Senior Safety Review


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Updated: September 25, 2023

American Senior Safety Advanced Medical Device

WHO IS SENIOR SAFETY?

Senior Safety is formally known as American Senior Safety and has been in the medical alert device business since 1996. Their customer service and tech support teams are headquartered in Culver City, California. They claim to keep their prices low because they do not spend money on advertising or TV commercials. Senior Safety’s motto is affordability, honesty and reliability. Their 24/7 monitoring centers have a well-trained EMD certified emergency dispatch team that speaks over 150 languages. In 2017, Senior Safety acquired American Medical Alarm and now have combined resources to provide competitive pricing and a good range of medical alert products and equipment. They promise to keep their medical alert services risk free by offering a 30-day money back guarantee and no long-term contracts are required. You may request a free brochure on their website as well as use their handy chat feature to speak with a representative.

 

REVIEW SUMMARY

Senior Safety has a well-rounded service package with a more personable sales approach. What we mean is that they appear to be more up front than some of their competitors about their equipment and their 3rd party monitoring service provider. They also don’t try to make it too difficult to find out information about their company, as other medical alert companies may do. We also appreciate their 30-day money back guarantee and no-long term contracts.

There are four medical alert system packages that Senior Safety offers with the option to add automatic fall detection to the first three systems below:

1. Home Alert with or without Fall Detection: In-home system that uses a landline. This system has a unique feature called “family check-in.” You can check in on your aging loved one through the base unit’s two-way speaker system. It also has a medical alert button range with 1,000 feet that will work inside and around the outside of your home and is completely waterproof. The system features Answer Assist which can allow you to answer calls by pushing your medical alert button. Add automatic fall detection for an additional monthly fee.

2. Home Alert Cellular System with or without Fall Detection: In-home system that does not require a landline and has an easy set-up. It is powered off of AT&T’s cellular network, however you do not need a plan with AT&T to utilize this service as all costs are included in your monthly fee. You will need 4G LTE cellular coverage available in your area to use this service. Add automatic fall detection for an additional monthly fee.

3. Mobile-Go Alert System: Small button that gives you on-the-go medical alert coverage with GPS tracking and is showerproof. It must be worn around the neck if order to detect falls. The GPS works off the AT&T network so be sure you have coverage in your area. Also available with the automatic fall detection add-on feature.

4. Smartwatch: Senior Safety has recently come out with a Mobile-Go Smartwatch. This water-resistant watch provides 24-hour emergency response with just a push of a button. We like that you can add automatic fall detection for an additional cost.

Senior Safety vs. CVS Symphony Medical Alert System

Service Provider: Senior Safety was formally known as American Senior Safety and have owned and operated their medical alert monitoring company since 1996. CVS Medical Alert is a reseller service provided by CVS Health, in partnership with Aloe Care Health.

Pricing: The CVS Medical Alert system has a starting cost of $29.99 per month with an equipment fee starting at $149.99. Senior Safety, however, starts at $19.99 per month with no initial cost for equipment or their in-home systems. However, their mobile options do have a one-time equipment fee.

Contract and Cancellation: Both CVS and Senior Safety systems do not require long-term contracts and allow you to cancel at any time.

Features:  Senior Safety recently added a SmartWatch as a mobile medical alert option. Otherwise, their offerings are similar to many others in the industry. CVS Medical Alert, on the other hand offers features like temperature and air quality monitoring, caregiver app, and automatic fall detection in their Essential Bundle.

Support and Response: Both services provide 24/7 emergency response services. CVS’s monitoring service is provided by Aloe Care Health and is a TMA Five Diamond Certified center. Senior Safety does not own their monitoring center and it is not TMA Five Diamond Certified.

PROS

No equipment or set-up charges, free shipping, month-to-month contract, 30-day money back guarantee, lifetime price lock guarantee, automatic weekly tests of the console to the central monitoring station, CPR and EMD certified operators, and 150 foreign languages available. Lots of medical alert coverage options including GPS and automatic fall detection.

CONS

Do not operate their own monitoring facility, no pill reminder option. Need to pay first two months in advance. No-phone line system and Mobile GPS system require AT&T to be available in your area. No wellness or activity monitoring options. No carbon monoxide or smoke detector options available. Monitoring center is not TMA Five Diamond certified.

Senior Safety vs. Lifeline

Senior Safety and Lifeline both feature an in-home system, with or without a landline, that includes automatic fall detection as an add-on feature and a mobile on-the-go system option. Both companies offer a cancel at any time policy with no long-term contracts. Senior Safety however has much more simplified pricing options and is more affordable than Lifeline’s systems. Both companies do not have TMA Five Diamond certified monitoring centers, however, Lifeline does own and operate their center where as Senior Safety does not.

