Medical Alert Vs. Medical Guardian: Which Is Right For You?

Medical Alert Overview

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Medical Alert is a branch of Connect America, a Philadelphia-based company. It’s one of the most well-known names in the medical alert market that maintains a low price point. Medical Alert offers a line of simple, no-frills emergency devices. While its models don’t include a lot of options for customization, they do have the essentials: wearable push buttons, optional fall detection, and an app for caregivers.

Medical Alert’s Home System is the entry-level model, with just two choices for customization: cellular or landline service. The wearable medical alert device is a simple button users wear as either a neck pendant or around their wrist. The device pairs with the base unit, which has a range of 800 feet. The Home System is monitored 24/7 so that anytime the customer has an emergency, they just press a button for two-way communication with the response center.

For those who fear that they may be rendered unconscious or unable to signal for help after a fall, Medical Alert offers automatic fall detection for an extra $10 per month. With this technology, barometric motion sensors detect if the wearer has taken a fall, and the response team will check in even if a user can’t summon for help themselves.

The Home System with landline service is $22.95 per month, while cellular coverage is $32.95 per month. By bundling their year of service into one payment, Medical Alert customers can receive a discount of $55 to $65 on the Home System.

For more active seniors who like to know they’re safe while running errands, golfing, or out with friends, the Mobile System offers portable coverage. Users wear a lightweight, discreet pendant (that includes advanced GPS technology) and carry a handheld base unit.

Wherever a user might find themselves, they’re able to press the pendant to summon help to their exact location. AT&T service is included in the Mobile System subscription.

Like the Home System, the Mobile System pendant is waterproof, so it can be used in high-risk areas for slipping, like the shower; it also features the option for fall detection at $10 per month. This plan is $42.95 for monthly monitoring fees, but users can save $75 annually by paying the year of service up front.

Medical Guardian Overview

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The founder of Medical Guardian, Geoff Gross, began looking into medical alert systems when his grandmother experienced a few falls at home. He used her experience to create a brand that emphasizes customization. Medical Guardian offers six monitored systems, from in-home systems with the highest ranges in the industry to discreet smartwatches. Users can add fall detection and count on a TMA-Five Diamond Certified response team.

For seniors who spend time alone at home and want to go about their daily activities with an added layer of protection, Medical Guardian’s base model, the Classic Guardian, offers comprehensive coverage at home. While users garden in the front or backyard, the Classic Guardian monitors them up to a range of 1,300 feet—one of the longest in the industry.

Seniors wear personal emergency response systems around their neck or wrist. In an emergency, the trained medical response team can evaluate and send the proper assistance to check in, whether that’s an EMT, locksmith, or a loved one. If it’s a false alarm, no problem—the operators check in and verify that the system is in working order.

The Classic Guardian at-home system runs on a landline connection, which is sometimes preferred by those who live in rural areas with poor cellular coverage. Caregivers can stay updated through the MyGuardian app and caregiver portal. The Classic starts at $29.95 per month, while equipping it with fall detection technology adds an extra $10 monthly.

For users ready to upgrade from the Classic Guardian, the Home 2.0 is the next step up. This system tacks on 100 feet to the range from the home base, adding up to almost four football fields of coverage.

Users can snap the Home 2.0 pendant into a necklace or wristband, depending on their preference and the day’s activities. Like the Classic model, the Home 2.0 gives caregivers access to the MyGuardian app. It operates at a higher speed than the Classic, as it runs on LTE and WiFi. Users who purchase this model can also opt for additional buttons for a spouse and can add wall-mounted buttons to their purchase. The Home 2.0 starts at $34.95 per month, and increases depending on customizations.

The Mobile 2.0 base device is a sleek 1.7 ounces and can be clipped to clothes or worn as a pendant. Users can wear their Mobile 2.0 as they run errands, and they’re covered by a trifecta of GPS, WiFi, and 4G LTE. If the wearer needs help, they push the emergency button to begin two-way communication with the response center.

This device features Smarti Voice Assist technology, where users can access an audio report of information about the device, like battery life. Because of the pendant’s long battery life, users only need to worry about recharging it every three to five days. The Mobile 2.0 costs $39.95 per month, while adding automatic fall detection is another $10 per month.

The Active Guardian has the longest lasting mobile battery in the Medical Guardian line—up to seven days on a single charge. This mobile medical alert system features an amplified two-way speaker with extra clarity, so users with hearing impairment will have an easier time hearing the operator.

Robin Schiltz, a certified senior home safety specialist, believes that the best medical alert systems allow the user and operator to communicate live. “I prefer a medical alert that has two-way voice capability and connects to a live agent, rather than one that simply alerts emergency services,” she said. “Having a kind, reassuring person to talk to is invaluable during an emergency.”

The Active Guardian base can be clipped onto clothing or a purse, while the user wears the lightweight button as a pendant or around the wrist. This keeps the wearer covered while out and about. The Active Guardian is available for $44.95 per month. Fall detection can be added for $10, and false alarms are easy to cancel.

The Mini Guardian is half the width of most mobile devices, designed for users shopping for a discreet and comfortable mobile device. The combination of high speed 4G LTE, WiFi, and cellular coverage means you stay covered wherever you go. In an emergency, the response team can send assistance to your exact location.

This device is different from others in that it’s all-in-one. While other mobile devices require a separate handheld unit and a wearable button, the Mini Guardian has all the technology inside one piece of equipment: the high definition two-way speaker, easy-to-press help button, and tracking technology—along with a battery that lasts up to five days. Seniors looking for longer lasting coverage might compare the Mini Guardian to Lifefone’s VIP pendant, a mobile emergency device with a 30-day battery. Lifefone even sends texts when the battery is running low to remind users it’s time to recharge.

The Mini Guardian costs an upfront equipment fee of $124.95, and is $39.95 per month for monitoring.

The Freedom Guardian 2.0 might look high-tech, but this smartwatch is designed with ease of use in mind. Its menu and features are straightforward and easy to navigate on the watch’s large, bright touchscreen. This system is great for those who don’t want to look like they’re wearing a medical alert, as it appears to be just another smartwatch. However, it’s equipped with a red help button that connects users to a 24/7 response center in seconds.

Aside from the emergency button, Freedom Guardian also gives health information like medication management, a heart rate reader, and appointment reminders. It also allows users to send messages to caregivers. The watch has a 48-hour battery life on just two hours of charging, making it easy to use almost full-time. While the Freedom Guardian watch is currently on backorder, it has previously been offered with a one-time equipment fee of $179.95 and $44.95 for emergency monitoring.