Medical Guardian Active Guardian: Best Fall Detection Device For Outdoor Use
Medical Guardian proves its worth once more with the Active Guardian, which has all the same great benefits of the indoor Home Guardian, but with the added bonus of outdoor range too.
The fall detection necklace not only adds another level of protection to your medical alert device, but offers more reassurance for your loved ones too. The all-in-one pendant can automatically detect when a fall has occurred and trigger the call for help no matter how badly the fall has affected the wearer.
It’s lightweight and easy to wear with an adjustable lanyard. Battery life is excellent with up to five days, and there is also a low-battery indicator. This ultra-portable device includes GPS location and accurate fall technology as well as WiFi. Fall detection comes at a standard $10 per month extra on top of the monthly fee.
Importance Of Lock Boxes
The primary concern when someone pushes their alert button is to get help on the way as soon as possible. Many incidents only require a family member or neighbor to be contacted. But that is not always true. Sometimes EMT and firefighters are needed to make sure that you get the help you need. If this is the case, they need to be able to get into your home to assist you.
A lock box stores a spare key so that the responders can gain access to your home. Otherwise, they may need to break down the door. To prevent this, the medical alert provider will provide the lockbox combination so that your property is not damaged.
Automatic Fall Detection Systems
A fall detection system is an add-on component for a mobile medical alert system or a home-based system. This add-on makes it possible to receive help even if the user is unable to press the help button. The fall detection system is usually worn on the wrist or on a pendant around the neck. It is equipped with sensors that will help to limit false detections.
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Medical Alert System Costs & How To Find An Affordable Life Alert System
Companies typically do not charge customers for the medical alert devices themselves. Instead, customers pay a monthly monitoring fee. Think of it as leasing the medical alert device, which means you can keep using it as long as you pay for the monthly monitoring cost. Conversely, youll need to return the device once the contract is terminated or has ended without renewing it. The typical monitoring cost ranges from approximately $20-$60 per month, depending on the type of system, company, and add-ons.
On the more affordable end of the price range, an in-home medical alert system connected via a landline is typically between $20 and $30 a month. Meanwhile, cellular-enabled mobile units tend to be more expensive at $30-$45 a month.
Medicare and private insurance typically dont provide coverage for personal medical alert devices. As a result, the required monthly payments are generally unaffordable for many low-income seniors. Even so, payment assistance options are available if you need financial assistance. However, availability may depend on your income, personal situation, and the state in which you reside.
Special Features To Look For In A Top Medical Alert Device
While some special features are self-explanatory, others deserve a little extra attention. Learn more about five common medical alert system features.
- Range: This is the longest distance an at-home base unit can connect with your help button. Device ranges are typically between 3001,400 feet. Range is not a factor you need to consider with on-the-go systems.
- Location detection: GPS tracking on medical alert devices is a feature that only applies to on-the-go systems. This feature allows monitoring center staff to quickly determine the location of a user during a personal emergency.
- Fall detection: Using sensors such as accelerometers, which detect motion, fall detection devices are designed to identify a fall and then send an alert to the providers monitoring center. Nearly every provider includes a disclaimer on its website stating that no device is 100% accurate. Be aware that false positives can occur from things like dropping your device or the device falling off a table. Also, studies show these sensors arent as accurate on the wrist versus the waist and head. In the event of a false positive, the company will reach out and verify whether you need assistance. If fall detection is a feature youre interested in, see our Reviews Teams best medical alert systems with fall detection article.
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How To Share Data With Caregivers And Family Members
Many providers, like Aloe Care Health and Bay Alarm Medical, offer companion mobile apps that pair up with your medical alert system. If you want to be able to keep track of your aging family member and receive real-time alerts to any incidents, youll want to make sure you choose a company and package that comes with mobile app access. Each app offers different features, but some of the most standard include GPS tracking, user call history, and real-time alerts for emergency calls.
Bay Alarm Medical: Highly Rated Medic Alert With Good Reviews
- Overall Rating: 95 / 100
- In-Home Range: Up to 1,000 ft
- Connectivity Options: Landline, Cellular, & GPS
- Types of Devices: Home Base Unit, GPS Help Button, and SOS Smartwatch
- Battery Life: Up to 32 hours
- Price Per Month: Starting at $19.95
- Fall Detection: $10/Month
Bay Alarm Medical is a medical alert system with some of the best customer reviews in the industry. This medical alert company has been helping customers feel secure for more than 70 years through its array of industry-leading medical alert devices.
