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March 9, 2023
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A voice-activated medical alert responds to voice commands in addition to the standard help button mechanism. Some of these systems, such as those from Medical Guardian, use wall-mounted help buttons that listen for your voice. Others, such as those from Aloe Care Health, have an extensive array of voice commands built into their base units.
Voice commands are a simple way to contact help during an emergency. Rather than pressing a physical button, all you need to do is say, “Emergency.” (The specific words to place a call may vary depending on the medical alert system.)
Voice-activated buttons are especially helpful for seniors who may struggle to use their medical alert button. If someone has arthritis or dexterity problems, for example, calling for help verbally may be quicker or easier than pressing a button.
| Companies evaluated | 8 |
|---|---|
| Hours of research | 100+ |
| Hours of product testing | 500+ |
| Ranking criteria | 5 |
| Finalists chosen | 3 |
To figure out the best voice-activated medical alert systems, we tested the following criteria:
FYI: Are you looking for a traditional medical alert system? Check out my picks for this year’s best medical alert system.
Offered by Amazon, Alexa Together turns your Echo device into a full-fledged medical alert system. With this service, users can contact urgent response agents, place drop-in calls to loved ones, and listen to music — all through a series of voice commands.
To make use of Alexa Together, you simply need to purchase an Echo device. We recommend the Echo Show ($129), which comes with a six-month free trial of Alexa Together. After this trial, Alexa Together costs $19.99 per month.
Once you have your Echo device set up, you can utilize a variety of commands:
Alexa’s features are highly varied; however, in our experience, the voice commands are very intuitive and easy to understand.
To learn more about the features of Alexa Together, read our Alexa Together review.
Aloe Care Health is unusual because it doesn’t fit the standard model of in-home base unit plus wearable. Instead, the system is built on a series of motion sensors and a central console to cover your entire home. In my series of test calls using Aloe Care Health, its monitoring team answered in an average of 19 seconds — a pretty quick response time.
My Aloe Care Health system allowed me to place emergency calls, check my home’s temperature, and even make nonemergency calls to preassigned contacts using only voice commands. This was one of my favorite features since not every call requires first responders. With this feature, you could easily contact a loved one for minor issues. With the Aloe Care Health app, caregivers can place direct calls to their loved one’s system.
Aloe Care Health prices are about middle of the road; its basic in-home system costs $29.99 per month. You must purchase the system rather than leasing it, however, which means there will be some start-up costs.
To learn more about my experience with this system, check out my full Aloe Care Health review.
A newcomer to the world of medical alert systems, HandsFree Health offers two devices: the WellBe watch and the voice-activated WellBe Smart Speaker. The devices can be purchased separately, but I’d recommend getting both for the full experience.
The WellBe smart speaker looks similar to Amazon’s Echo, and it functions in the same fashion. When you say, “OK, WellBe,” it begins listening, and you can then ask it to place a call, set a reminder, or even play music. The smart speaker can recognize up to six different voices, making it a great medical alert system for couples. When paired with the WellBe medical alert watch, it can also track your heart rate and step count, among other metrics.
HandsFree Health prices are a bit on the high end, with startup costs of $199.95 for the total package and $44.95 per month for monitoring. The system offers a unique array of voice commands and wellness tracking. This makes it a great option for older adults tracking their health. If you want only the smart speaker, you can use it as a medical alert with no fees.
To learn more about HandsFree Health, read my hands-on WellBe review.
Pro Tip: If you’re looking for a watch with medical alert features, check out my picks for the best smartwatch for seniors.
Medical Guardian is a well-known company with a wide range of medical alerts to suit every need and lifestyle. Medical Guardian systems don’t have the same range of voice commands as Aloe Care Health, but the company’s in-home systems can be paired with additional wall buttons that can contact the emergency response center when you say, “Call Medical Guardian.”
If you prefer not to wear a help button (or you’re prone to misplacing it), then these voice-activated buttons can be a great way to stay safe. Each button has a 1,350-foot range from the base station, so you’ll likely be able to keep yourself safe throughout your entire home.
Medical Guardian prices start at $29.95 per month, and the voice-activated wall buttons each cost $5 per month. I also appreciate that Medical Guardian requires no long-term contracts or equipment purchases, so you can cancel your service at any time and return your equipment.
To learn more about my experience with Medical Guardian, including its mobile systems, check out my full Medical Guardian review.