RATING: 3.5

 

COMPARE DEVICE FEATURES:

PROS & CONS TO CONSIDER

How did Senior Safety do?
Price
Senior Safety Review
Cost for EquipmentFree equipment with free shipping when paying quarterly or annually.
Cost Per MonthMonthly fees start at $19.00 and they require the first 2 months to be paid in advance.
Advance Payment DiscountsNo
Monitoring Agreement TermMonth-to-month
Repairs or Replacement ChargesNone, replacements shipped. If the pendant is lost there’s a $35.00 replacement fee. You can add an optional protection plan for an additional $4.00 per month.
Cancellation Policy & Discounts
Senior Safety Review
Cancel at Any TimeYes, has 30-day money back guarantee and you must return the equipment upon cancellation.
Senior DiscountNo
Other DiscountsRefer a friend program. Receive one month free when they sign up.
Equipment
Senior Safety Review
Approximate Button Range in Typical HomePanic button range 1,000′ from base unit.
Watch/Button Battery LifeButton reports when battery is low but lasts about 5 years.
What Happens if I Lose PowerThe in-home system has approximately 60 hours of battery back-up. Home phone service must be working for the medical alarm system to work in a power outage. If you have VoIP phone service through your cable TV provider (or other internet phone service) instead of a traditional landline, you may have issues during power interruptions.
Is the Watch/Button WaterproofYes, 100% waterproof and can be worn in the shower or bath
How Can The Button Be WornNeck or wrist – you must choose when ordering. You can order an additional shower button for $95.00 or a wall button for $70.00.
UL Certified EquipmentYes
Does The System Automatically Test Itself To The Monitoring CenterWeekly automatic test of the base unit. They suggest testing your button on a monthly basis.
24 Hour Technical & Customer SupportMonday-Friday 6am-6pm PST
Saturday-Sunday 6am-5pm PST
Call 1-888-473-2800
Monitoring Station
Senior Safety Review
TMA Five Diamond Certified Monitoring CenterNo
Typical Response Time When Button PressedApproximately 20-30 Seconds
Other Options & Information
Senior Safety Review
How Fast Does System ShipOrders usually ship same day. Takes approximately 3-4 days for delivery. Overnight shipping is available for $45.00.
Do You Need Separate Systems For Mom & DadNo. $35.00 charge for additional button.
Optional Advanced Features
Senior Safety Review
Activity or Inactivity MonitoringNo
Senior Fall DetectionYes
Cellular or No Phone LineYes
Smoke or Carbon Monoxide ProtectionNo
GPS Medical Alert Tracking SystemYes
Special Offers
Senior Safety Review
Special Offers For Our VisitorsNone at this time

 

MONTHLY COSTS & FEES

Senior Safety offers very competitive medical alert monthly fees in the marketplace. They do not require any long-term contracts so you can cancel anytime. When you sign up, you will be asked to pay 2 months in advance. If you sign up in the middle of the month, the first month will be prorated. With such competitive monthly costs, we feel this is a minor inconvenience. Shipping is free when you pay quarterly or annually and there are no added equipment costs. Please note, they do not offer advanced payment discounts. Senior Safety also offers a lifetime price guarantee so once you are a customer, your payment will never increase. The Mobile-Go Alert has a one-time device cost of $75 and the Smartwatch has a one-time device cost of $99.

 

Senior SafetyCost Per MonthCost for Fall DetectionShipping
Home Alert System$19.00+ $10.00$9.95
Home Alert Cellular System$29.00+ $10.00$9.95
Mobile GPS On-the-Go$30.00+ $10.00$9.95
Smartwatch$34.00+ $10.00$9.95

 

WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT SENIOR SAFETY

30-Day Money Back Guarantee – You have to pay your first two months up front, but you have 30 days to be sure you’re satisfied. Depending on the time of the month that you sign up, your first month will be prorated.

Automatic Weekly Tests – The system’s console will automatically test weekly to the monitoring station. This ensures your system is communicating properly and will give you added peace of mind.

Flexible Monitoring Agreement – With no long-term contracts, you can cancel at any time. Be sure to return the equipment back to receive your refund.

Fall Detector Option – Since diabetics can have the tendency to faint and other seniors may be labeled fall risks, fall detectors can be helpful because the user would be unable to press their medical emergency button. This feature is available as an add-on to all their systems.

No Phone Line/Cellular Option – Since not every household has a traditional telephone line, having a reliable no phone line option is a must. Keep in mind AT&T coverage must be available in your area.

Mobile GPS Option – For seniors or even young children on the go, this may be an important option for you. You can carry your medical alert device with you and the GPS will be able to pinpoint your location should you need help.

