra |
Alert 1 Review
Alert 1 offers no equipment or activation fees for any of their equipment. And they have one of the best mobile alert systems on the market with a 30-day battery life and compact size. You can also enjoy major savings if you prepay up for 12 or 36 months.
Alert 1 has been in business for nearly 30 years and has a great reputation for reliability and customer service. Their two emergency monitoring centers are CSAA certified, but they outsource the centers.
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Pricing & Tech Specs
Alert 1 doesn’t require a contract, but you can save $3/month with quarterly, $9/month with annual and $12/month with 3-year plans.
| Home | Home Fall Detection | On-The-Go | On-The-Go+Fall Detection | On-The-Go+Home Fall Detection | |
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| Price: Month to Month | $28.95 | $39.95 | $45.95 | $55.95 | $61.95 |
| Price: 12 Months | $239.40 | $371.40 | $443.40 | $563.40 | $635.40 |
| Communication | Landline | Cellular | Cellular | Cellular | Cellular |
| Range | 600 feet | 400 feet | Unlimited | Unlimited | 600 feet |
| Battery Backup | 24 hours | 24 hours | 30 days | 30 days | 24 hours/30 days |
Life Alert Review
Life Alert is best known for its prominent TV commercial, “Help! I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up.” They have a long-standing reputation, and their emergency dispatch center is reliable with helpful operators. They also stand out for the long 72-hour battery life on the base station, and the pendant batteries can last up to 10 years.
But their pricing is very expensive compared to other companies, and they lock you into a 3-year contract. While they do offer a GPS mobile unit, it’s only as an add-on with the required home system. This is another big drawback because other companies offer GPS devices as a stand-alone option.
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Pricing
Life Alert doesn’t list its pricing on its website, so you must go through the long phone sales pitch just to know how much their services cost. But we contacted Life Alert to get their pricing so you don’t have to.
- $95 activation fee
- $49.95/month for home base station and pendant (landline or cellular)
- $69.95/month for base station/pendant + bathroom help button
- $69.95/month for base station/pendant + GPS device
- $89.95/month for base station/pendant + GPS device + bathroom help button
Tech Specs
- 72-hour battery backup on base station
- 800-foot range
- Pendant/wristband battery life up to 10 years
Read Our In-Depth Life Alert Review
LifeStation Review
LifeStation has affordable pricing for its At-Home System with no activation, equipment, cancellation or delivery fees — and they offer a price lock guarantee (as well as no long-term contract). The base station’s battery life is good, and the range to the wearable device is slightly less than average, but if you don’t need a wider range, LifeStation is definitely worthy of consideration for the price.
They do charge fees per month for an additional user, a lockbox and a mobile emergency button, but LifeStation’s monitoring center certification is among the best — and you get two dedicated, well-trained representatives with every emergency call.
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Pricing & Tech Specs
LifeStation’s website only includes pricing and other device information for its At-Home System (and add-ons). You must call for information on their Cellular System, GPS-Enabled System and Fall Detection.
At-Home System
- $29.95/month month-to-month; $27.95/month for 3 months; $25.95/month for 12 months
- 500-foot range
- 32-hour battery backup
- Landline required
- Waterproof wristband or necklace
MobileHelp Review
MobileHelp is a solid option, and they offer a variety of home and on-the-go devices and plans. Their landline home unit has an excellent 1,300-foot range. They have a good refund policy with a 30-day guarantee and a prorated refund if you paid for a long-term contract. And you get a free lockbox with every order. One thing that stands out with MobileHelp compared to other services is that they give you two help buttons at no extra charge. They also have attractive jewelry pendants as an option.
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Pricing & Tech Specs
You get free delivery with all pricing plans except their monthly plan, which includes a $15 shipping charge for either system’s equipment.
| MobileHelp Wired Home | MobileHelp Classic | MobileHelp Solo | MobileHelp Duo | |
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| Price: Month to Month | $24.95 | $34.95 | $37.95 | $41.95 |
| Price: 3 Months | $74.85 | $98.85 | $104.85 | $119.85 |
| Price: 6 Months | $137.70 | $179.70 | $197.70 | $221.70 |
| Price: 12 Months | $275.40 | $359.40 | $395.40 | $443.40 |
| Communication | Landline | Cellular | Cellular | Cellular |
| Automatic Fall Detection | N/A | $10/month | $10/month | $10/month |
Lifeline Review
Lifeline (formerly Philips Lifeline) was the first medical alert system in the U.S., and they’ve had a good reputation for more than 40 years. Lifeline offers many of the same features as other systems but at a higher price.
Although they don’t have cancellation fees, they tack on fees pretty much everywhere — activation, shipping, additional buttons — and there’s no savings for quarterly or annual payments. But if price isn’t a game-changer for you, Lifeline is a solid, reliable choice.
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Pricing & Tech Specs
Lifeline doesn’t offer discounts if you pay for multiple months, like most other systems. They also charge a $19.95 shipping charge and a $50 activation fee for HomeSafe plans.
| HomeSafe | HomeSafe with AutoAlert | GoSafe (GPS) | |
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| Landline Price Per Month | $29.95 | $44.95 | N/A |
| Cellular Price Per Month | $43.95 | $58.95 | $49.95 |
| One-Time Equipment Fee | N/A | N/A | $99.95 |
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Rescue Alert Review
Rescue Alert only offers one home unit (landline) and a GPS device. Their home unit pricing is among the highest we’ve seen, but the GPS plan is competitive. You can add a fall detection device for $10 per month with either plan. Unlike other companies, Rescue Alert also gives you the option of purchasing the home unit’s equipment upfront, which includes lifetime monitoring. This could be a good option if you don’t want to incur monthly fees.
Unfortunately, there’s no information on their website about the range, battery backup and other features of the home unit. The GPS unit has a battery life of 48 hours, but it was out of stock when we updated our review.
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For the MXD3G, there is the option to pay a one-time fee of $849, which includes both new equipment and monitoring for life.
| MXD – Landline | Rescue Alert (GPS) | |
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| Price: Month to Month | $32.95 | $44.95 |
| Price: 3 Months | $89.85 | $119.85 |
| Price: 12 Months | $335.40 | $455.40 |
| Communication | Landline | AT&T Cellular |
Why Is Fall Detection So Important?
Injuries resulting from falls are the leading cause of death among older people, says the AARP. Check out this Philips Lifeline video that features medical experts explaining their experiences with fall victims.
10 Best Ways To Care For The Elderly
You have so many options when shopping for medical alert systems for seniors, and your decision really comes down to what the best fit is for your loved one and your family. Your choices depend on how mobile your loved one is, his or her budget and risk of falling, among many other factors.
To help care for your loved one better, read these 10 tips for caregivers. The guest post was written by someone from Medical Guardian to help caregivers learn safety tips.
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