Rescue Alert makes some good quality medical alert devices

10-second breakdown:

Rescue Alert makes some of the best hardware around. They have several quality devices that are also used by a few other medical alert providers. A range of coverage options are also available to help you choose the right coverage.

The good:

The equipment is top of the line. 60-90 hour backup battery life. Waterproof emergency buttons. A decent (but kind of average) range of 600 feet.

Great customer service rating from their current users and a 15 second average response time from the call center.

Rescue Alert has a language line with translators available from over 150 different languages.

The bad:

There are no additional services available outside of the medical alert (no carbon monoxide, fire, etc.)

The range is around average, but not spectacular at 600 feet.

How it works:

Rescue Alert’s website is packed full of information and has everything you might need when making a decision. Want to know some frequently asked questions? No problem. Looking for reasons to choose Rescue Alert? Absolutely!

Getting set up with Rescue Alert is very smooth as well. You can purchase your plan and accessories online or give them a call at their toll-free phone number.

Rescue Alert offers quite a few different options for medical alert systems. First up is the ‘MXD,’ which comes with a base station and a panic button pendant. The panic button’s normal range is 600 feet, give or take depending on the house. Rescue Alert promotes it as the most advanced base station in the market as it can monitor its own battery and the battery of the panic button, as well as automatically test itself every 25-30 days and can be configured to monitor a medication dispenser to boot.

There are a few other notable bells and whistles you can choose to add. For instance, if you’re concerned about being attacked by a home invader Rescue Alert can monitor for that as well. When you hit the panic button the MDX won’t let out a noise like it would for a medical emergency. Rescue Alert’s phone line attendant will listen in over the medical alert device specifically for any information they can pass onto the police. Any information is sent to the emergency response center immediately and the operator passes on the call and offender info to the authorities.

The MXD can be plugged into a traditional landline, cable phone, or VOIP line. Even if it has quite a few fancy features the actual base station is still easy to operate with just a single blue ‘Help’ button on the top.

If you like the sound of the MDX but already cut the phone cord, that’s not an issue. The ‘MDX3G’ is similar to the MDX but runs off of AT&T’s 3G cellular network.

All of the technology Rescue Alert uses was developed and pioneered in-house. For that reason, they were the first to utilize a 3G cellular network and the first in the industry to have a completely Cable and VOIP friendly device.

Rescue Alert also offers the preceding model to the MDX, the ‘RA400.’ The RA400 comes with a base station and panic button similar to the MDX. The range is still 600 feet but the RA400 will only work with traditional landlines.

If Rescue Alert is offering the next generation of the RA400, the MDX, why are they still selling the previous model? While the MDX is a step up as far as technology and capabilities are concerned, the RA400 still has a few advantages. The battery backup life is significantly better with the RA400, it’s estimated to be 90 hours compared with the MDX’s 60.

The RA400 is also significantly cheaper than the MDX. If you’re only looking for a medical alert system and don’t care about frilly but convenient technology features the RA400 is definitely worth a look. The only downside is there isn’t a 3G model so you’re going to need a landline.

All emergency calls go out to Rescue Alert’s ‘Response Center.’ All operators are required to get their Emergency Medical Dispatch and CPR certification. This is the same certification required for 911 dispatch operators and enables Rescue Alert to provide a higher level of care that most other medical alert companies can’t match.

It’s not necessarily a fault but Rescue Alert doesn’t offer many services outside of their basic medical monitoring. While many other companies will add additional products like smoke detection or a combination lockbox rescue workers can use to get your house key, Rescue Alert focuses on only the medical alert monitoring.

Two products that are notably missing though are a fall detection button and a GPS-enabled mobile device. Many companies offer an upgrade to your panic button to make it automatically call out if a sudden drop is detected and a separate station entirely equipped with a GPS for when you leave the house to go out. Rescue Alert does offer a version of its panic button with a ‘soft touch button’ that’s easier to press for seniors without fine motor skills, but if you are an active person and like to hit the town keep in mind that your medical alert system will be left at home.

In addition to the impressive technology, what brings in a lot of customers for Rescue Alert is their ‘LanguageLine Services.’ They partnered with LanguageLine Solutions, a translating industry leader with more than 20 years experience, to communicate with customers in their native tongue. If your senior is more comfortable in a different language than English, you can rest assured Rescue Alert and LanguageLine can handle it!

For complete rankings of all medical alert systems, go here.

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