Best Medical Alert Systems With Fall Detection for Seniors

Setup and Testing

Bay Alarm Medical systems are easy to install and use. When I tested the SOS Smartwatch, I learned that you don’t even need a smartphone or other internet-connected device to use it. Just plug it into the charging cradle and turn it on — no extra setup required. That’s similar to other medical alert watches, including Medical Guardian’s MGMove. I’m a big fan of that, since many older adults don’t own a smartphone or want to deal with connecting another device to their phone.

I pressed the SOS button for five seconds to place a test call. An operator answered within 10 seconds — five seconds faster than Medical Guardian! The SOS Smartwatch is one of the few watches on the market that includes fall detection, and I appreciate the extra feature.

» Read More: Best Medical Alert Watches

Testing out Bay Alarm Medical's SOS Smartwatch

Features for Caregivers

The Bay Alarm Medical app keeps users and their caregivers connected, and it’s free with any subscription. Caregivers can update emergency contacts and manage billing, and caregiver tracking is available for SOS All-In-One 2, SOS Micro, and SOS Smartwatch users. Caregivers can also view their loved one’s exact location, check the device’s battery life, and ring into the device in case it’s misplaced.

I am notorious for misplacing things, and my testing experience with the SOS All-In-One 2 was no different. I couldn’t remember where I put the system one afternoon, so I used the mobile app to check its location and ring it. The device made a noise, and I realized I’d left it in the car (whoops).

Battery Life

Bay Alarm Medical understands the importance of reliable, long-lasting batteries. Let’s take a look at what its systems offer.

• In-Home Auto Fall Detection Button: Up to two years
• SOS Micro: Up to 36 hours per charge
• SOS All-in-One 2: Up to three days per charge
• SOS Smartwatch: Up to 18 hours per charge

If the battery in your fall-detection button runs low, it’ll send a notification to Bay Alarm Medical’s monitoring station. Someone will get in touch to let you know it’s time to replace the battery. Bay Alarm’s systems offer decent battery life — longer than providers such as Lively but shorter than Medical Guardian. Some of Medical Guardian’s mobile systems last up to five days, which is great for those (ahem, me) who always forget to charge their devices.

» Learn more: Bay Alarm Medical Review

Bay Alarm Medical Pricing and Products

Setup and Testing

Medical Guardian’s systems are easy to set up and use on your own. I’ve tried all five of the company’s systems, including MGClassic, its only landline system. It just needed to be plugged into a phone jack and an outlet before being powered on. My grandma set it up without any trouble. Nothing needed to be assembled or mounted!

Setting up our MGClassic system was as easy as plugging it in!

She also tried the MGMini, one of the company’s on-the-go systems. After setting the mobile unit on the charger for a few hours, she put it on like a necklace and wore it on a walk with her dog. The system is a little bigger than a box of Tic Tacs, with a rope lanyard. It’s smaller than some mobile medical alert systems we’ve tested, such as Lively’s Mobile2 system, but it’s not exactly stylish. Luckily, it’s small enough that my grandma tucked it under a sweater, and you couldn’t tell she was wearing it.

My grandma dropped the system on the ground to test the fall detection, and she was connected to an operator in just 15 seconds. She found that the fall detection works well — almost too well in some instances. There were multiple times when she bent over or set the pendant down and the system recorded what it thought was a fall and called for help. Luckily, she could cancel the call with the press of a button.

Not so luckily, there was one occasion when she set the pendant down, walked into another room, and didn’t realize the system recorded a fall. About 20 minutes later, first responders showed up at her front door, asking if she was OK. I appreciated the fast response, but it’s not something you want to happen regularly! My grandma now makes sure to keep her pendant nearby, even if she takes it off, so she can cancel any false alarms.

Expert Insights

From Linda Schlenker, M.S., M.A., O.T.R

Some people I have worked with are hesitant to have fall detection because they are concerned with false alarms. While this can happen, I still firmly believe it is better to risk a false alarm here and there than to need help and be unable to call for it.

