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After testing fall detection medical alert systems on response times and accuracy, we found Bay Alarm Medical offers the best solution.
Updated June 24, 2025
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It’s concerning that one million older adults are hospitalized because of a fall injury every year.1 What’s even more alarming is that once someone experiences a fall, the likelihood of subsequent falls doubles.2 While medical alert systems with fall detection can’t prevent falls, they can get you help quickly.
We tested over 35 medical alert systems to see which ones were the most accurate and responsive. Bay Alarm Medical includes this feature as an add-on with all devices. It can even detect a lack of movement if it misses the initial fall. Medical Guardian, Lively, and LifeStation are also reliable alternatives. Here are our experiences with each option and why it’s worth paying extra for the add-on.
From Christopher Norman, a Board-Certified Geriatric Nurse Practitioner with the National Council on Aging (NCOA)
Bay Alarm Medical takes our top spot not just because it includes optional fall detection with all of its products, but because it offers backup features for missed falls. One example is the sensor that can detect if someone is immobilized and can’t press the button.
We’ve reviewed all Bay Alarm Medical products. Every device is backed by a 24/7 emergency center and offers fall detection for an extra $10 per month. That includes the landline at-home system, which most other brands don’t offer fall detection for.
Speaking of the at-home systems, the cellular and landline models have a range of over 1,000 feet. That means if you have a fall in the garden or while collecting the mail, your pendant stays connected to the base unit to request help.
Expert Tip: If you have a history of falls, we recommend wearing your fall-detection device in the shower. All Bay Alarm Medical devices with fall detection are waterproof and safe to use in the bathroom.
Unboxing our Bay Alarm Medical Smartwatch, which comes with step counter, weather updates, and fall detection.
Bay Alarm Medical has two options for on-the-go fall protection, the SOS All-In-One 2 and SOS Smartwatch. The All-In-One 2 is a traditional, lightweight product you can wear on your belt or around your neck. It’s got a 72-hour battery life, so you don’t need to charge it every night next to all your other devices.
The SOS Smartwatch is one of our favorite medical alert watches, and not just because it has fall detection. You don’t need to connect it to your phone or base unit to work. It’s also a more affordable fall detection device compared to other smartwatches like Apple and Samsung.
>> Read More: Bay Alarm Medical Alert Systems 2025 Costs
| Connectivity | Landline and cellular |
|---|---|
| Fall Detection | $10/month |
| In-home Range | Up to 1,000 feet |
| Battery Backup | Up to 32 hours |
| GPS Option | Yes |
| Money-back Guarantee | 15-day |
Medical Guardian offers similar devices to Bay Alarm Medical and all of them include the option to add fall detection. We were impressed that the sensors can distinguish between soft and hard impacts. This can help reduce false alarms, so the system doesn’t call the emergency center when you crash on the couch after a long day.
If you’re not sure which Medical Guardian product you need, you can take a product quiz for recommendations. Another option is to check out our Medical Guardian review, which breaks down how each device works.
The good news is that fall detection is available for all Medical Guardian products at $10 per month. Like Bay Alarm Medical, it works with the MGHome Cellular and Landline equipment. Medical Guardian’s pendants even offer a 1,400-foot range.
>> Read More: Medical Guardian 2025 Prices
Medical Guardian’s home unit not only looks sleek, but also accepts voice commands.
Medical Guardian’s portable devices include the MGMini, MGMini Lite, and MGMove. Our pick is the MGMove smartwatch. It offers extra features you won’t find in Bay Alarm Medical’s version.
For starters, it includes reminders. We’ve used it to let us know when to take our medication and to get ready for family events. It’s also an excellent GPS medical alert device. The MGMove saves your location hourly so loved ones or carers always know where you are.
