GreatCall vs Life Alert

Seniors who want to maintain an independent lifestyle often use medical alert systems to ensure that help is readily available if they need it. These wearable devices send an instant alert to family members or medical providers in the event of an emergency. Medical alert systems work through either a home base unit with a landline or a mobile unit connected to a cell phone, so there are options for people who spend most of their time at home as well as those who drive or have an active life outside the home. Models with features, such as fall detection and GPS location services, provide even more protection for seniors.

With dozens of medical alert systems on the market, choosing between brands can be difficult. Medicaid and private insurance often cover the monthly monitoring costs, but the decision about which system to use is ultimately up to you.

Comparing medical alert devices doesn’t have to involve sifting through marketing materials that might not be forthcoming about the benefits and drawbacks of particular systems. We’ve created a series of guides and side-by-side comparisons of the top medical alert systems, so you can narrow down your choices and find the best option for your particular needs.

This guide looks at the well-established brands GreatCall and Life Alert so you can get a comprehensive view of the similarities and differences between the two. We’ve found that both GreatCall and Life Alert have reliable water-resistant devices and are versatile in the way of using a landline or cellular service. However, GreatCall connects seniors who have medical conditions to licensed medical professionals 24/7 for any questions or concerns they may have, while Life Alert has decades of experience and offers devices that don’t need to be charged, which is helpful to seniors who may be forgetful.

Side By Side Comparison	GreatCall	Life Alert
COSTS
Up-Front Equipment	$49.99 + $10 Shipping	$95-$96 One-Time Fee per Device
Monthly Monitoring	$24.99-$39.99	$49.00+$19/Month for an Optional In-the-Bathroom Device +$19/Month for an On-the-Go Device
Activation Fee	$35 per Device	Included in One-Time Fee for Each Device $1 Programming/Setup Fee for Bathroom and On-the-Go Devices
Contract	Month-to-Month30 Day Trial period Prorated Refunds for Cancellations in the Middle of a Billing Cycle	3-Year Contract Quarterly and Annual Payment Plans Available 12th Month Free on Annual Plans.
Optional Monthly Add-On Services	N/A	N/A
FEATURES
Water-Resistant Devices	Yes	Pendant and Wall-Mounted Bathroom Button
Connection	Landline or Cellular (Verizon Network)	Landline or Cellular (AT&T Network)
2-Way Voice Communication	N/A	Through Bathroom HELP Button
Range (From In-Home Base Unit for Landline Service)	No Landline Option	800'-1,000'
Battery Life	24 Hours	Pendant Has a Non-Rechargeable Battery with a Life of 7 Year 10 Year Battery Life for On-the-Go and Bathroom Button Systems 72-Hour Battery Backup for Home Systems
FALL DETECTION, LOCATION and RESPONSE SERVICE
Fall Detection	N/A	Available through Ultimate Plan
GPS Locator	GPS Location Tracking Built into Device	Included with On-the-Go System
Coverage Away from Home	Yes	Included with On-the-Go System
24/7 USA Call Center	Yes--Including Access to Advice from Nurses or Doctors 24/7	Yes--Calls managed from Start to Finish Notifies Listed Contacts of Incident
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
	None	None

GreatCall Overview

GreatCall offers straightforward pricing and a reliable service aimed at seniors who maintain an active lifestyle. This company doesn’t offer a home-based system. Instead, GreatCall focuses on portability with a device called the Lively Mobile. Users can slip the small device into a belt clip, wear it as a pendant, carry it in a handbag or wear it as a wristband. All plans include the purchase of the device and a monthly service fee based on the features the user prefers.

The company contracts with 5Star Urgent Response center to provide help in emergencies. The operators are trained to for potentially stressful events, such as accidental lockouts or walking home late in the evening. Because GreatCall uses Verizon cellular service, you might be able to get reliable coverage in areas where other monitoring devices aren’t working.

One unique feature of the GreatCall Lively Mobile device is that all packages above the basic level provide customers with 24/7 access to a nurse or doctor about any concerns or questions they have about their health as well as functioning as an emergency alert system. This Urgent Care service lets seniors ask about side effects, medication dosages and other health issues without having to make a doctor’s appointment. Caregiver services included in your plan keep relatives appraised of any alerts and lets them monitor device operation. Users signed up for the Ultimate Health and Safety package also get access to the product replacement program, which offers coverage for broken, lost or stolen devices.

Pros of GreatCall:

Affordable pricing
Month-to-month plans
Prorated refunds for cancellations
Urgent Care feature lets users contact a doctor or nurse with questions 24/7
Small, portable pendant provides multiple wearing or carrying options
30 day free-trial period
Caregiver tools help keep families notified of important events

Cons of GreatCall:

No home-based monitoring option
Only works in areas where you can get Verizon mobile access
Purchase and activation fees increase the initial setup costs
Newer company without a long track record compared to many other medical monitoring brands
Contracted call center, no operators in-house

Life Alert Overview

Since 1987 Life Alert has made a name for itself with commercials featuring the famous phrase “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” This medical alert company serves over 150,000 seniors and has plans that include home and mobile device options. For seniors who may be at risk for bathroom-related falls, Life Alert has a bathroom button designed for mounting in damp locations. The company’s U.S.-based call center operates 24/7 to handle emergencies anytime, day or night.

When a senior initiates an alert using Life Alert, the operator stays on the line through the whole event, serving as an overseer. Medical records kept on file at the monitoring center make coordinating care simple.

Pros of Life Alert:

Established company with a BBB rating of A+
Manufactures medical alert devices and equipment in-house
In-house U.S.-based call center
In-house setup included
12th month free when you pay annually

Cons of Life Alert:

Three-year contract locks users into a long-term agreement
No fall detection available
High start up fees
On-the-go service not offered independently from other plans

Pricing Comparison

GreatCall offers a better deal than Life Alert when you consider what you’re getting for your money. The overall monthly and initial setup costs for Life Alert are higher than those for GreatCall, and GreatCall customers have more options to choose from. Life Alert offers a discount of one month’s fees when you pay annually, so this can help offset the higher cost for people who plan to pay this way. GreatCall has affordable plans for all levels, and the one-time fees are the same no matter what monitoring package you choose. Life Alert’s basic costs are higher than many other plans, and the lack of common features, such as fall detection, means that this higher-priced system may not have everything you want.

Our Pick

GreatCall is our pick for a mobile medical alert system you can take with you anywhere. Life Alert’s lack of an independent on-the-go option leaves active seniors without reliable monitoring outside the home, while GreatCall is entirely focused on mobile wearable devices. The GreatCall Lively Mobile device works at home and on the go, so you don’t need to switch between two different devices when you leave your house. There’s also no need to mount or install the unit on a wall since the medical alert device is always within immediate reach.

The higher cost of Life Alert isn’t really worth the expenditure for seniors who spend a lot of time outside the home. You can add mobile access to the basic Life Alert Plan, but GreatCall provides this service automatically. Because you can use the cellular service at home, there’s no need to use a system that includes both. The GreatCall Lively Mobile device is also fully waterproof, so you can bring it into a shower or bath and eliminate the need for a separate bathroom button.

Relatives can appreciate the integrated caregiver features of GreatCall. A mobile app lets caregivers monitor their loved ones’ health and respond to emergencies more quickly. Real-time location tracking of GreatCall helps caregivers find a lost senior, which can be particularly useful for families with a relative who has dementia.

Compare More Medical Alert Systems

Click on the links below to read about Medical Alert system comparisons.

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