Features for Caregivers

All five Medical Guardian systems include access to the MyGuardian customer care portal and app. The wearer and invited members of their Care Circle can chat, set up activity reminders, enable auto-pay, and more.

Caregivers can also access GPS location history, battery history, and connectivity history if their loved one uses the MGMini. I love that Medical Guardian makes it easier for everyone on a senior’s care team to stay connected and up to date. I used the portal to check on my grandma when she wore the MGMini system and found it simple and accurate.

Battery Life

Remembering to charge devices is a struggle for anyone — especially older adults, who may not already be in the habit of charging things like a cell phone or smartwatch. Fortunately, Medical Guardian’s systems offer a long battery life.

• Fall-detection pendant: Up to three years (not rechargeable)
• MGMove: Up to 24 hours
• MGMini Lite: Up to 36 hours
• MGMini: Up to five days

Even the MGClassic and MGHome Cellular systems, which plug into an outlet in your home, have a 32-hour backup battery to get you through power outages. We tested the backup battery by unplugging the MGHome Cellular system. Once unplugged, we received an audible notification that the system was running on its backup battery. Backup batteries are standard, so you’ll find the feature on other in-home alert systems from companies such as Bay Alarm Medical and LifeFone.

I appreciate this added layer of protection in case of a storm or power outage. You’re at even higher risk of a fall if your house is dark during a power outage, so your medical alert system must keep chugging along like normal.

» Related Reading: Best Cellular Medical Alert Systems

To learn more about Medical Guardian, visit our hands-on Medical Guardian review.

Medical Guardian Pricing and Products

Setup and Testing

ADT makes it easy to set up their systems, even if you’re doing it on your own. I set up all three and had no issues. The Basic unit can work with a landline or cellular connection.

If you use a landline, you’ll need to make sure you put the base unit in a central location of your home that’s close to an electrical outlet and a phone jack. I set up the Basic system with a cellular connection, so a phone jack wasn’t necessary. However, if you do use it with a landline, you’ll need to plug the connector into the phone jack on the wall and the corresponding phone jack on the base unit.

The Medical Alert Plus ADT Health system

To set up the Plus system, I just plugged in the base unit, turned it on, and held down the test button until it turned green. The screen display said “User Auto Test,” so I pressed the pendant button and it prompted me to do a test emergency call. It took roughly 20 seconds to connect to an ADT agent.

» System Review: ADT Medical Alert System Review

Setting up the On-The-Go system was the easiest process, even though it took more time. The mobile device needs to be charged, which takes roughly three hours. So, I plugged in the charging cradle and set the mobile device on it. Once the red light turned off, the battery had reached full charge. I then removed it from the cradle and held the emergency button down for two seconds. The button lit up red and it began ringing before an ADT agent answered. It took around 20 seconds to reach an agent during my test call.

While these times were faster than LifeFone by about 10 seconds, they were nearly twice as long as the average response times I recorded with Lively.

One disappointing aspect of ADT’s medical alert systems is the short range from the base unit. The maximum range from the base unit is just 300 feet for the Basic system. I tested this out by positioning myself on the opposite side of the house from the base unit, and the pendant still worked. However, when I went out to the end of the driveway, I found myself out of range. The Plus system has a range of 600 feet, which afforded me more room to move around, but it’s still less than half of the ranges offered by systems from Medical Guardian (1,400 feet) and LifeFone (1,300 feet).

» Pricing Guide: ADT Medical Alert Systems: Pricing and Getting the Best Deal

Features for Caregivers

ADT is surprisingly short on features for caregivers. They don’t offer a companion app or caregiver portal like Bay Alarm Medical or Medical Guardian. The Plus and On-The-Go systems offer optional fall detection, and the latter system has GPS tracking via AT&T’s cellular network, both of which offer greater peace of mind for caregivers. Unfortunately, there’s no app for caregivers to track locations or falls in real time. The only feature ADT offers caregivers is notifications via text or email if there’s a fall or emergency recorded.

