ADT vs. Medical Guardian

Medical emergencies can happen at any time especially to seniors who are considered to be at their most vulnerable age. Caregivers and family members may not always be able to come when they’re needed most, which gave way to the innovative solution that allows the elderly to retain their independent, active lifestyles while knowing that help is always available if they need it.

ADT and Medical Guardian are established companies that specialize in providing medical alert systems to the elderly. Their products and services are both intelligently designed to help seniors raise their independent living a notch higher with their unique technology and advanced features. Now, we will compare them side by side to examine the quality of their features and services and help you decide which suits your preferences better.

We have assessed the standards of these two systems to provide you a thorough comparison based on their features, cost, and services.

	ADT	Medical Guardian
Overall Grade	Overall Grade: A	Overall Grade: A
Costs
Monthly Cost Price	$29.99 - $39.99	$29.95 - $39.95
Device Cost	$0	$0 - $199.95
Shipping Fee	n/a	$12.5
Cancellation Fee	No fee	No fee
Fall Detection Fee	$0 - $10	$1 - $10
Cellular Fee	n/a	n/a
Spouse Monitoring	$NaN - $NaN	$0 - $2.99
Features
Connectivity Option	Cellular or Landline	Cellular or Landline
Two-way Speaker & Microphone	Yes	Yes
Home-based Back Up Battery Life	20 hours or 20 hours	32 hours
On-the-go Battery Life	40 hours	120 hours, 120 hours or 24 hours
Button Range	300 ft or 600 ft	1400 ft, 500 ft or 1300 ft
Water Resistant	Yes	Yes
GPS Tracking	Yes, some plans	Yes, some plans
Caregiver App	No	Yes, some plans
Response Time	10 seconds or 10 seconds	20 seconds
More Details	See All Plans	See All Plans

ADT

Pros:

• No long-term contracts
• Reliable professional monitoring
• Lifetime warranty on all systems
• Price-lock guarantee
• 6-month money-back guarantee
• Free shipping fee and activation
• No hidden fees
• 24/7/365 monitoring

Cons:

• Low range for in-home systems
• No companion app for caregivers
• Short battery life
• Limited features

Medical Guardian

Pros:

• Availability of automatic fall detection feature
• Availability of GPS location tracking feature
• 24/7 US-based monitoring
• Highly customizable plans
• Wide in-home range capacity
• Anytime cancellation policy
• Comprehensive systems

Cons:

• Spouse monitoring is not available on all devices
• Expensive upfront costs and fees

ADT OVERVIEW

With a 75-year experience in providing high quality medical alert systems, ADT has earned its reputation to be one of the most trusted names in the industry. They operate a total of nine emergency monitoring centers across 200 locations in the U.S. ADT’s medical alert services are designed to efficiently sustain the essentials of a medical alert system without the nonessential trimmings and features. They stand out specifically because their monitoring centers are TMA Five Diamond Certified and UL-approved. They also earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. They have centers located in strategic places across the U.S in a redundant network, which means that when one monitoring loses function, a backup center will take over so that they can still respond to emergency situations. ADT offers a range of systems to choose from, which are all thorough yet comprehensive, ranging from its Medical Alert Basic System, Medical Alert Plus System, and On-the-go system.

Medical Alert Systems

Medical Alert Basic System

ADT's Medical Alert Basic System is the best option for seniors who stay inside their homes most of the time and has a standard phone line. It is the cheapest plan that ADT Health offers, with its base price that starts at $29.99 per month. This includes an in-home base unit that connects to a standard landline connection, and a waterproof help button that can be worn as a wristband or pendant. In case of an emergency, users can press the help button and they will immediately connect with a trained emergency responder who will be dispatched to the location to manage the situation as needed.

It has home temperature monitoring, which sends an alert if your home temperature goes below or above the normal level. However, it has a restrictive device range, as it can only cover a radius of 300ft from the base station, which is lower than the range capacity of other medical alert systems we have reviewed.

