Best Medical Alert Systems With Fall Detection for Seniors

It’s expected that the medical alert systems industry is well on its way to making over $26.43 billion in revenue by 2023.1 With the popularity of medical alert systems on the rise, medical alert companies are offering more features and options to keep seniors living safely at home for as long as possible. Fall detection is one of those popular, life-saving features. Since around 25 percent of older adults fall each year,2 selecting a system with fall detection is something we’d highly recommend.

When shopping for a medical alert system for yourself, or a loved one, fall detection is an important feature to consider. We’ve researched and assessed more than a dozen medical alert systems on the market and included the top systems offering fall detection. Whether you’re looking for a budget-friendly system or one that is ideal for two people, this guide will take you through all the details when choosing the best medical alert system with fall detection for your needs.

How We Selected the Best Medical Alert Systems With Fall Detection

After our research and testing, we chose the best medical alert systems with fall detection that met four important criteria.

1. No long-term contracts: With these companies, you’ll be able to cancel your service at any time. Other medical alert systems may require you to sign a contract that locks you in long term, which we’re not big fans of. With these companies, you’ll have the freedom to cancel your service at any time.
2. Mobile option: Since many falls happen outside of the home, it’s important that you have fall protection both in the home and on the go. These providers offer systems that can be used in both settings.
3. Great value: There’s nothing worse than paying good money for a product, only to find out the value doesn’t match the price tag. Whether you need a medical alert system that provides simple protection at a low price, or you don’t mind spending a little extra for all the bells and whistles, we’ve made sure these medical alert systems are worth the investment. If it’s not worth the cost for our friends and family, we won’t recommend it to you either!
4. 24/7 monitoring: Falls can occur at any time, which is why it’s oh-so-important that your alert system with fall detection is linked to a 24/7 professional monitoring center. Whether a fall occurs in the middle of the night or the afternoon, all of the providers on our list will be there to help around the clock.

Our Editor Jeff Hoyt testing out one of the many systems with fall detection we rated during our research!

Do I Need Automatic Fall Detection?

If you’re asking yourself, “Do I really need fall detection?” keep in mind that every second a person 65 or older experiences a fall.3 Since falls happen so frequently among older adults, we highly recommend medical alert systems built with automatic fall detection. The feature gives seniors added protection and provides peace of mind for caregivers when they’re away.

Fall detection is an innovative technology built into wearable pendants that detect a fall even if the user is unconscious and/or unable to press their medical alert button. When a fall is detected, trained operators are alerted and can assess the situation within seconds, dispatching emergency services and alerting caregivers if needed.

Though we like to think all older adults should be protected with fall detection, it is especially important if you or your loved one has recently experienced any of the medical events listed below. Research has shown they can be precursors to a fall.

Cognitive Decline

If you’ve noticed a decline in cognitive function or mental health in yourself or an older adult in your life, this can be a precursor for a fall. For seniors who have symptoms of depression, it can increase their chance of falling by up to 30 percent4 and those living with Alzheimer’s are also at an increased risk.5

Hearing Loss

Seniors with hearing loss are three times more likely to fall than those without hearing loss.6 This is due to less spatial awareness, which makes tripping and falling more likely. If you’ve experienced hearing loss, fall detection may be useful.

History of Falls

For seniors who have fallen before, they are twice as likely to fall again in the future.7 Certain medications, vision impairments, clutter in the home, and improper footwear can all contribute to a history of falling.

Is Automatic Fall Detection Accurate?

Fall detection sensors are calibrated to account for patterns in drops and falls. Metrics such as speed, impact, angle, distance, and motion detected after a fall are all factored in by the fall detection sensor. Based on the information gathered from these metrics, the device determines whether or not a fall occurred. Upon detecting a fall, the system will connect the wearer to a trained operator, who will then determine if emergency medical assistance should be dispatched.

Though fall detection sensors are programmed to avoid triggering due to small motions, the system isn’t always 100 percent accurate. If a false alarm is triggered, you can just communicate with the emergency operator that everything is fine and you do not need assistance. No biggie!

On the flip side, since automatic fall detection isn’t perfect, sometimes when the wearer falls the sensor may not detect the fall. This can happen for a variety of reasons such as low batteries, the pendant being worn incorrectly, or simply that the sensor was unable to detect the fall. Due to this margin of error, it’s encouraged that wearers always press their medical alert button when a fall occurs, if possible. This ensures that the emergency operator is notified and help is sent ASAP.

What Does Automatic Fall Detection Cost?

Since automatic fall detection is available as an add-on feature to the medical alert systems we’ve listed above, you’ll want to consider the price of the medical alert subscription as well. If you choose an annual subscription plan, you can expect to pay around $19.95 to $45 per month, depending on your chosen system and provider. To add automatic fall detection, most medical alert system providers add $5-$10 per month to your bill. With that wide of a price range, we’ve found that automatic fall detection is accessible and worth the investment, even if you’re shopping on a budget. We’d definitely recommend fall detection if it works for your wallet.