Medical Alerts and Smart Home Tech for Aging in Place: What Helps and What It Costs
A no-brand guide to medical alert systems, fall detection and smart home tools for older adults, with typical costs and privacy tips.
Technology cannot replace a safe home or a caring person. But the right tools can help an older adult call for help, see who is at the door, and avoid common accidents. This guide covers the main types of tools, what they cost, and the privacy questions to ask. We do not recommend brands.
Why it matters
In AARP's 2024 survey, 64% of adults 50 and older said they expect to need a medical alert system, and 44% said they need smart security features 1. CDC also suggests older adults consider a device that lets them call for help after a fall, and keep a phone where they could reach it from the floor 2.
The reason is simple. A fall is much more dangerous when no one knows it happened.
Medical alert systems
What they are
A medical alert system, also called a personal emergency response system (PERS), lets you call for help by pressing a button. You usually wear the button as a pendant, wristband or watch.
Main types
- In-home systems. A base unit connects to a phone line or cell network. The button works inside the home and sometimes the yard.
- Mobile systems. A small device with a cell connection and GPS. It works away from home, too.
- Smartwatch-style systems. A watch that can call for help and may track activity.
- Monitored vs. unmonitored. Monitored systems connect you to a call center 24/7. Unmonitored ones call family or 911 directly. Monitored systems cost more but someone always answers.
Typical costs
A 2025 review by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) found 3:
- Monthly fees from about $19.95 to $159.95, not counting fall detection.
- Fall detection usually adds about $5 to $11 a month. Some plans include it.
- Upfront equipment costs range from none to a few hundred dollars, depending on the device.
Ask about activation fees, equipment fees, cancellation fees, and whether the price goes up after a trial period.
Fall detection: helpful, not perfect
Some devices sense a hard fall and call for help on their own. That can help if a person is knocked out or too hurt to press a button.
But no fall detector is 100% accurate 3. Research cited by NCOA puts average accuracy at about 80% to 93% 3. Devices can also send false alarms, for example if dropped 3.
So: press the button yourself whenever you can, and test the device on a regular schedule 3.
Tips for choosing
- Will it actually be worn? The best device is the one worn in the shower and at night. A slippery tub and a dark trip to the bathroom are classic fall risks 2.
- Is it waterproof?
- How long does the battery last, and how will you know when it is low?
- Does it work where the person goes? Home only, or out and about?
- Can you test it without paying extra?
- Is there a long contract?
Who pays?
- Original Medicare does not cover medical alert systems 4.
- Some Medicare Advantage plans offer partial coverage 4.
- Medicaid may cover them through home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver programs in some states 4.
- Veterans may be able to get a discounted or free system through the VA 4.
Ask your Area Agency on Aging about local programs.
Watch out for "free" medical alert offers
Be careful with calls promising a "free" system. The FTC and Florida's attorney general sued a company that made at least a billion robocalls telling people a medical alert device had been paid for and was "free." People later found they owed monthly fees and faced penalties for canceling 5. Hang up on robocalls. Buy only after you have read the contract.
Smart home tools
Smart and motion-sensor lighting
What it does: Lights that turn on when you walk in, on a schedule, or by voice.
Why it helps: Dark stairs and a dark path to the bathroom at night are common fall risks. CDC advises night-lights and lighting you can turn on without walking in the dark 2.
Typical cost: Plug-in motion night-lights and smart bulbs are usually low cost. Hard-wired motion switches may need an electrician.
Voice assistants and smart speakers
What they do: Turn lights on and off, set reminders, make calls, and play music by voice.
Why they help: Useful for people with limited hand use or vision. Some can call a family member by voice. Do not rely on one as your only way to get help, since many cannot call 911 directly.
Video doorbells
What they do: Let you see and talk to whoever is at the door from a phone or screen, without opening it.
Why they help: They make it easier to turn away door-to-door salespeople and scam artists. Family members can also see who is visiting, with permission. See our guide to home repair scams.
Typical cost: A one-time device cost, plus an optional monthly fee to save video.
Stove shutoff and kitchen safety devices
What they do: Turn off the stove, or cut its power, if it has been on too long or no one is moving in the kitchen.
