Senior citizens today have many different options when it comes to choosing a medical alert system for their homes. They can narrow their choices and invest in a system that meets their lifestyle and healthcare needs by comparing and contrasting the various systems available to them. One of the leading systems, Medical Guardian, may offer seniors the emergency alert services they need at a price they might find more reasonable than other systems on the market.

Medical Guardian Pros

Medical Guardian has been a registered member of the Better Business Bureau since 2009 and has been awarded at A+ rating. It garners favorable reviews from customers for its broad scope of services as well as its ease of use and 24-hour customer support. Online review sites like Consumer Affairs gives Medical Guardian a four out of five-star rating for similar reasons as well as the fact that the company uses the most up-to-date medical alert technology available.

Medical Guardian offers four different package options, all of which include emergency alert capabilities and simple hardware installation. The packages available from the company include its Classic Guardian, which comes with a basic console that plugs into the subscriber’s landline phone outlet. The next package, Home Guardian, likewise comes with a basic console that offers fall detection capabilities. The last two packages, Mobile Guardian and Premium Guardian, offer cellular based GPS capabilities that can be utilized even if the subscriber is out of his or her home. The Premium Guardian package is the only option that offers a wearable transmitter.

Aside from the four different package options and array of services, Medical Guardian also receives favorable reviews for its flexible subscription choices. People are encouraged to subscribe for the first three months. After that initial three-months subscription period, they can either cancel without penalty or adjust their services to accommodate their lifestyles and budget. The monthly subscription price is $29.95. However, Medical Guardian offers discounts to people who pay in advance. The advance payment options are $89.95 per quarter, $179.90 semi-annually, or $329.45 annually, which includes a free month’s worth of service.

Along with offering discounts for advance payments, Medical Guardian also offers 24-hour monitoring services for all packages. The center that provides the monitoring services is not owned by the company but rather partners with it to offer fall detection and GPS location services. Further, the company performs monthly tests on its equipment to ensure every client’s device remains in working order. If a device does not respond to the emergency test, the company sends out a replacement to the customer.

Medical Guardian Cons

While Medical Guardian offers the latest technology and a broad scope of medical alert services, it does receive some criticism for not making available services that many customers deem necessary. Primarily, it requires that subscribers push their console device’s button once a day to alert the company that they are active and do not require medical help. If they fail or forget to push the button, subscribers may get phone calls from the company or find 911 emergency responders on their doorsteps by day’s end.

Likewise, the company does not offer pill reminder services as other medical alert companies now make available. People who subscribe to the services cannot rely on it to tell them when it is time to take their medications. They must find another way to remember to take their pills each day.

Finally, the cost for the services may also be too prohibitive for many people to afford. People on fixed incomes and people who have high medical costs may not be able to continue their subscriptions despite the discounted rates for paying in advance. They also do not receive a refund of their money if they cancel their services before the end of their subscription period.

Medical Guardian remains one of the most highly rated medical alert and fall detection services on the market. It garners high favor for its range of packages and subscription options as well as its durable and easy-to-use hardware. It offers a no-hassle cancellation policy and sends out replacement equipment at no cost to the customer if a device fails the company’s monthly performance test. These perks explain why customers and reviewers alike give Medical Guardian favorable marks.