Daily check-in service vs medical alert pendant: which one do you need?

I get asked this a lot, usually by an adult son or daughter: "Should Mom have one of those buttons, or this?" The honest answer is that they do different jobs. Here is how I think about it.

How a medical alert pendant works

A medical alert system is a button you wear, usually on a pendant or a wristband. When you press it, it connects you to a monitoring centre, or calls the people you have chosen, depending on the service. Some models also try to detect a fall automatically. Some only work inside the home, near a base unit. Others work anywhere with a cell signal.

What it is great at: getting help fast when you know something is wrong and can press the button.

Where it falls short: it only helps if it is on you. Many people take it off to shower, to sleep, or because it feels like a sign of being old. A pendant on the dresser can't help anyone. Many also come with a monthly fee and sometimes an equipment cost, so it is worth comparing a few providers.

How a daily check-in works

A daily check-in service turns it around. Instead of waiting for you to ask for help, it reaches out to you. With MyDailyCheck, you get a short call or text at a time you choose. You press 1 or reply OK. If you don't answer, we try again, then let the people in your Care Circle know, one at a time, so someone can check on you.

What it is great at: catching the days when something has gone wrong and you can't ask for help. There is nothing to wear, charge, or remember. It works on the phone you already have, including a landline.

Where it falls short: it only checks at the times you set. If you fall an hour after your morning call, nobody will know until your next check-in is missed. It is also not a monitoring centre. MyDailyCheck never calls 911. The people you choose decide what to do.

Side by side

• Who starts it: a pendant needs you to press it (or detect a fall). A check-in comes to you.
• What you need: a pendant needs a device you wear and keep charged or in range. A check-in needs any phone.
• How quickly someone knows: a pendant can be immediate, once it is pressed or detects a fall. With MyDailyCheck, your first contact is usually told within 15 to 60 minutes of a missed check-in, depending on your settings. But a problem that starts after your check-in waits until the next one.
• Who responds: many pendants connect to a monitoring centre. A check-in reaches the family, friends and neighbours you choose.
• Privacy: neither needs a camera. A check-in only knows whether you answered.

Which one should you choose?

A daily check-in on its own makes sense if:

• You are generally well and independent, and want a safety net in case something happens.
• You know you would not wear a pendant every day.
• You have family, friends or neighbours who could check on you.
• You want something simple that works on the phone you have.

A pendant is worth serious thought if:

• You have fallen before, or your doctor has said you are at higher risk.
• You have a health condition that can come on suddenly.
• You want a human at a monitoring centre to answer at any hour.

Many people use both

They fit together well. The pendant covers the moment you can signal for help. The daily check-in covers the day you can't, or the day the pendant is sitting on the dresser. If you are not sure, talk it through with your doctor, and with the people who would be on your contact list.