GreatCall Lively Review: Medical Alert Options

Pros and Cons of Lively

Design and Features of Lively Medical Alert Systems

Lively carries two medical alert devices. Lively Mobile+ is a wearable alert button with a two-way speaker that you can wear on a lanyard or with a belt clip. The Lively Wearable2 is a watch that pairs with your smartphone for support.

Unlike Mobile+, which needs nightly charging, the Wearable2 can last up to four months on a single charge. But keep in mind that you’ll need your smartphone with the Lively app for the smartwatch to work.

Lively Health & Safety Packages

When you purchase a Lively medical alert device, you choose one of three monthly plans for emergency support wherever you go. These devices are GPS-activated and work over cellular networks that cover most of the United States.

All monthly packages come with Urgent Response. If you need assistance from either emergency services or your emergency contacts, you press the button on your Lively device to connect with Lively’s Urgent Response agents. An agent will talk to you through the device or your phone to see what kind of help you need, determine your location, and contact the right people to assist you.

In addition to Urgent Response, there are other services available depending on which plan you select:

• Urgent Care: Speak with a doctor or nurse 24/7 for no additional fee. Think of this service as a remote doctor’s appointment. You can discuss medical concerns and receive prescriptions for certain medications.
• Lively Link App: A smartphone app allows approved friends and family to see your location, your device’s battery life, and your daily activity (with the Wearable2 watch only). When you contact Urgent Response, these contacts receive a notification.
• Automatic Fall Detection: Using motion-sensing technology in your medical alert device, Lively’s Urgent Care response team is notified when you fall. The agent will attempt to contact you and determine next steps, whether that’s sending an ambulance or having your emergency contacts check on you.

Here’s an overview of the services included with each of the three monthly Lively Health and Safety Packages.

A Unique Offering: Cellular Service With Emergency Support

In addition to the personal emergency response systems outlined above, Lively offers cell phones for older adults. These phones are designed to replace your current cell phone. You also have the option to add a Lively Health and Safety Package.

The primary difference between the Urgent Response packages with the medical alert devices and the phones is that there is no automatic fall detection option with the Lively phones. Additionally, Lively phone users have access to Personal Operators and Lively Ride, which don’t come with the medical alert products. Personal Operators can help place calls or provide driving directions, and Lively Rides works with Lyft for affordable and simple transportation.

Lively has two cell phones: a smartphone and a flip phone. The smartphone is excellent if you like to browse the internet or send emails on your phone. But if you or your loved one prefer press-button phones and only plan to use the phone for talking and simple texting, the flip phone fits the bill.

Health and Safety Features

According to Leslie Branon, Account Manager and Outreach Strategist with MedVoice PR, “It’s important to consider using a medical alert system if you are at risk of falls, have a medical condition that may impact your ability to seek medical attention, you live alone or are left alone at times. Delays in emergency care can worsen injuries or ultimately result in poor outcomes, including death. Medical alert systems allow you the opportunity to be more independent with a safety net of knowing someone can help if needed.”

Lively provides customers with multiple products created to bring extra security and support for older adults. All Lively products, including the two medical alert devices and the two phone options, offer Urgent Response with every Health and Safety Package. With Urgent Response, you press a button on your phone or wearable medical alert device to connect with a trained emergency response representative.

Once connected, the Lively representative works with you to see what help you need—whether that’s an ambulance, reaching out to your emergency contacts, or simply staying on the line until they know you’re okay. And if you have automatic fall detection through a Lively medical alert device and you fall, this all happens without you needing to press the button. If you can’t talk, the Lively representative has emergency help sent to your location.

Lively Phones Vs. Wearable Devices: Fall Detection

When deciding between Lively’s phones or wearable medical alert devices, ask yourself whether you or your loved one needs automatic fall detection. With fall detection, Lively’s response team would be alerted automatically if you should take a fall, without you having to press a button.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 million older adults receive treatment in the ER for fall injuries every year. And with falls being the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries, there’s no guarantee that you can make a call or press a button after you fall.

If you live alone or frequently leave the home alone, you may want to consider a medical alert device with automatic fall detection. Neither of Lively’s phones offers fall detection, but both the Mobile+ and Wearable2 do when you purchase the Ultimate Package.

