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Page Reviewed / Updated – December 23, 2020

As people age, their chances of suffering from a fall or other medical emergency increases, and that can make it difficult for seniors to retain their independence without compromising on their safety. Monitored medical alert systems can help older adults, people with disabilities, lone workers and others stay safe by providing an instant connection to an emergency monitoring center through a small, lightweight wearable medical alert pendant or wrist button.

Medical Guardian is a American medical alert company that offers six in-home and mobile medical alert systems backed by a U.S.-based 24/7 emergency call monitoring center. Medical Guardian operators are trained to accurately assess the needs of each caller, and dispatch either fire, police or ambulance, or reach out to any member of the caller’s Care Circle of trusted neighbors, friends and family members. This feature can help Medical Guardian users feel comfortable activating their help button when they need assistance but don’t want first responders dispatched.

What You Should Know

Medical Guardian has one of the largest product ranges in the industry with six unique medical alert systems, including entry-level at-home systems, mobile panic buttons and a smartwatch-style device called the Freedom Guardian.

Classic Guardian Home Guardian Mobile Guardian Active Guardian Freedom Guardian Mini Guardian
Connection Landline AT&T 4G LTE AT&T 4G LTE AT&T 4G LTE AT&T 4G LTE AT&T 4G LTE
Help Button Neck pendant or wrist-mounted Neck pendant or wrist-mounted Wrist-mounted button or pendant linked to a small, pocketable mobile transponder with speakerphone and help button Speakerphone-equipped pendant on breakaway lanyard On device face and on side of watch Pendant-style with integrated speakerphone
GPS No No Yes No Yes Yes
Fall Detection Available Available Available Available No Available
Range from base unit to help button Up to 1300 feet Up to 600 feet Up to 350 feet N/A N/A N/A
Battery life 32-hour backup battery in base unit Up to 5 years in help button 30-hour backup battery in base Up to 5 years in help button Up to 24 hours Up to 5 days Up to 48 hours Up to 5 days
Optional add-ons Lock box Extra help buttons Lock box Extra help buttons Lock box Car Charger Wall-mounted buttons Extra wrist buttons and pendants (up to 2 per system) Lock box Lock box Text-to-speech messaging – +$5/month Enhanced emergency notifications – +$5/month Lock box

Helpful Resources

Medical Guardian Plans and Pricing

Medical Guardian’s monitoring fees start at $0.97 per day for their month-to-month plans, and $0.90 per day for annual prepaid plans. The company also offers periodic promotional pricing and discounts.

Classic Guardian Home Guardian Mobile Guardian Active Guardian Freedom Guardian Mini Guardian
Cost per day (monthly plan) $0.97 $1.13 $1.29 $1.45 $1.45 $1.29
Cost per day (annual plan) $0.90 $1.05 $1.20 $1.35 $1.35 $1.20
Fall detection +$10/month +$10/month +$10/month +$10/month Not available +$10/month
Lockbox +$2.99/month Free with annual plan +$2.99 per month Free with annual plan +$2.99 per month Free with annual plan +$2.99 per month Free with annual plan +$2.99 per month Free with annual plan +$2.99 per month Free with annual plan

Pros and Cons of Medical Guardian Medical Alert Systems

Medical Guardian Pros

  • Wide range of medical alert systems allow users to select the system that best matches their needs and budget
  • One of the few medical alert companies to offer a smartwatch-style medical alert device
  • Range between in-home base unit and help button is among the best in the industry
  • No long-term contracts; subscribers can cancel at any time and request a prorated refund
  • Average call answer time is 45 seconds
  • Subscribers can set up their own personalized Circle of Care, a list of trusted neighbors, friends and family members who can be contacted when the medical alert button is activated
  • U.S.-based call monitoring center
  • Medical Guardian maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau
  • Wearable emergency buttons are water resistant and safe to wear in the shower
  • Fall detection available
  • Additional medical alert buttons available for spouse/housemate
  • GPS location tracking offered on many systems
  • In-home base units include a large help button and powerful speakerphone
  • Mini Guardian includes a wireless charging cradle

Medical Guardian Cons

  • Pricing is listed on a per-day basis, which can make it difficult to compare the cost of a Medical Guardian system with those offered by other companies.
  • Range between cellular-connected base unit and help buttons is limited to just 600 feet, which may be insufficient in larger homes.
  • The large number of medical alert systems offered by Medical Guardian may be overwhelming to some consumers.
  • With the exception of the help buttons included with in-home Classic and Home Guardian systems, all Medical Guardian panic buttons need to be regularly recharged by subscribers.

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Medical Guardian FAQs

Do consumers need to pay for their Medical Guardian devices?

With the exception of the Freedom Guardian watch, which customers must purchase outright for $249.95, all the required Medical Guardian hardware is included with the monitoring fees.

What is the advantage of GPS location tracking?

Medical alert devices, such as the Freedom Guardian smartwatch and the Mini Guardian, include a GPS location feature that provides Medical Guardian emergency operators with the GPS coordinates of subscribers.

In the case of an emergency, the operator can relay the exact location of the caller to the police, fire or ambulance service, and that can dramatically improve response times. GPS tracking can also help caregivers and loved ones monitor the location of subscribers who are prone to wandering, such as those living with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of memory loss.

Who is contacted when a Medical Guardian user presses their panic button?

Medical Guardian operators are trained to assess the needs of each caller in order to determine what type of assistance is needed, and who is best suited to provide that assistance. Subscribers can set up a Circle of Care, a list of trusted contacts who Medical Guardian operators can call on behalf of the subscriber in non-urgent situations.

If subscribers don’t set up a Circle of Care, they need immediate help or they don’t answer when the operator speaks through the two-way speakerphone, then the operator will dispatch emergency services.

Which Medical Guardian system offers the best in-home coverage?

Medical Guardian’s Classic Guardian landline-based system has a maximum range of 1300 feet between the base unit and the help buttons, and it’s also the lowest-priced system offered by the company.

Subscribers who need a greater range, or want coverage beyond their home, should consider one of Medical Guardian’s mobile medical alert systems. These include the Active Guardian, Mini Guardian and Mobile Guardian pendant-style systems with integrated microphones and speakers, and the Freedom Guardian watch-style system. All of these mobile systems work without a base station and use cellular networks, providing nationwide coverage within the AT&T mobile network.

Do Medical Guardian customers have to pay extra for cellular-connected devices?

The cost of Medical Guardian’s cellular-connected systems includes cellular service. That’s why the Medical Guardian Classic Guardian, a landline-based in-home system, costs less than the Home Guardian, a system with similar features that works off cellular networks.

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