A medical alert system provides peace of mind. Those who wear the devices can continue to pursue independent, active lifestyles and remain in their own homes, while caregivers can be reassured that help is a push of a button away.
This review covers medical alert systems from two popular providers, TELUS LivingWell Companion and Life Assure. These companies have both been in business for decades, and they offer similar functionality. So it’s the feature set and the pricing that prove to be the difference between the two.
TELUS Livingwell Companion Overview
TELUS LivingWell Companion offers responsive, personalized care options that provide seniors the freedom to live independently without fearing an unexpected fall. Just like any other alert system, however, it does have its advantages and areas of strength.
All versions of LivingWell Companion offer basic 24/7 medical alert services to thousands of Canadians, allowing them to live independently without worrying themselves or their loved ones. When the Help Button is pressed during an emergency, a signal is sent to TELUS, alerting them. TELUS personnel will then initiate a call to find out exactly what is happening before dispatching a response team to your location. For a detailed breakdown of features and costs, check out our full review of TELUS LivingWell Companion.
Life Assure Overview
Another of the options available to Canadians is Life Assure. With an exclusive focus on seniors, it promises to keep them safe and allow them to prolong living in their homes, maintaining their independence with the reassurance that they’ll have 24/7 access to help in the case of a medical emergency.
Life Assure offers two products with differing features. Life Assure Classic Home is its flagship product and includes a base station and pendant. It offers two-way voice communication that provides you with instant access to assistance in the case of an emergency. Because it has a detection range of up to 600 feet, it’s able to provide protection no matter where you are in your home. For a detailed breakdown of features and costs, check out our full review of Life Assure.
Reputation
Life Assure is one of Canada’s foremost providers of medical alert systems for seniors. Its stated goal is to give seniors their independence back, allowing them to keep living in their homes, and protect them in the case of an emergency. The company is certified with the Canadian Security Association (CANASA), the ULC, and the Central Station Alarm Association International (CSAA). In addition, it’s fully accredited by the BBB.
TELUS is one of Canada’s premier telecommunications companies and has been around since 1990. The company has a reputation for offering reliable telecom solutions and is one of Canada’s big three telecom giants alongside Bell and Rogers. In other words, you are in good hands with TELUS, and your emergency button will work reliably on the TELUS network.
Pricing
Between the two providers, TELUS LivingWell companion is the better choice for budget-conscious seniors due to its lower total cost of ownership.
Pricing for Life Assure’s Classic Home starts at $29.99 per month on a monthly plan—and on an annual plan, you’ll pay $329.89 per year. Pricing for Premium Mobile Plus starts at $49.95 per month on a monthly plan—andn an annual plan, you’ll pay $549.45 per year. With both of Life Assure’s products, you don’t have to enter into any long-term contracts, pay any activation fees, and there are no other hidden fees. As optional extras with both products, you can choose Fall Detection at $14.99 per month, a Protection Plan at $4.99 per month, and a lockbox at $2.99 per month.
The TELUS LivingWell Companion devices come at relatively pocket-friendly prices compared with similar offerings in the market. We like it because it offers among the lowest monthly price and life-time ownership costs of comparable no-term-contract and no-upfront-fee personal emergency response services in Canada.
As of this writing, the basic at-home medical alert system goes for $25 monthly, $35/month for the at-home fall detection option, and $55/month for the On-the-Go option. For a limited-time, however, you can get LivingWell Companion Go on sale for $35/mo on a 1-year term
Both work great and offer good value when you consider how much they extend the functionality of the equipment. All the available models feature the same core functions, such as an emergency button and rapid response, so it’s really just a matter of determining whether you need fall detection or GPS.
Our Pick
In terms of devices, Life Assure provides the features you need to ensure that you are protected and have easy access to help when you need it. As a bonus, they’re well priced and the fact that there’s no upfront payment for the device is particularly attractive.
All things considered, the TELUS LivingWell Medical Alert System is the better choice of the two. With plans starting at less than $1 a day, we highly recommend TELUS LivingWell Companion as it is one of the very best options on the Canadian market.
Produced by a reputable provider, the TELUS LivingWell Companion series are trusted devices that will keep you or your loved ones safe regardless of where they reside in Canada. Their subscriptions are fairly priced and you’re guaranteed value for your money.
Under the banner Tech For Seniors, WirelessWizard is pleased to share innovations for older adults—with a focus on deferring as much as possible the time when getting older gets in the way of living life independently. Check out all of tech-for-seniors content here.