FYI: If you have a fall when you’re out and about, pressing the SOS button on your Medical Guardian device will pinpoint your location. It’s helpful if you can’t respond to the emergency operator. The center can still send assistance your way.
| Connectivity | Landline, cellular, and Wi-fi |
|---|---|
| Fall Detection | $10/month |
| In-home Range | Up to 1,400 feet |
| Battery Backup | Up to 32 hours |
| GPS Option | Yes |
| Money-back Guarantee | None |
Lively offers the most affordable medical alert device on this list. For $79.99, you’ll get a pendant that’s waterproof, GPS-enabled, and detects falls. It’s also so light, you’ll pat yourself regularly to check that it’s around your neck, on your wrist, or attached to your belt.
When we reviewed Lively, we became fans of its smartphones. You can’t add fall detection to either product, but the Lively Mobile2 pendant supports this feature. It’s a versatile device that you can wear as a necklace or a watch. You can even clip it to your belt.
Expert Tip: We recommend using the lanyard if you opt for fall detection. It might look like a simple piece of string, but it has magnetic strips that work with the built-in accelerometer to sense sudden changes in body movement.
The Mobile2 sounded an alert during our testing whenever it detected a fall. Within five seconds, we were speaking to a Lively emergency agent. You can cancel the call by holding the SOS button if it’s a false alarm.
We chose to wear our Lively Mobile2 as a smartwatch instead of a necklace or belt attachment.
While the device is affordable, there are some extra costs to be aware of. In addition to the $10 add-on fee for fall detection, you’ll need to pay a $35 activation fee. You’ll also have to sign up for Lively’s Basic or Premium plan, but we think these subscriptions offer good bang for your buck.
Basic is $24.99 per month and includes 24/7 emergency response and access to the app. Friends, family, and caregivers can also use the app and receive notifications if there’s an emergency. The Premium plan is $34.99 per month and adds health and wellbeing services, including on-call nurses who can fill prescriptions and offer medical advice.
| Connectivity | Cellular |
|---|---|
| Fall Detection | Included in some plans |
| In-home Range | N/A |
| Battery Backup | Up to 82 hours |
| GPS Option | Yes |
| Money-back Guarantee | 30-day |
LifeStation has an at-home medical alert system, but we were impressed by its portable devices. They’re lightweight, connect to cellular networks, and include GPS tracking. The Sidekick pendant even uses three technologies and a complex algorithm to distinguish between falls and false alarms.
Fall detection is only available with Sidekick Home and the Sidekick pendant. The Sidekick connects to cellular networks and comes with an alert pendant, which has a waterproof seal, so you can wear it in the shower. Our only gripe is that the range of the pendant is only 600 feet. Bay Alarm Medical and Medical Guardian have ranges over 1,000 feet.
>> Compare: LifeStation Vs. Medical Guardian
That’s one of the reasons why we prefer the Sidekick pendant. Weighing in at just 1.4 ounces, we barely knew it was around our neck. During our testing, we got fast responses from the CSAA Five Diamond alert center. They also knew exactly where we were thanks to the built-in GPS.
You can only wear the LifeStation Sidekick around your neck, but it’s so lightweight you’ll barely notice it’s there.
LifeStation’s fall detection feature is one of the best on this list. Like Lively, it has an accelerometer, which can detect the force when a fall occurs. The Sidekick also uses barometric sensors to detect changes in pressure, such as when you’re lying on the floor.
One of the downsides of the Sidekick pendant is that it’s not waterproof. You can wear it in the shower, but the device can’t be submerged. If LifeStation can find a way to fix this design flaw, it could move higher on this list.
FYI: LifeStation charges $10 extra per month for fall detection. The prices for equipment and plans aren’t listed on the website. You’ll need to call LifeStation for a personalized quote.
| Connectivity | Cellular |
|---|---|
| Fall Detection | $10 per month |
| In-home Range | 650 ft |
| Battery Backup | Up to 24 hours |
| GPS Option | Yes |
| Money-back Guarantee | 30-day |
We find the best way to give you trustworthy recommendations is by testing medical alert systems with fall detection ourselves. Our team tried over 35 models across several weeks or months. We judged the devices on a range of factors, including detection accuracy, monitoring center response time, and device range.
Some of the other criteria we considered when choosing and ranking the best medical alert systems with fall detection included:
Our focus is rigorously reviewing and assessing medical alert systems. All tests were conducted by senior care experts with over 50 years of combined experience in the industry. We also consulted experts in the field and interviewed real customers to gather their insights about how they use their products.
