The Medical Care Alert Home system is designed to monitor your daily activities to automatically spot when you have fallen. We're not talking about little stumbles here, but the kind where you may need medical assistance or advice. Like the best fall detection sensors, the Medical Care Alert Home links to a call center staffed 24/7 by professionals who are trained to give you assistance in the event of a fall.
Thanks to the growing demand for personal emergency response systems, including the best medical alert systems, the overall quality of these devices has risen in recent years. They aren't to be confused with the best medical alert bracelets though, which are designed to help first responders treat you effectively during an emergency situation.
The Medical Care Alert Home System is well-made and reliable, but is it right for you? We'll attempt to help you figure that out with our review. For other assisted living products, take a look at our guides to the best walk-in tubs and the best stairlifts.
Medical Care Alert Home review: Overview
The Medical Care Alert Home System comes with a base unit and a wearable sensor for more accurate fall detection. In our tests, the pendant reliably detected around 80% of falls, making it one of the most accurate we have reviewed. On this note alone, we would also recommend GreatCall and BlueStar SeniorTech, both of which have very good fall detection rates.
One downside of the Medical Care's monitoring station is that it only offers support in two languages: English and Spanish. It also lacks remote answering and a check-in service. However, you can request a self-testing unit.
The cost of the Medical Care Home Alert system is $29.95 per month, based on quarterly billing. But fall detection costs an extra $10 a month, and that cost doesn't include GPS tracking.
Medical Care Alert Home review: Features
The neck pendant included with the Medical Care Home Alert system is small and lightweight, plus it's waterproof so you can wear it swimming and when bathing if you'd rather keep it on you at all times. The fall detection technology in the pendant is designed to send a signal to the base unit, as long as it is within range.
In our tests, the unit reached a maximum distance of 350ft and an indoor distance of around 188ft. Both of these ranges are about average and should give you adequate coverage within your home. That may not be the case if you venture into your garden or yard though, so it's worth keeping in mind.
The backup battery for this unit is above average, lasting up to 72 hours without an additional power source. This means you will still have reliable coverage in the event of an emergency, even during a power outage.
Medical Care Alert Home review: Performance
The Medical Care Alert Home is designed in such a way that it can tell the difference between your daily movements and a sudden fall. In our hands-on tests it accurately detected falls. While sometimes there are false alarms, you can easily tell the monitoring service that you are OK.
This fall alert system requires a monthly subscription but offers a 30-day risk-free trial period so you can see if you like it or not. You also have the options of a quarterly, semi-annual or annual plan. Longer-term contracts lower the cost of the plan per month. Additionally, this service does not charge activation, cancelation or equipment-delivery fees.
Support provided by Medical Care Alert was about average. While representatives thoroughly answered our questions, they did try to up-sell products during our phone calls. You can contact support over the phone and via email. Medical Care also provides a live chat service.
Should I buy the Medical Care Alert Home?
The Medical Care Home Alert fall detection system provider offers a few options for premium features. If you're frequently on the go, you have the option to upgrade to a GPS unit. No landline? You can opt for a cellular base unit. You can also add a lockbox and a voice extender to your system.
With Medical Care Alert fall detection technology, you have the option of a basic base unit and neck pendant. This service has premium features available to you if you choose to add different features to your system.
For further health and wellness content, take a look at our guides to the best hearing aids and the best eyeglasses online, or for boosted mobility try our best electric wheelchairs guide and our round-up of this year's best mobility scooters.