Why they help: Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries 6. Unattended equipment is the top factor in kitchen fires that spread beyond the pan 6. Adults 65 and older were 2.5 times as likely to die in a home fire as the overall population in 2020 7. A shutoff device can help when memory problems make it easy to forget a pot.
Typical cost: Varies. Some plug in; others need an electrician, especially for electric ranges. Gas stoves need special models.
A simple timer is the low-cost first step 7.
Smart smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
What they do: Send an alert to your phone, or a family member's, when the alarm sounds.
Why they help: Family can know about a problem even when they are far away. For people who cannot hear a regular alarm, there are alarms with bed shakers or strobe lights 7.
Water leak and temperature sensors
What they do: Alert you to leaks, freezing pipes or a home that is too hot or cold.
Why they help: They catch problems before they turn into slippery floors, mold or dangerous heat.
Activity and check-in sensors
What they do: Motion or door sensors learn a person's normal routine and alert family if something seems off, such as no movement in the kitchen by mid-morning.
Why they help: They offer peace of mind without cameras. They are not emergency devices.
Medication reminders and dispensers
What they do: Beep, light up or unlock the right pills at the right time, and can alert family if a dose is missed.
Why they help: Missed or doubled doses can cause dizziness and falls.
Privacy and security
Any device that connects to the internet can be a privacy risk. Follow these steps:
- Talk first, and get consent. The older adult should agree to every device, especially cameras and sensors. Being watched without consent can damage trust.
- Keep cameras out of private spaces like bedrooms and bathrooms. Use motion or door sensors there if needed.
- Use long, unique passwords for every account, and store them in a password manager 8.
- Turn on two-step login (multifactor authentication) whenever it is offered 8.
- Turn on automatic updates so devices get security fixes 8.
- Watch for phishing. Don't click links in surprise texts or emails about your device or account 8.
- Read what data is collected and who it is shared with. Pick settings that share the least.
- Decide who gets alerts. Only people the older adult trusts.
Where to start
- Begin with low-cost basics: night-lights, a phone within reach of the floor, and working smoke alarms 27.
- Add a medical alert system if the person lives alone, has fallen, or has health conditions that raise fall risk.
- Add smart tools one at a time, and make sure the person is comfortable using each one.
- Check for help paying through Medicaid waivers, Medicare Advantage, the VA or your state assistive technology program. Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.
Common questions
How much does a medical alert system cost?
A 2025 NCOA review found monthly fees from about $19.95 to $159.95, before fall detection. Fall detection usually adds roughly $5 to $11 a month. Some systems also charge for equipment or setup.
Does fall detection always work?
No. No device catches every fall. Studies cited by NCOA put average accuracy at roughly 80% to 93%. Always press the button yourself if you can, and test the device regularly.
Does Medicare pay for a medical alert system?
Original Medicare does not. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer partial help, some state Medicaid waiver programs cover them, and veterans may be able to get help through the VA. Ask your plan, your Area Agency on Aging, or the VA.
What is a stove shutoff device?
It is a device that turns off the stove or cuts its power if it has been left on too long or no one is in the kitchen. It can help when memory problems make it easy to forget a pot. Cooking is the leading cause of home fires.
Are smart home cameras a privacy risk?
They can be. Talk with the person first and get their consent. Use strong, unique passwords, turn on two-step login, keep software updated, and avoid cameras in bedrooms and bathrooms.
Sources
- New AARP Report: Majority of Adults 50-plus Want to Age in Place (2024 Home and Community Preferences Survey) — AARP. Checked October 18, 2026.
- Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults (STEADI) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Checked October 18, 2026.
- Best Medical Alert Systems With Fall Detection — National Council on Aging (NCOA Adviser). Checked October 18, 2026.
- Does Medicare Cover Medical Alert Systems? — Humana. Checked October 18, 2026.
- FTC Issues Refunds Totaling More Than $18 Million to Consumers Defrauded (Lifewatch medical alert robocalls) — Federal Trade Commission. Checked October 18, 2026.
- Cooking Fire Safety — U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA). Checked October 18, 2026.
- Fire Safety for Older Adults — U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA). Checked October 18, 2026.
- CISA and International Partners Starting Global Movement: Secure Our World — Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Checked October 18, 2026.