Battery Life

The at-home systems are powered by electrical outlets. However, in the event of a power outage, the Basic unit can stay powered for up to 20 hours, while the Plus unit can last up to 24 hours. The rechargeable mobile device for the On-The-Go system has a 40-hour battery life. That’s nearly twice as long as Medical Guardian’s MGMove, but it pales in comparison to the MGMini Lite and MGMini — which can stay powered for up to three to five days, respectively, on a single charge.

ADT Products and Pricing

Setup and Testing

Setting up the Lively Mobile2 with fall detection is a breeze. I just turned on the device, placed it in the charger, and waited for it to say “setting up device; please wait.” It flashed a green light, and an automated voice told me that the setup was complete. My grandma put the device around her neck, and it was ready to go. (You can put the Lively Mobile2 device in your purse or clip it to your pocket or keys, but you must wear it as a necklace for fall detection to work.)

» For More Discretion: Best Medical Alert Bracelets

Conducting a test call was as simple as pressing the emergency button. My grandma and I placed calls inside the home, on a walk around town, and on a hike through the woods with no issues. It took only around 12 seconds for a monitoring agent to respond. That’s two seconds slower than Bay Alarm Medical and three seconds faster than Medical Guardian's response times. Simulated falls were successful, too, resulting in an automatic call to Lively’s urgent-response team.

Features for Caregivers

All health and safety plans include Lively Link app access, which gives caregivers real-time updates. Simply install the Lively Link app on your smartphone, and you can see the user’s exact location, get instant update notifications when they’re on the move, receive alerts if there’s an emergency, and monitor the device’s battery levels.

Testing out the Lively Link app's location tracking feature

Battery Life

According to Lively, a full charge offers up to 80 hours of standby time. Our testing, however, found that 24 hours was more realistic. I’d suggest charging the device daily to make sure it’s always ready to go. Thankfully, the charging dock’s drop-in design is easy to use — no messing around with small connectors! Read our Lively review for more details on this provider.

Lively Products and Pricing

Setup and Testing

Setting up LifeFone’s systems couldn’t be easier. Jeff tested the At-Home and On-the-Go systems, plus a fall-detection pendant. He plugged in the At-Home base unit, turned it on, and put on the pendant. Jeff’s test call went through with no issues. The mobile unit needed to be fully charged before it was ready to go.

Jeff tested it while running errands and was connected to the response center in around 30 seconds. The response time is about twice as long as we experienced with the other providers on our list, such as Lively and Bay Alarm Medical. Since every second counts, that was a bit of a drawback.

Features for Caregivers

Caregiver features vary depending on the device and add-ons you choose. LifeFone VIPx users can purchase the VIPx Caregiver app for an additional $8 per month. The app allows caregivers to track location, monitor activity, and see button presses and battery levels. Safe Watch Active includes a text-to-locate feature, enabling caregivers to locate their loved ones via text message.

LifeFone also has a $19-per-month daily check-in service. This is unique for the industry, and you can even customize the check-in to your needs, whether you need a medication reminder or you just want to make sure your loved one is OK. It’s excellent for people with memory loss or older adults who don’t have a cell phone.

» Also Check Out: Best Medical Alert Systems for Seniors With Dementia

Battery Life

LifeFone silently supervises the fall-detection pendant’s battery life and will replace it (for free!) when it falls below 20 percent. The company supervises its rechargeable fall-detection products, too, sending a text and email reminder when the battery runs low. It’s a feature some other providers, such as Bay Alarm Medical, offer, and it’s super useful in case you forget to charge your devices.

• Fall-detection pendant: One year
• VIPx with fall detection: Up to 10 days per charge
• VIP Active with fall detection: Up to five days per charge
• At-Home and On-the-Go Safe Watch Active: Up to 24 hours per charge

LifeFone’s at-home systems should remain plugged in at all times, but the backup battery lasts up to 32 hours during a power outage. Read our latest LifeFone review for more information about this provider.

LifeFone Products and Pricing