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Who is Alarm.com?
Alarm.com was founded in 2000 and they provide whole home protection with their smart home security solution. They utilize authorized service providers to sell and install their products. Alarm.com claims to have millions of users nationwide and they were the first to launch a home security mobile app in 2007. Their Wellness solution launched in 2015 which leveraged their home security to help seniors live independently longer. Alarm.com is a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: ALRM) and is headquartered in Vienna, Virginia. You can compare Alarm.com with our Medical Guardian reviews to see which has the best option.
Alarm.com offers a Wellness solution that is different from traditional Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS).
Here are some distinct differences:
- Ability to unlock doors for first responders.
- Notifies caregivers of unusual activity by tracking your loved one’s behaviors and analyzing trends
- Works with bed sensors for nighttime safety
- Creates automated routines with temperature, lights and security
- Detect nighttime falls when most users do not wear their alert buttons by sensing when they are not in bed and there is no activity detected after a period of time.
What is Wellness & How Does it Work?
Alarm.com’s Wellness solution uses discreet wireless sensors throughout your loved one’s living space. Wellcam™ tracks activity to give caregivers a real-time look at your loved one’s well-being such as bathroom habits, sleep patterns and so on.
With Wellcam™ your loved one can talk directly to you through your Wellness App and they will be able to use the Call-out button to connect directly anyone’s smartphone. It features a speaker that is easy to hear.
Alarm.com’s Wellness solution can also screen for potential dangers within their living environment and track wellness such as medication monitoring by letting you know if the medicine cabinet has been opened or not. You can stay connected through calls, texts, emails and a dedicated web portal.
Alarm.com creates and maintains the mobile app and customer website. They partner with local security providers that give their customers access to the platform along with chosen features. Likewise, the security company also provides the customer with compatible equipment including security panels, video cameras, home automation devices, and sensors that may work with the security panel you have already, or a new one if yours is not compatible with Alarm.com.
The security panels that Alarm.com are compatible with all have a back-up battery systems that allow for continued functionality in the event of a power failure. The Alarm.com platform detects the power loss from the panel, and the notifies the customer of the power failure. Most back-up batteries last approximately 24-hours and are automatically recharged once power is restored. Most security panels are UL listed too so they meet certain standards.
Alarm.com’s platform does automatic checks on all devices on the system. The customer is then able to be knowledgeable of devices that go into malfunction (no longer able to make contact with the system), have a low battery (notified when a device is under 30% battery life), or if a device goes into tamper (when a sensor is physically opened and the tamper switch is released).
Wellness Equipment Available:
Alarm.com Bed Sensor
- Alarm.com LTE Alarm Panel Specific Module
- Door Sensors
- Motion Sensors
- Bed/Chair Sensors
- Stationary Emergency Buttons
- Wearable Pendants
- Water/Flood/Freeze Sensors
- Smart Thermostats
Alarm.com Emergency Button
- Smart Door Locks
- Z-Wave Light Control
- Video Cameras
- Video Doorbells
Choose the Wellness Solution package you need by discussing the options with a certified Alarm.com dealer in your area.
Pros
Latest medical alert technology, medication monitoring, activity monitoring and caregiving dashboard. Complete security solution that can include smoke detection, carbon monoxide monitoring, and flood detection. Professional installation, GPS location and fall detection technology too.
Cons
Hard to find pricing and product information. Can require a multi-year agreement. Up-front costs can be expensive. Monitoring level of service will depend on which service provider you choose to purchase your Alarm.com services through. Most Alarm.com dealers are security professionals so they may not be as well versed on the needs of seniors as traditional medical alert companies are.
Monthly Costs & Fees
When you contact Alarm.com for pricing information, they give you a few dealers in your area to reach out to. It’s up to you to give each one a call for pricing information.
Here are some sample package prices from a dealer in the Miami Ft Lauderdale area in Southern Florida. Remember, since Alarm.com’s devices are sold through home security dealers throughout the country, prices can vary greatly. The information provided below will give you a general idea. The package names are from a specific dealer so they most likely will not be the same with other Alarm.com dealers.
