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7 min readThe best safety devices for seniors give them quick access to loved ones or emergency dispatchers no matter where they are: at home, on the town, or in the car. We've chosen some of our favorite gadgets that keep you or your loved one safe, dignified, and independent.
For a more comprehensive list, check out our room-by-room guide to senior safety.
Product | Best for | Price | Monthly Fees | Caregiver Access | Learn more | Read Review |
Best medical alert button | $24.95/mo. |  Yes
| Yes
| View Packages | Read review | |
Best personal monitor | $219.00 |  Optional Lively monitoring
| No
| View on Amazon | Read review | |
Best for older drivers | $89.99 | Yes
| Yes
| View on Amazon | Read review | |
Best for independent living | $129.99 | Optional Lively monitoring
| Costs extra | View on Amazon | Read review | |
Best for medication reminders | $62.48 | No
| Yes
| View on Amazon | Read review |
*Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
Bay Alarm Medical offers medical alert devices for inside and outside the home. So whether you only spend time alone when you're at home or you're still running errands solo, there's a medical alert button from Bay Alarm that'll fit your lifestyle.
At-home and on-the-go devices
30-day trial
Price lock guarantee
Free spouse coverage 
No voice activation option The at-home medical alert devices come with landline or cellular connections and a wearable panic pendant. You can also get wall buttons to place around your home for extra coverage.
Bay Alarm sells three mobile devices, including a watch. All three include a powerful speakerphone with two-way communication. Pressing the SOS button connects you to monitoring center professionals who can send first responders whenever and wherever you need them.
Read our full Bay Alarm Medical review and see how it compares to the best medical alert systems to learn more.
The Apple Watch 5 is an all-purpose wearable for grandparents and grandkids alike. It’s expensive, but it tracks activity and heart rate, among a host of other health stats. It even has automatic fall detection and connects to your local 911 dispatch office (for free) or to a Lively professional monitoring center (for a monthly fee), making it a bonafide medical alert watch.
Tracks health metrics
Includes free fall detection
Calls and messages loved ones
Pricey upfront costs
Steep learning curve for some The biggest downside to the Apple Watch 5 is the price. It’s pretty expensive upfront for a watch, but it’s a one-time payment that you won’t have to add to your monthly bills. And the price continues to decrease with every new Apple Watch launch.
The learning curve may also vary from person to person, but like a smartphone, it becomes easier the more you use it.
Learn more in our full review of Apple Watch as a medical alert.
The Vyncs GPS Vehicle Tracker tracks the location, driving safety, and overall condition of whatever vehicle it’s placed in. It’s small and discrete, so it won’t interfere with driving. The tracker provides live updates to the companion app.
And if you're concerned that's no longer safe for your aging parent to drive, Vyncs can give you some hard data to help you have a tough conversation about handing over the keys. Vyncs shows the driver's speed and driving habits, like hard braking and rough cornering.
Doesn't charge monthly fees
Installs in seconds
Monitors location and vehicle conditions
Crash detection
Dangerous driving data
Delayed location updates To install, just plug it into a vehicle's OBD-II port (the diagnostic port your mechanic uses that’s usually somewhere under your dashboard).
You can set zone alerts that tell you when the vehicle ventures out of a certain area, and the built-in accelerometer can detect a crash and send an alert to a loved one. Location updates in the app refresh every three minutes, which may feel slow to most users.
Because this vehicle tracker uses your diagnostic port for power, it doesn’t require any batteries or charging. It can also send vehicle maintenance reminders about things like tire pressure and oil levels.
It costs around $75 a year for the Vyncs service, which works out to a little over $6 a month, and that includes the device itself. For a little more, you can add roadside assistance, and you can also pay more for more frequent vehicle tracking updates.
Learn more about Vyncs in our roundup of the best vehicle GPS trackers.
Amazon Echo Show is part Alexa smart assistant, part video screen. Its 5.5-inch smart display makes video calls, streams shows, and looks up helpful things like recipes. Pair it with Amazon's own senior safety service—Alexa Together—for some nifty caregiver features.
Video calling
Alexa assistant built in
Alexa skills for puzzles, entertainment, and activities
Optional voice-activated pro monitoring
Learning curve With Alexa built into this device, you can set reminders and check your calendars. Alexa has tons of skills like brain teasers, puzzles, gentle workouts, and even an SOS feature to promote independence.
Living alone can get lonely sometimes, so having a screen attached to your Echo makes it easier to video call friends, neighbors, and loved ones. Alexa also makes for a good companion for conversation and cognitive sharpening.