Medical Alert Plus System

Medical Alert Plus is an upgraded model of the Medical Alert Basic system which is good for seniors who like to be outdoors more often. This plan costs $35.99 a month, and it does not require a standard landline connection as it connects to the AT & T network.

With a 600ft device range from the base, users can roam around the house with more protection. This range capacity is enough for seniors who have a standard-sized home with few rooms. It also has a home-temperature monitoring feature and can be upgraded to have fall detection monitoring for only $10 a month. Users can also opt to add an optional waterproof wall mount button that can be placed anywhere inside the house or multiple pendant options for added protection.

On-The-Go Medical Alert System

ADT’s on-the-go system is designed for seniors who have an active lifestyle and tend to be always out and about. This plan comes with a lightweight, water-proof, portable device which you can bring anywhere. It is equipped with a built-in GPS location tracking feature, features a wireless connection with a two-way talk, and it can also be upgraded to have an optional fall detection feature, which uses sensors to detect a fall and automatically contacts the ADT monitoring center for help.

Medical Guardian Overview Medical Guardian is one of the most prominent in the monitoring and medical alert industry. Established in 2005, they provide 24/7/365 monitoring covering all 50 states with their headquarters located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Medical Guardian's core values focus on customer satisfaction, innovation, passion for purpose, building relationships, and excellence in results.

Depending on your preferences, Medical Guardian has a wide range of systems to choose from: Classic Guardian (landline), Home 2.0, Mobile 2.0, Mini Guardian, and Active Guardian. Their systems can either connect to a standard landline connectivity or through the AT&T Cellular Network. The company's devices are water resistant with a built-in two-way speaker and microphone, which allows you to communicate with their 24/7 response center.

Medical Guardian offers packages that are highly customizable, which offers autonomy on the part of the customers, as they have control on what to include or exclude in their purchase.

Medical Alert Systems

Classic Guardian

The Classic Guardian costs $29.95 per month. One good thing about Medical Guardian is that they offer flexible payment terms: annual, quarterly, or monthly basis, without requiring the user to sign a long-term contract. The device can connect to a standard landline connectivity and a wearable fall detection option for an additional $10/month. The base unit has a range of 1300ft and can last up to 32 hours on battery backup. Plus, this device is water-resistant and features an SOS flashlight.

Home 2.0

Home 2.0 costs $34.95 per month, with a one-time device fee of $124.95. The system includes a base unit and help button, which connects through the AT&T cellular network. Users can choose between a neck pendant or a wristband available in either white or black. An optional wall-mounted button is available on this model. You may also opt to add a wearable fall detection device for an additional $10 per month, which is the industry’s standard charge for this feature.

The base unit has two-way communication, as well as a backup battery that can last up to 32 hours. The device range is up to 1400ft from the base unit, which is an extensive range that can provide protection anywhere in your home.

Mobile 2.0

The Mobile 2.0 is best for seniors who want reliable in-home and on-the-go coverage. This system comes with a portable, lightweight base unit that can be clipped to your belt or carried in a purse, which can be purchased for a monthly monitoring fee of $39.95 with a one-time device cost of $124.95.

It also has a personal help button that can be worn as a pendant or wristband. It mainly features a built-in speaker and microphone for efficient two-way communication, and it also has a long-lasting battery that can last up to 5 days.

The Mobile 2.0 device is water resistant so it can withstand getting wet, and it can even be carried in the shower or during rainstorms. The personal help button can also work up to 500ft away from the base unit.

Mini Guardian

The Mini Guardian is among the lineup of Medical guardian for its on-the-go devices. It comes with a lightweight, wearable help button that can be purchased for a monthly monitoring fee of $39.95 and a one-time device cost of $149.95. Considering the size, it fits the seniors who want a medical alert device that may otherwise be virtually unseen. Additionally, it has a long-lasting battery that can last up to 5 days. This device is water-resistant, so it is safe to use even in damp environments.