Device Options
Bay Alarm Medical offers several medical alert devices, including in-home systems, versatile mobile systems, and bundle packages. The classic in-home system provides two-way communication through a mounted speaker and includes 32 hours of backup battery life. Even better, you can easily move the in-home system to different residences, which means you can even take it on vacation.
Meanwhile, this reliable medical alert company offers three on-the-go devices: a GPS help button, an in-car alert device, and an SOS smartwatch. The help button gives you access to a medical alert provider wherever you are and includes automatic fall detection. The stylish, sleek smartwatch uses a 4G cellular network to connect you to help, while the in-car device automatically detects crashes and your location.
Things We Like Most About Bay Alarm Medical
Pros
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Our Favorite Medical Alert With Fall Detectionmedical Guardian
Medical Guardian offers fall detection with five plans: Classic Guardian, Home Guardian, Mobile Guardian, Active Guardian and Mini Guardian. With each, the fall detection pendant sends a signal to the base station, which contacts a Life Safety Consultant at Medical Guardians monitoring center. The consultant then identifies the issue and immediately contacts first responders if they do not hear a response from the user.
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How Does Fall Detection Work
Fall detection uses a wearable device to detect when the wearer falls and automatically sends help. Some medical alert smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch, also have a fall detection option, but experts generally agree the best way to wear a fall detection device is as a necklace high on your chest and on top of your sternum for accuracy. Research from 2016 shows fall detection worn around your neck is more accurate than fall detection worn around your wrist.3
Fall detection technology typically includes an accelerometer and other advanced sensors such as barometers to sense slight changes in speed, angle of descent, and air pressure to detect a fall, according to this 2021 systematic review.4 The devices take the data from those sensors and plug the information into an algorithm to determine whether a fall actually occurred. If the device confirms a fall did occur, it contacts the companys monitoring center to send help.
To learn more about ambient sensors and monitoring centers, read about how medical alert systems work.
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Types Of Life Alert Devices
You can find numerous types of medical safety devices on the market today. Choosing a device that you can seamlessly integrate into your lifestyle will allow you to have continual access to your device whenever you need it.
The four most common types of devices on the market are base stations, bracelets, necklaces, and watches.
Fall Alerts In A Senior Gps Tracker Can Save A Seniors Life
Home / Blog / Fall Alerts in a Senior GPS Tracker Can Save a Seniors Life
According to Centers for Disease Control , one in four Americans over 65 years of age experience falls on an annual basis. Falls like these account for at least 70 percent of accidental deaths in elderly populations in the United States. By these statistics, an estimated 12 million seniors are to experience a fall in the coming yearand one out of five of these incidents is likely to lead to hospitalization. This is where fall alert systems for seniors come to play.
Age is one of the key risk factors for falls. Older people have the highest risk of death or serious injury arising from a fall, and the risk increases with age. For instance, in the United States of America, 2030% of older people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries such as bruises, hip fractures, or head trauma. This risk is partly due to physical, sensory, and cognitive changes associated with aging and environments that are not adapted for an aging population.
Falls threaten the independence of older people, and many elders dont report falling because they attribute falling to the aging process or fear being subsequently restricted in their activities or institutionalized.
About half of older people who fall cannot get up without help. Remaining on the floor for more than 2 hours after a fall increases the risk of dehydration, pressure ulcers, hypothermia, and pneumonia. All these can be fatal without prompt medical help.
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Wall Buttons Are Useful
The medical alert accessory that most people like the most are wall buttons. These are useful for individuals who dont want to wear a button. Its also good for those who dont remember to put it on. In these situations, wall buttons are perfect. They can be placed in convenient locations throughout a home or apartment. The most popular locations to place them is in the restroom, stairwells, and kitchens. They can also be placed in the bedroom. Ensure that they are positioned low enough so that if someone falls, they can still easily reach the button to push it.
This accessory is very affordable and reliable. To install, they simply adhere where you want them placed. Also, they do not need to be attached to an outlet as they are battery operated. This makes it easy to put them where they are needed most. Multiple buttons in the home is recommended. Most have an extended battery life of five or more years.
Look into the products at GetSafe Medical Alert Systems. Particularly if you do not want to wear a medical alert button.