But if you’re rarely on your own, the Lively cell phones and medical alert devices both have Urgent Response with the lowest-cost monthly plan. Just know that you’ll need to press a button for help from Lively’s Urgent Response team.

Mobile+Vs. Wearable2: Ease-Of-Use

Mobile+ and Wearable2 are Lively’s two medical alert devices. The Mobile+ can be worn on a belt clip or lanyard, while the Wearable2 is a smartwatch worn around your wrist. Because these products are the same price, it can be hard to decide which one’s best for you.

When we interviewed Melanie Musson, a Senior Health Expert with InsuranceProviders.com, she explained that “You might want to consider smartwatch options because watches are familiar to most seniors, and something familiar may not cause as much anxiety as something new.”

But there is another difference between these two products. Only the Mobile+ has a built-in two-way speaker that you use to communicate with Lively if you press the button. With the watch, you must have your smartphone with you. The watch connects to the phone, so if you fall or press the button, you can talk with a Lively agent through your phone.

Customer Support

If there’s one area that concerns us with Lively, it’s customer support. When reading through customer reviews on Trustpilot, most customers gave a 5/5 star or 1/5 star rating—and poor customer service was the most common complaint. Customer service complaints included rude representatives, poor technical support, and billing issues.

We didn’t find many complaints about the emergency services, but there were very few reviews about this aspect of the company. We recommend trying out any product you buy within the 30-day trial period to ensure that the services work for you. Consider using the button to speak with an emergency support rep and trying out other features if you opt for them, such as the Urgent Care medical line.

Pricing and Plans In-Depth

Lively Health And Safety Packages

*Automatic fall detection is only available with the medical alert systems, while the Personal Operator and Lively Rides are only available with the Lively Jitterbug phones.

How Lively Compares to Other Medical Alert Systems

Medical Guardian Vs. Lively

Both Medical Guardian and Lively provide monthly medical alert plans for when you’re out and about, but in this regard, Lively is more affordable. With Lively, you pay as little as $24.99/monthly for a medical alert system that you take with you. But with Medical Guardian, the monthly rate for these plans starts at $44.95.

However, if you want a simple home-based system, you’ll need to opt for Medical Guardian. Medical Guardian has home plans with a base station connected to your landline, a wearable device, and emergency buttons that you can place around the home. Lively doesn’t have these types of plans, although Lively does offer unique cell phones designed for older adults with optional emergency support.

Another important difference between these companies is customer satisfaction. On Trustpilot, Lively has better ratings than Medical Guardian, which has some of the lowest ratings that we’ve come across for a popular medical alert company.

Bay Alarm Medical Vs. Lively

Bay Alarm Medical has more impressive customer satisfaction than Lively. On Trustpilot, Bay Alarm Medical has a 4.1/5 rating with nearly 1,000 reviews. In comparison, Lively has a 2.6/5 with 146 reviews.

Lively and Bay Alarm Medical offer GPS smartwatches and mobile help buttons for emergency support when you leave your home, and these plans have similar pricing. But only Lively’s smartwatch offers fall detection. So if you prefer a watch to a button and want automatic fall detection, Lively’s a better option.

Another difference is that Bay Alarm Medical has an in-home alert system, while Lively offers cell phones for older adults. Additionally, Lively’s Urgent Care doctor and nurse line is a unique offering that’s excellent for anyone who wants a simple and affordable telehealth provider.

MobileHelp Vs. Lively

MobileHelp is one of the medical alert companies with excellent customer reviews on third-party sites. On the Better Business Bureau site, MobileHelp has 4.7/5 stars and 60 customer reviews, compared to Lively’s mediocre 2.6/5 rating on Trustpilot. With this in mind, you may want to choose MobileHelp over Lively if you don’t want to struggle with mediocre customer service and billing issues.

But if your loved one would like a phone with emergency support designed for older adults, Lively provides a unique offering. Only Lively’s medical alert plans offer fall detection, which you can also get with the MobileHelp at-home or mobile medical alert systems.

As for emergency coverage outside of your home, Lively is slightly more affordable, with plans starting as low as $24.99/month. You’re looking at $29.95/month and up with MobileHelp. Another Perk with Lively’s medical alert devices is that the Mobile+ and the Wearable2 have fall detection built-in. With MobileHelp’s products, you’ll need to carry both the original button as well as a separate fall detection device if you opt for automatic fall detection.