It also includes an HD speaker and microphone which ensures a clear communication with the responder in case of an emergency. Mini Guardian can be upgraded to include automatic fall detection for an additional $10 a month, which will automatically call for help if the user falls and is unable to press their button.

MG Move

MG Move is a smart way to stay safe and connected anywhere you go. It comes with a water-resistant Smartwatch that offers a full suite of advanced monitoring tools, as it includes a touch screen display, a built-in speaker and microphone, and an SOS button. It also features a step tracker and a weather app. It connects to a cellular connection, so it works anywhere with a strong cellular signal. The device costs $39.95 a month with a one-time equipment fee of $199.95. MG Move comes with a free automatic fall detection upgrade, which will automatically call for help if the user falls and is unable to press their button.

Comparing ADT and Medical Guardian’s costs, ADT’s pricing options are generally more affordable. Plus, their rates are surprisingly transparent, as there are no long-term contracts or hidden fees. ADT also has a price-lock guarantee, which ensures that their rates will not increase throughout your subscription. They also have flexible payment terms which provide a range of options to its customers.

Medical Guardian, on the other hand, offers their systems at rates that are a touch higher than ADT. ADT’s monitoring fee ranges at $29.99-$39.99 per month, with no additional upfront fee for any of its devices, while Medical Guardian costs $29.95-$39.95, with an upfront device cost that ranges from $124.95-$199.95. Both have systems that are compatible with an added feature of fall-detection for a $10 cost on top of the basic monthly pay.

ADT and Medical Guardian belong to the top-tier medical alert providers that provide reliable protection and monitoring for the elderly. When it comes to features, Medical Guardian really steals the stage for its technologically-inclined devices.

ADT highlights its reliable and advanced monitoring, as it provides premium protection with their systems that particularly focus on essential functions and building it from there. Medical Guardian, on the other hand, gives its customers a decent lineup of alert systems with different add-ons to choose from, allowing seniors to build their own system according to their preferences.

Both have two-way communication, can connect to either landline or cellular connection, have GPS location tracking, and are compatible with fall detection features. ADT has a battery backup of 20 hours for its home-based system and 40 hours for its on-the-go system as compared to Medical Guardian which has a battery backup of 32 hours for its home systems, and 5 days for its on-the-go systems. As for its range, Medical Guardian offers a wider range of 1400-ft compared to the 600-ft coverage of ADT.

Monitoring Center

The Monitoring Center functions as the heart of every medical alert system. With this, it plays an important factor in the efficiency of monitoring and emergency response functions of a life alert system.

While ADT and Medical Guardian both have TMA Five Diamond Certified monitoring centers that operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays, and provide nationwide coverage across all 50 states in the country, ADT’s monitoring centers have a slight advantage as they are certified by various third-party accrediting bodies. Apart from having a TMA Five Diamond Certification, they are also UL-certified, and FM-approved, which means that the centers adhere to the highest standards in the industry.

When it comes to response rate, Medical Guardian responds to an alert on an average of 20 seconds, while ADT's can do the same in as fast as 10 seconds, which is the most impressive response rate we've seen among other providers we have reviewed.

OUR PICK

As Elderguide is geared towards providing you data-driven reviews, we base all our recommendations on our objective-based assessment. Between ADT and Medical Guardian, we recommend ADT as a better option especially for seniors who prioritize cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Medical Guardian has all the advanced tech and tools to improve the lifestyle of its users, but it may not be too budget-friendly. It also offers remarkable services, considering the convenience that its systems bring- if you’re willing to pay the price.

Aside from ADT’s exceptional monitoring service, their systems concentrate on providing essential functions of a top-tier medical alert system without the bells and whistles. It has the fastest recorded response time, which makes it a good investment for a protection plan. It also has all the essential features of a medical alert system, which anyone can rely on in times of emergencies.