How We Test Medical Alert Systems: A Guide To Our Review Process

Medical alert system testing is the foundation of our reviews at seniorsafetyreviews.com. It's a significant responsibility we take seriously. We are constantly evaluating multiple medical alert systems across key categories like emergency response times, product reliability, battery life, range, comfort and looks.

We have over 60 years of experience working with medical alert systems. We've spent countless hours testing in-home landline, in-home cellular, mobile, smartwatch, and fall detection medical alert products, so we know what makes a great life alert (not to mention a bad one).

We've also spent a gazillion hours reviewing customer contracts, terms, pricing and fees to help our readers navigate through manipulative marketing and sales tactics exploiting so many older adults.

We're not just professional writers. In our careers we've actually helped launch a medical alert company and recommended medical alerts to our real life caregiving clients. We know medical alert systems.

Our hands-on reviews and testing influence the medical alert systems we rank in our top medical alert system buying guides. We also try to include some of the more popular medical alert systems in our rankings and comparisons, even if they do not rank highly, to help our readers compare alternatives. Here's an overview of our medical alert testing process.

WHY ARE MEDICAL ALERT SYSTEMS IMPORTANT

Medical alert systems are essential for seniors by enabling independence, peace of mind and help in the event of a fall or medical emergency.

Nearly 1 in 3 older adults have a fall every year.Falls are the leading cause of death by injury and emergency room visits due to injury for those 65 and older, according to 2021 data from the CDC.

Medical alert systems help seniors feel like they are never alone, despite living alone, allowing them to be more active in and outside their homes.

HOW WE RESEARCH AND TEST MEDICAL ALERT SYSTEMS: OUR APPROACH

Our data comes from the following:

We used a stop watch to test how long it took monitoring centres to respond after the help button was pressed

• Hands on product testing
• Customer reviews
• Medical alert companies

We use a combination qualitative and quantitative data to construct an objective, complete picture of each life alert system. We looked at over 20 brands in the industry, measuring, comparing and verifying key medical alert data points with different equipment in different real world situations - in the shower, in the car, on the floor, etc... We also call each brand as customers, to experience the customer journey. Doing this gives us real world knowledge of how prospects and customers are treated. We also constantly review customer feedback on sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and TrustPilot, to gauge customer satisfaction and identify problems and successes in the customer journey.

WHAT WE RESEARCH IN MEDICAL ALERT SYSTEMS

1. Emergency Response Times

Emergency response times refer to the time it takes for an agent at the monitoring station to respond after a medical alert button has been pressed or a fall detector engaged. Emergency response are tested on different devices, at different times of day and in different locations. We look for medical alert companies who use certified monitoring stations, such as the TMA 5 Diamond designation.

2. Equipment Reliability

When testing equipment reliability we look to evaluate range, battery life, water resistance, reliability in the cold, sensitivity of fall detection and location tracking accuracy.

One indicator we look for is UL (Underwriters Laboratories) certified medical alerts. UL does a good job testing equipment under laboratory conditions for product durability, device integrity, security and battery integrity.

Range is tested for the distance a medical alert necklace or bracelet can work from a base station with rooms, doors and walls in between. Battery life can be impacted by battery type, device and functionality like GPS or live tracking, which consumes a lot more battery juice. Medical alert buttons need to be able to function in the bathtub or shower, where many, if not most, falls take place. While fall detection is a great function in theory, in practice if it's overly sensitive, it can activate every time you sit down, which can be come impractical. If not sensitive enough, it can miss calling for help when needed most.

3. Cost

The lowest advertised monthly subscription rate doesn't always equate to the lowest medical alert cost or value. We look to make sure there are no hidden activation, installation, programming, set-up, equipment, shipping, cancellation, return or re-stocking fees. We also look for companies that regularly use bait and switch practices by starting unsuspecting customers off on a low monthly fee and then raising the price months later, after the customer has purchased their equipment. Lastly, we look at contract length. We strongly penalize companies that lock customers into long term contracts. 3 year contracts can significantly increase the cost of medical alert systems for those who may only need it for a year or two.

4. Ease of Use

When it comes to ease of use, we want to make sure that the vast majority of customers can read the instructions and get the medical alert system up and running all by themselves. We also want to make sure they can find the help button with ease, which is really more of an issue with smartwatches than medical alert bracelets and necklaces. We also want to evaluate how easy the medical alert buttons are to use for those with visual impairment, arthritis or mild cognitive impairment. Lastly, how easy is it to wear. This is more of an issue with mobile medical alert systems, which can be large and make wearing them uncomfortable or unappealing aesthetically.

5. Senior Friendly Service

We look for medical alert companies that not only put the customer first, but understand that their clients are typically older adult with unique needs, and treat them accordingly. What does this mean? Customer service over the phone, not just online. Customer service agents trained to work with older adults, showing empathy, caring and patience. Ancillary services that cater to older adults and caregivers alike, such as check-in services and medication reminders. Companies that don't charge fees when older adults press the emergency button too often. Non-exploitative customer service terms such as offering 30 day money back guarantees. We believe all customers should be able to try before they buy. Offering free cancellation services without re-stocking charges. Again, many older adults may no longer have a use for a medical alert system after they have moved into a facility, moved in with a caregiver, find out they don't really use it, lose the cognitive ability to use it properly, etc... Locking them into long term contracts is unfair. We also look for companies that replace defective equipment without upselling warranties and companies that replace dead batteries for free.