The Best Medical Alert Systems for Diabetics – Tested in 2025

There are more than 38 million cases of diabetes in the U.S., and rates are higher among middle-aged and older adults.1 People living with this disease need medical alert systems to manage daily routines and respond to sudden medical emergencies.

After researching and testing over 35 medical alert systems, we narrowed down the top four that can support people with diabetes. Bay Alarm Medical offers the best in-home and on-the-go solutions, with bases that cover up to 1,000 feet and pendant batteries that last up to 72 hours. Let’s go through our top picks to find the best one for your lifestyle.

Our Methodology: How We Test and Rank the Best Medical Alert Systems for Diabetics

How We Test

We believe the only way to give you reliable recommendations is by testing medical alert systems ourselves. Our team spent several months assessing over 35 devices to see if they were a good fit for people with diabetes. The testers looked at criteria like monitoring center response time, fall detection accuracy, and cellular connectivity.

What We Tested

We considered multiple factors when choosing and ranking the best medical alert systems for people with diabetes. Additional criteria included:

• Device range: If you live on a large property or like to spend time outside, you need to be confident you can maintain a connection to your home medical alert system.
• Battery life: The last thing you want is the battery for your pendant or smartwatch dying when you need help away from home.
• Health support: We tried some extra services, like medication reminders and on-call nurses, to see how they support people with diabetes.

Why You Should Trust Us

Our focus for this guide was to review and test medical alert systems for people with diabetes. All assessments were conducted by senior care experts with over 50 years of combined industry experience. We also consulted with diabetes experts and interviewed real customers to understand what they need and how they use their products.

Why Should Diabetics Consider a Medical Alert System?

An estimated 150 million emergency department visits over a 10-year period included a diabetes diagnosis.3 When emergencies occur, a medical alert device is a lifesaver. The risks of falls are high for people with diabetes due to low blood sugar.

If you experience blurred vision, dizziness, and weakness, you can press a button on a pendant, smartwatch, or phone to get immediate help. Here are a few more ways diabetes increases fall risk:

• Peripheral neuropathy: Numbness or pain in the feet and legs, which can affect your balance.
• Diabetic retinopathy: This can impact your vision, leading to unintentional falls.
• Diabetic nephropathy: Impacts your vitamin D levels and reduces bone density and muscle strength.

How Medical Alert Systems Protect People With Diabetes

Living with diabetes means managing multiple health challenges. But medical alert systems provide an important layer of protection. You have the peace of mind knowing these devices instantly alert monitoring centers or a loved one. They can also support you in other ways, including:

• 24/7 emergency response: Trained agents are on standby to dispatch responders if you need help.
• GPS tracking: Wearable devices can assist monitoring centers in pinpointing your location, even if you don’t know where you are.
• Health advice: Brands like Lively offer telehealth services and connect you with experts in your community for personalized advice.
• Medication reminders: You can use medical alert systems to schedule insulin or other prescriptions to regulate blood sugar.
• Maintaining medical files: Monitoring centers can pass your medical history to paramedics to assist them in emergencies.
• Cellular coverage: You can rely on medical alert systems when you’re at home and on-the-go. The base stations even have backup batteries to stay online during power outages.

Our MGMove offers weather updates and reminders even while it’s charging.

Bottom Line

Living with diabetes means staying vigilant about your health every day. While not all medical alert systems might be suitable in supporting your condition, these four offer the best features to help you live independently with a greater peace of mind. If medical alert systems weren’t on your radar before, now’s the time to invest in one to improve your health and quality of life.

FAQs

What features should you look for in a medical alert system for diabetes?

We recommend choosing devices with fall detection, GPS tracking, and that use reliable cellular networks. Other useful features include medication reminders, telehealth access, and waterproof devices. A long battery life is also useful.

How do medical alert systems support medication management for people with diabetes?

Some medical alert systems let you schedule medication reminders to stay on schedule. They reduce the risk of missing doses and help maintain steady blood sugar levels.

Are wearable devices or home-based systems better for people with diabetes?

Wearable devices provide freedom to move and travel outside of the home. Meanwhile, home-based systems are ideal if you spend most of your time around the house. In this case, we suggest choosing a device with a high range so you always stay connected to the home base.

How quickly do medical alert systems connect to emergency help?

In our tests, we typically connected to monitoring centers within 30 seconds after pressing the button or simulating a fall.

Are medical alert systems easy to use for seniors with diabetes?

Many medical alert systems are designed with seniors in mind. They feature large buttons and a minimalist design. The devices can be worn as pendants or wristbands so they are always in reach.