Should You Get An Automatic Fall Detection Device
One can conclude that fall detection has been invaluable in todays society, providing individuals especially older adults with first aid before their situation becomes dire. Note that while this feature in medical alert systems and smartwatches are effective, it is advisable to press the emergency button once a fall occurs in case the accident wasnt detected. If you or your loved ones are prone to falls, then it is highly recommended you add on the fall detection feature when buying a medical alert system.
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Annual Vs Monthly Subscriptions
If youre concerned about the total cost of a medical alert system, consider how much youd spend on a system when you pay annually for the monitoring service versus paying monthly.
Depending on the medical alert system you choose, the company may offer an annual subscription with a price that averages less monthly than a standard monthly subscription cost. You have to be comfortable paying the full amount up front, but the discount can be significant in the long term.
Customer Service And Payment Options
The customer service team at Medical Guardian is available by phone, email, or chat on its website. The team is available by phone at Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
You can also email the customer service address at .
For quick questions, Medical Guardian has a chat service on its website that quickly connects you to an agent. Chat availability is the same as phone availability.
Medical Guardian accepts payments in the form of check, credit card, or check by phone.
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Life Alert Key Points
- Features: Life Alert offers landline and cellular in-home systems, as well as a mobile unit with GPS and a wall-mounted help button with a built-in speakerphone.
- Extras: Extra help buttons can be added to a system however, Life Alert does not offer any type of automatic fall detection.
- Battery: Life Alert claims the batteries on its wall button and mobile system will last for years, and in our months of testing, this seems to be true. The in-home system also has a backup battery that lasts for 72 hours in the event of a power outage.
- In-Home Range: The in-home system has a connectivity range of 500 feet, more than enough for most houses.
- What Stands Out: No other company took the time to understand our loved ones needs and plan a system accordingly. Life Alert will walk you through the process of using your system with the utmost care.
Pros
Medical Guardian: Best Medical Alert System With Fall Detection
- Overall Rating: 97 / 100
- In-Home Range: Up to 1,400 ft
- Connectivity Options: Landline, Cellular, & GPS
- Types of Devices: In-Home, Mobile, & Smartwatch
- Battery Life: Up to 168 hours
- Price per month: Starting at $29.95
- Fall Detection: $10/Month
At the top of our list of the best medical alert systems is Medical Guardian. Medical Guardian stands out for its premium features, furthest signal range, longest battery life, and best-in-class fall detection technology.
This medical alert system has been around since 2005 and has been repeatedly ranked as one of the top medical alert systems on the market by many independent review sites.
Whether you’re looking for an on-the-go mobile medical alert system or an in-home system, Medical Guardian has you covered with 5 different device options to choose from.
Device Options
Home 2.0: Home 2.0 is Medical Guardian’s high-end medical alert system designed for in-home use. This in-home system uses a 4G cellular connection instead of a landline, giving you the strongest-ever signal. This system comes with a base unit, wristband, and a necklace. Home 2.0 allows you to customize your system with add-ons such as wall buttons and fall detection. You can also add additional help buttons to your plan, allowing you to offer protection to a spouse or family member.
Things We Like Most About Medical Guardian
Altogether, Medical Guardian is a good medical alert system with the versatile features you need to feel protected living independently.
Pros:
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Aginginplaceorg Survey Of Medical Alert System Users
Remember the study we mentioned at the beginning of this article? In surveying 1,000 medical alert system users, we gained valuable insight that only encourages us to dig deeper, do more research, and bring you the most honest information and product reviews.
Unsurprisingly, among survey respondents aged 54 and older, 60.75% reported that falling is one of their biggest daily fears. Of that same group, 33.64% stated that a significant fall is what led them to purchase a medical alert system. In choosing their medical alert system, 37% named fall detection as the most important aspect or feature. Perhaps most importantly, a staggering 95.33% of survey respondents aged 54 and older said they feel more confident on a daily basis when using a medical alert system.
How We Chose The Top Medical Alert Systems
After more than 300 hours of research, testing, and group discussion of all the medical alert devices we could get our hands on, our team narrowed down the list to our top picks. We evaluated each system for quality, reliability, speed of emergency responses, price, aesthetics, extra perks, and overall value to create a well-rounded ranking for each product. We placed test calls to each response center and during the purchase process spoke to customer service representatives at each company.
In addition to evaluating every medical alert system based on our research and hands-on testing, each company had to meet the standard requirements we find most important for all medical alert systems. Check out our requirements for making the cut below:
For more details on medical alert systems, jump down to our guide to choosing a medical alert system below.
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