LifeFone Vs. Lively

LifeFone is one of the best medical alert companies for add-ons and customer satisfaction. The LifeFone app is slightly more advanced than Lively’s, including perks like a first motion of the day alert to family or friends and texts that tell you when your battery is low.

Additionally, LifeFone is truly risk-free to try. With no activation fees or equipment fees and a fee-free 30-day trial period, you have less financial risk trying out LifeFone than Lively. Lively’s plans typically have activation fees, equipment fees, and a $10 cancellation fee. And with an incredible 4.6/5 customer review on Trustpilot compared to Lively’s 2.6/5, you’re likely to have a smoother experience with LifeFone.

But one big difference that may have you choose Lively is price. Lively’s on-the-go plans for active older adults are some of the most affordable that we’ve found, and they boast unique benefits like Urgent Care—which provides telehealth services for no additional cost. LifeFone’s on-the-go plans range from $39.95/month to $50.95/month, compared to Lively’s $24.99–$39.99/month price.

Medical Alert Vs. Lively

Medical Alert has a more robust offering if you want a medical alert device that works only in and around your home. When you pay annually, prices start as low as $19.95/month, or $29.95/month if you also want automatic fall detection. With Lively, there’s no home system but an on-the-go button, which you’ll need to charge from time to time when you’re at home. Additionally, Medical Alert has voice-activated home wall buttons that can help in the case of a fall or other emergency.

While Medical Alert is a great option for folks who spend most of their time at home, Lively is more affordable for on-the-go coverage. Medical Alert is $42.95/month for this service, with an additional $10/month for fall detection. In comparison, Lively’s similar coverage ranges from just $24.99 to $39.99/month. And Lively is the only company with medical alert services paired with easy-to-use cell phone plans.

Lively Reviews From Customers

Lively is well known on third-party websites such as Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot. Lively has over 100 averaged customer reviews but there is a trend of negative customer reviews regarding their customer service.

Lively on Better Business Bureau

Lively on Better Business Bureau is reviewed 1.08/5.0 stars but is accredited by Better Business Bureau with a rating of A+. It is highlighted BBB files indicated that Lively had a pattern of complaints. Specifically, consumer complaints allege in their complaints to BBB that Lively is not cancelling services when requested and still being billed after cancellation. Consumers also allege bills of excessive usage and the inability to opt out of receiving text messages. Lively responded to these complaints by stating they sent notification warnings to customers in jeopardy of exceeding their limits and their plans to eliminate the pattern of complaints by making additional attempts to make human contact with individuals prior to extra charges being posted.

Lively on Trustpilot

Lively has 183 reviews with a rating of 1.8/5.0 stars. Similar to Better Business Bureau, customers complained of attempts to cancel their services and the user still being charged.

Where to Sign Up for Lively Medical Alert Systems

You can find Lively’s phones and medical alert devices online at Lively.com or at select Walgreens stores. Visit Lively’s store locator if you prefer to shop in person.

Why You Can Trust Our Expert Review

You deserve the best products for a better quality of life. As such, we strive to create honest, helpful reviews. Our experts independently research and recommend products we believe provide value in the lives of our readers. 

We’ve spent collectively more than 1,700 hours conducting in-depth research on medical alert systems. Our content is medically reviewed and unbiased to help you choose the right life alert system for you or your loved one.

We did the following when researching Lively’s medical alert systems and phones: 

• Engaged in ongoing independent research
• Consulted with geriatricians and adult caregivers
• Mystery shopped the brands
• Surveyed medical alert system users
• Interviewed experts in the field
• Read verified customer reviews from trusted third parties such as Better Business Bureau and Consumer Reports

Other Medical Alert Systems That We Have Reviewed

• Medical Guardian Review
• MobileHelp Review
• Bay Alarm Medical Review
• LifeFone Review
• Life Alert Review
• Medical Alert Review
• GetSafe Review
• Philips Lifeline Review
• Rescue Alert Review
• ADT Medical Alert Review
• Alert1 Review
• MobileHelp Smart Watch Review
• Apple Watch Medical Alert Review

Our Comparisons Of Medical Alert Systems

• Life Alert vs Medical Guardian
• Medical Alert vs Medical Guardian
• Lively vs Medical Alert
• Life Alert vs Medical Alert
• Medical Guardian vs Bay Alarm Medical