Fall detection uses a combination of sensors and algorithms to determine if someone has fallen. Devices like pendants and smartwatches use accelerometers and gyroscopes to track sudden changes in movement. Let’s take a closer look at how it’s activated and how the technology works.
The VIP Active® from LifeFone we tested includes fall detection, but it didn’t make our list because it drains the battery faster.
When a fall occurs, the built-in sensors trigger an alert, which is sent to the medical alert system’s emergency monitoring center. Some of the devices we tested announced that a fall was detected. If it’s a false alarm, you can cancel the alert sent to the monitoring center.
Most providers recommend pressing the help button if you are able to speak with a monitoring center associate. This is helpful if a fall isn’t detected. When you get through to somebody, they will assess the situation and send emergency help if needed.
Testing out Medical Care Alert’s home system pendant includes fall detection, but only with certain devices.
Fall detection systems use one or more sensors that trigger when someone falls. The most commonly used sensor is an accelerometer, which detects abrupt motion typical of a fall.
Expert Tip: Some of the most common causes of falls are throw rugs or clutter around the house.3 If you’ve suffered an injury from a fall, we recommend doing a risk assessment around your home and ensuring all walking paths are clear of hazards.
Other sensors may also be used. One example is Lifeline medical alert systems, which use barometric sensors in addition to accelerometers. These sensors can detect subtle changes in barometric pressure, like when someone moves from standing to lying down.
Trying out Lifeline’s pendant, which features multiple sensors to detect falls.
Other medical alert systems use a gyroscope, which measures rotational movement. Another example is a magnetometer. It measures the strength of magnetic fields. More sophisticated systems use advanced algorithms and the signals from multiple sensors for greater accuracy and fewer false alarms.
We recommend paying extra for fall detection. There are some drawbacks to consider, but we believe the pros outweigh the cons. Some of the advantages include:
We tried out LifeFone’s VIP Active’s pendant inside and outside the home to see how well fall detection worked.
Fall detection doesn’t catch 100-percent of falls. That’s not the only issue. Here are some other factors to consider.
We highly recommend wearing a medical alert pendant outside in case you trip or fall while doing chores.
Falls can happen to anyone at any time, but some people are at a higher risk. When deciding whether to add fall detection to your medical alert system plan, consider:
Not all falls happen from tripping on objects or slipping in the shower. These are some of the common causes of falls.
Muscle weakness, poor balance, and gait problems often result from diseases like diabetes, heart issues, and Parkinson’s disease. While many of these can’t be cured, a physical therapist can help manage symptoms.
>> Read More: Best Medical Alert Systems for Diabetics
Older adults can also decrease their risk of falling through exercise. It’s true we lose muscle as we age, but exercise can restore strength and flexibility. Some types of exercise can increase the risk of falling. We recommend choosing low-impact activities to maintain your health.
Before you perform any physical activities, make sure to charge your medical alert device.
Another physical condition that could lead to falls is vision impairment. We recommend visiting an ophthalmologist annually to ensure your prescription is current. Watch out for tint-changing lenses, which can be dangerous for adults going from bright sunshine into a darkened building. Progressive lenses can also cause difficulties on stairs.
Expert Tip: Medications can also lead to falls. If you or your loved one is struggling with weakness or lethargy, it’s a good idea to have a medical review. You might need to adjust your medication or its dosage.
Other ways to lower your risk of falling involve adjusting your lifestyle. Getting enough sleep is important. Choosing appropriate footwear is also vital. Limiting alcohol consumption is another strategy.
It’s also worth considering fall prevention programs. They can be found through local aging agencies, senior centers, YMCAs, hospitals, and health clinics. The programs teach coping mechanisms for managing the fear of falling. You also learn fall prevention strategies, behavioral adjustments, and safe exercise.
Taking our MobileHelp MD 4 for spin to see how well it works outside the house.