Family Check-In Feature – Gives family members a special code that allows them to call their loved one’s home and enter a code to allow them to talk to their loved one through the medical alert console. This could be useful if your loved one has not answered the phone when you call but you know they should be home. You both can speak to each other hands-free.

Long Button Range – Per Senior Safety, their in-home medical alert system has a button range of 1,000 feet. This allows you to use the button inside and even just outside your home.

Affordable Monthly Fees – Senior Safety’s Advanced In-Home system starts at only $19.00 a month and you are guaranteed that once you are a member the price will never go up. All of their systems are competitively priced for the medical alert monitoring industry.

 

WHAT WE DISLIKE ABOUT SENIOR SAFETY

Do Not Own Monitoring Center – They do not monitor their accounts themselves, but they do work with a national monitoring center that is UL Listed and fully redundant. We prefer companies who own and operate their monitoring centers for better quality control.

No TMA Five Diamond Monitoring Center – This is an important certification that requires an annual renewal. It shows a commitment to a high level of medical alert monitoring service. Again, we prefer companies who have the TMA Five Diamond Monitoring Center distinction.

No Activity Monitoring – Activity monitoring typically requires the user to check in with the system by pressing a button once every 24 hours. This is very beneficial as it allows you to know that your loved one is active and about each day.

No Pill Reminder Option – Having the system remind you of when to take medication is a nice feature, although not required by all. Many of these services have the main unit console provide some sort of beep reminder on regular interval to remind you of when to take your medication. The downside to this option is that it will not tell you what or how much medication to take.

No Carbon Monoxide or Smoke Detection – Both are important features to have in your home and monitored devices can provide more protection.

 

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SENIOR SAFETY

Senior Safety has TrustPilot reviews on their website and they are mostly positive. The comments that seem to be repeated are that users are happy with the customer service they’ve received from Senior Safety as well as the speed of shipment and ease of installation. Most users are satisfied with the monitoring service and pricing of Senior Safety.

With 85% of the reviews we found on Senior Safety being positive, it was hard to find genuine negative reviews. The few we saw were users having trouble testing their unit.

Senior Safety has an A+ Better Business Bureau rating and is BBB accredited, at the time of this review, with one complaint on file.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)

What is the Best Medical Alert System for Seniors?
Here are Medical Alert Advice, we rate our systems based on affordability, reliability, selection of medical alert services offered, medical alert monitoring expertise and user reviews. Please visit our review summary page to view all our medical alert reviews, compare them side by side and see their star ratings.

Does AARP Recommend a Medical Alert System?
Yes, AARP advocates for seniors to use medical alert systems to help them age-in-place longer in their homes. It also is a great tool for caregivers to monitor their aging loved ones.

Does Medicare pay for a Senior Safety Medical Alert Device?
Medicare does not typically pay for medical alert providers or medical alert costs, such as Senior Safety services. Please see our Medicare/Medicaid blog post for a detailed response.

Can I Use a Senior Safety Medical Alert Device in the Shower?
Yes, both the Home Alert buttons and the Mobile On-the-Go options are water proof and shower safe.

 

BOTTOM LINE

Senior Safety has a well-rounded service package with a more personable sales approach. We like the fact that the sales rep suggested getting the okay from our loved one before ordering. They feel the emergency response systems are embraced when the loved one has a say in the matter. Other companies have suggested we simply order a system and present it to our loved one without their prior knowledge.

On a recent call with the company, the sales representative was very patient and friendly when going over product questions. There was absolutely no push to make a sale. With such a detailed website and online chat feature, you may not even need to call to make your purchase or to have your questions answered.

Senior Safety offers one of the lowest monthly fees of all medical alert monitoring services in the market. Considering you do not need to sign a long-term contract, it makes their product easy to try. Please note you do have to pay the first two months in advance which is somewhat unique to their company. Their cancellation policy and free shipping for advanced payments are both great benefits. All of their systems have automatic fall detection available as an add-on feature.

We do prefer companies that monitor their own accounts in their own TMA 5-Diamond monitoring center. This provides potentially better quality control with less parties involved, although few companies actually meet this criteria. We’d also love to see Senior Safety add features such as pill reminders, carbon monoxide and smoke detection monitoring as well as activity monitoring.

They can also monitor more than one person in the same home for an added charge. See our tip: Two Medical Alert Monitoring Systems For The Price of One? for more information on this type of service offering.

We have utilized their chat function to answer a few questions we had and found it useful and easy to use. Overall, we are happy with the sales process at Senior Safety and they have enough options to satisfy most senior home monitoring needs.

Although our experience with this company had these results, your experience may be different. If you’re interested in this company’s services, contact them to judge for yourself.