Medical Alert Systems With Auto Fall Detector

Fall detection is an important feature to consider for anyone who has a history of falls or is concerned about falling. It may help prevent a fatal fall and save a life by providing a way to call for help without having to press the device’s help button manually.





Medical alert systems typically come with automatic fall detection, but it’s not included in all devices. A few medical alert companies offer the device with fall detection as an all-in-one solution, and some provide it for an additional monthly fee on top of the monitoring service subscription.

The companies we reviewed that offered the option of a medical alert system with fall detection include Lifeline, MobileHelp, and Medical Guardian. Over a third of the devices we tested came with this feature, which generally comes at an extra cost.

Most systems have a sensor to detect motion, but they can also use other sensors like gyroscopes, barometric pressure, and magnetometers to decrease false alarms and better identify different types of movements. These sensors can make the difference between a true fall and a person simply sitting up or moving around.

The CDC reports that 1 in 3 adults 65 and older will fall at least once in their lifetime. Many of those falls result in injury and can have serious consequences if the person isn’t able to get help quickly. Medical alert systems are designed to monitor a person’s location and activity, and some offer the ability to call 911 if the person doesn’t respond after a certain amount of time.

A medical alert system with a fall detection feature can send an emergency alert to the company’s monitoring center without the wearer needing to push the help button. In most cases, the alert is sent after 30 seconds of inactivity, but it’s a good idea to still push the button if you can so that the device knows you have fallen and can dispatch an emergency response team to your location.

A medical alert device with a fall detection feature is typically designed to communicate with the monitoring center using a landline, cellular network, or WiFi. Some can even be used with GPS to help first responders find the person who has fallen, or can be set up to send an alert directly to a loved one or caregiver’s phone. Most companies that offer this feature offer two-way communication, which can be helpful if the person has a tendency to have false alarms or is easily confused by noise or movement. It’s a good idea to talk to the company about how the technology works and what the typical accuracy rate is. lone worker system A few companies, like MyNotifi, offer a wearable fall detector that doesn’t require a cell phone or an ongoing monthly fee. It connects to the user’s home Wi-Fi and can be used as a home based device or on the go with a connected smartphone. employee gps tracker This device costs a one time fee of $179 or $199 and is available from Amazon.