While all falls are unplanned, there are steps you can take to lower the chance they happen. Here are some tips to help fall-proof your home.
| Strategy | How it Can Help |
|---|---|
| Clear walkways | It reduces trip hazards, especially near tables and chairs. |
| Improve lighting | Good lighting will help you identify trip hazards. It’s also beneficial for staircases and in bathrooms. |
| Secure rugs | Using non-skid backing prevents slips and trips. |
| Install handrails | Using handrails on stairways and in bathrooms offers extra assistance. |
| Use anti slip mats | Non-slip mats in showers and tubs reduce falls in bathrooms. |
| Hide cords | Cords in walkways are a dangerous trip hazard. |
The costs of medical alert systems fall into four categories: equipment costs, monthly monitoring fees, add-ons, and hidden fees. Let’s take a look at each one.
>> Find Out: The Best Medical Alert Systems of 2025
Pro Tip: If you’re on a fixed income, our list of the most affordable medical alert systems might be just what you need to make your best choice.
Fall detection can be life-saving. This feature sends alerts to emergency monitoring centers regardless of whether someone is conscious or able to press the button on their medical alert device. The sooner help arrives, the sooner recovery can begin.
Medical alert systems with fall detection even offer peace of mind to caregivers. For older adults who want to maintain their independence, these devices give them a safety net so they can stay in their homes longer.
Fall detection is accurate but not perfect. The best devices use multiple sensors and algorithms to distinguish between sudden movements and false alarms. We’ve found most systems detect faster falls reliably. Slower falls are not always detected.
Yes, it does. Fall detection is available with landline, Wi-Fi, and cellular devices. It’s not included as a feature with all companies. You’ll need to confirm with the brand whether fall detection can be added to the plan.
No, you don’t. If you’re able to press the button, it’s still the fastest way to get help. Some systems can detect if you’re not moving and will alert the monitoring center.
You can’t disable fall detection on the device. If you want to remove the add-on, contact the company directly.
Some devices announce when they detect a fall. An alert is sent to the monitoring center and an operator will try to speak to you through the device. If there is no response, they will send emergency services and notify contacts.
Around-the-clock emergency response is a critical feature of medical alert systems because an accident or illness can happen anytime, day or night. Look for a system that has 24-hour U.S.-based call centers with trained personnel.
You’ll want to find a device with fall detection that can be worn in the bath or shower. After all, this is where the majority of falls occur. Also, not having to worry about taking off your device when getting in and out of the shower is always a nice benefit.
Cellular monitoring is ideal for seniors who do not have a landline. With cellular monitoring, you can get reliable monitoring through a cellular network. But be sure that you have strong cellular service in your area.
Multilingual support is ideal for non-English speakers. Medical alert systems offer support in a variety of languages, from Spanish to Swahili. Each service varies, so if this is important to you, be sure to check which languages are available.
It’s important that your fall detection technology is backed up with a powerful two-way speaker. This allows emergency operators to hear you and talk with you after a fall, including in remote areas in your home. Many two-way voice units also function as a speakerphone, allowing you to receive calls without getting up.
The range of coverage varies with medical alert systems. You want to choose a large enough range so that you are covered whether you are reading in your backyard or getting your mail. Basic systems provide a 600-plus-foot range. This easily covers most yards and homes. Six hundred feet is about the length of two football fields. If you need more range, some systems allow you to add an extender to increase the coverage distance.
Falls happen outside of the home too. That’s where GPS location is immensely helpful, even life-saving. This is especially important for active seniors, as it can pinpoint your exact location in the event of a fall. Look for a medical alert system that has fall detection and GPS location.
A good feature for couples is spousal coverage. This allows you to add your spouse or other people in your home to your plan for little to no extra money.
A medical alert system with fall detection is only as reliable as the call center. Redundant call centers provide backup coverage in the event that your region is impacted by a natural disaster or major power outage. Be sure that the medical alert system you choose has redundancy built into their service.
LightSpring Home Care. (2023). Elderly Fall Statistics.
https://lightspringcare.com/blog/elderly-fall-statistics/
CDC. (2024). Facts About Falls.
https://www.cdc.gov/falls/data-research/facts-stats/index.html