The Wellness Essentials package offered to us includes the control panel, panic pendent, bed sensor, door sensor, motion senor and mobile app for $299.00 upfront and $49.00 per month, with a 2-year agreement.
Their Wellness Premier package includes the control panel, motion sensor, door sensor, medication management sensor, bed sensor, panic pendent, wellness button, temperature sensor and mobile app for $399.00 upfront and $59.00 per month, with a 2-year contract.
Again, these are a general idea of pricing for Alarm.com’s Wellness products. You will have to call around to dealers in your area to compare contract length, equipment pricing and monthly monitoring fees.
What We Like About Wellness From Alarm.com
Professional Installation – Alarm.com’s systems are only available through authorized Alarm.com dealers, so most will required professional installation. Since these systems are typically more involved to install, you will see less DIY options available.
More Sensor Options – We like that Alarm.com offers bed and chair sensors along with your typical help buttons and fall detector pendants.
Fall Detector Options – Falls are a huge concern among seniors and their loved ones. Fall detectors can be helpful because the user may be unable to press their button in a medical emergency. Alarm.com not only has fall detection pendants, but the Alarm.com’s Wellness service is unique as it can notify you of a fall even if the user is not wearing their emergency fall detection button. By using normal activity patterns and bed, motion, or other sensors, Alarm.com can notify you if something is not typical for you loved one which could indicate a fall.
Medication Monitoring Option – The future of the medical alert industry is wellness monitoring and Alarm.com provides solutions to help ensure your loved one’s medication is managed properly.
Normal Activity Patterns – Alarm.com’s Wellness service uses sensors throughout the home to monitor the activity of your loved one and can notify you if their activity pattern is not typical for them. This is very beneficial as it allows you to know that your loved one is active and about each day and can alert if something is out of the norm.
Full Home Security Options – Since Alarm.com is provided by professional security dealers, their Wellness service can also have home security, smoke and carbon monoxide detection, video cameras, smart lights and locks, and smart thermostats as part of their service package. With all of these devices integrated into one complete system, features like the furnace fan automatically shutting off so smoke won’t spread throughout the house if there’s a fire or lights turning on automatically if the burglar alarm goes off are just a couple of examples.
Wellcam™ & Wellness App – With the Wellcam you loved one can talk directly to you though the Wellness App and notify you of activity in the home. You can also do a quick visual check-in too.
What We Dislike About Wellness From Alarm.com
Limited Product and Pricing Information – Alarm.com provides very little detail about their products and no pricing information online. It takes multiple calls to various providers to get pricing information.
Higher Costs Compared To Traditional Medical Alert Companies – The Alarm.com Wellness options will have higher up-front costs and monthly fees, although you will receive a comprehensive service not available through many other providers.
Long-Term Contract – You will most likely be asked to sign a long-term monitoring contract with whomever provider you choose to sign up with.
Monitoring Service – Your monitoring service options will be up to the service provider you choose to purchase Alarm.com’s Wellness products through. We prefer a company that owns and operates a TMA 5-Diamond Certified center.
Most Security Dealers Are Not Medical Alert Specialists – Since you will most likely purchase this service through as security dealer, they may not be as well versed on senior care and needs as a traditional medical alert service provider.
Bottom Line
Alarm.com Wellness Solution is more than just an emergency button and is much different from the typical medical alert company we normally review. It is an overall wellness safety net for seniors. We love that you can establish activity patterns, monitor wellness habits and so much more with their senior safety solution.
It offers automatic fall detection and covers your loved one at night when most do not wear their emergency pendant. This system may also be perfect for senior’s with dementia as they may forget to wear an emergency pendant at all so you can rely on activity patterns to detect abnormal changes in behaviors.
Information about Wellness can be hard to find, and you will need to talk to a variety of dealers in your area in order to compare plans and prices. Since the monitoring service and pricing will vary from provider to provider, we cannot provide exact service packages and pricing.
Alarm.com is BBB accredited and has an A+ Better Business Bureau rating at the time of this review.