But the Echo Show isn’t for you if you want full medical alert system capabilities. It can call contacts from your phone, but it isn’t meant for emergencies.
We've got tons of resources to help you learn more about Alexa and how smart home tech can help older adults. Start by reading our Ultimate Guide to Amazon Alexa.
The Med-E-Lert medication dispenser is a sturdy device designed to hold a month’s worth of medication and remind you when to take your dose. And while it’s much more expensive than plastic pill organizers, having a daily reminder and consistent alerts can help keep your doses consistent—an important part of medication safety.
Consistent with med alerts
Tamper resistant
Fits entire month's worth of meds
Expensive Older adults or their caregivers can fill up the device at the beginning of the month until it’s time to refill. It can fit over 500 pills (about 18 in each of the 28 slots).
Each slot is labeled for morning, mid-day, and evening doses. The alarms tell you when it’s time to take meds and the Med-E-Lert dispenses them. The best part is these alarms stick even after you change the batteries.
Caregivers can monitor how well patients follow their med regimen by checking the Med-E-Lert. It has a locked hard plastic body, making it hard for grandkids, pets, or curious visitors to tamper with. To open, simply use the key that comes with the device.
The shower/tub can be a dangerous place for older adults with mobility issues. Consider adding a shower bench to your bathroom to make daily hygiene a little safer. We like the Drive Medical shower bench because it grips to the tub and floor, making it easy to get under the water without standing.
For a more stylish shower bench, consider the AquaTeak seat. It’s prettier but isn’t as helpful for moving in and out of the bathtub.
Learn more in our guide to senior bathroom safety.
If shower benches aren’t appealing, consider a shower bar. The Texinpress shower handles are easy to install and grips tightly to the walls of the shower. It’s easy to grab in case of slips and falls and makes moving in and out of the tub easier.
If you want a permanent option, the Moen shower grab bar is a great choice. Just make sure you also purchase the secure hardware kit, which is sold separately. If you don't feel comfortable installing it yourself, you can always hire a professional in your area from services like Thumbtack or Task Rabbit.
Going to the bathroom or to the kitchen for a midnight snack can be risky when you don’t have the right lighting. Add these HOLOKIN motion sensor lights to stairways, hallways, or bathrooms to light the way and make it safer.
The Smart Caregiver is an in-home alarm system that sounds a siren when pressed. It’s designed to alert in-home caregivers when there’s an emergency. It’s not like a typical medical alert system that connects to a monitoring center. It’s more of a siren designed to call for help from in-home help. If you live with someone who needs live-in assistance, this is a good way to save money on monitoring and equipment fees.
Older adults who can live alone should do so as long as they’d like. Loved ones can provide social, physical, and emotional support as best as they can without invading privacy or creating inconvenience.
To do this, you’ll have to blend devices that prevent falls and injuries with equipment that can help you when accidents happen. And while devices can help prevent and react to emergencies, it’s hard to replace genuine connection and quality time.
Find more answers to your questions on our Senior Safety FAQ page.
According to the National Council on Aging, falls are the leading cause of injury, both fatal and nonfatal, among aging adults in the US.¹
Activities that take place in the bathroom, such as getting in and out of a slippery tub or sitting and rising from the toilet, greatly increase the likelihood for a fall, especially since people want privacy when they’re doing these things.
Bathroom safety is especially important for older adults. Start by reducing slippery surfaces with a non-slip mat and installing a grab bar for extra stability. If you (or your loved one) can’t stand in the shower, consider a bench or seat. Raised toilet seats or toilet bars can prevent falls too.
Knowing how to talk about a medical alert system with your loved ones is tough. You don’t want to patronize, but it’s a serious topic that needs to be addressed.
Start simple by asking how they’re feeling or if they feel safe at home. Discuss their limitations or pain points to narrow down what they really need and what is just extra. And if they’re resistant to the idea, tell them that it would put your mind at ease.
Independence is a priority for older adults and their caregivers, so we chose a range of products that make daily life easier for everyone.
While selecting the best senior safety devices, we considered products that help with mobility and cognitive issues as well as those for active older adults. We chose devices that prevent emergencies but can help out when accidents happen.
Check out our methodology page to learn about how we select and test products for reviews like this one.
1. National Council on Aging, "Get the Facts on Falls Prevention," July 2022. Accessed December 1, 2022.
*Amazon.com list price as post date. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.
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