Last Updated on February 9, 2022
Lifeline Review Summary
Lifeline is frequently regarded as the largest medical alert systems company in the US. They have extensive brand name recognition. The Lifeline systems product line is a quality one. What distinguishes their service from others is their original equipment and in-house managed monitoring operations.
Formerly a part of Philips, the Lifeline division was sold to Connect America in 2021. In recent years, Lifeline has faced strong competition from newer upstarts like Medical Guardian and Bay Alarm Medical. So far, their medical alert operations has been continuing as before.
Customers looking for in-home and on-the-go coverage can opt for their mobile and home GoSafe 2 system. Their prices are somewhat higher than those of competitors.
Pros
GoSafe 2 Mobile Solution – GoSafe2 is an all-in-one mobile medical alert button that works both at home and out of the home. The mobile button facilitates two-way voice communication, will detect falls automatically, is waterproof, and incorporates GPS technology.
Company-owned Call Centers – Lifeline operates its monitoring centers within the company, while many companies are outsourcing this function. This gives them greater internal control of the emergency response process.
Auto fall detection – Automatic fall detection is available through any of the Lifeline systems. Extra costs may apply.
Philips Care App – This companion app or online account makes it easier to manage your Lifeline account, communicate with caregivers, and provide system status update reports.
No long-term contracts – With Lifeline, you pay month to month and can cancel the service at any time with 30 days notice. In case plans change and the service is no longer needed, there is less hassle to end the service.
Cons
Higher prices and fees – Philips Lifeline prices tend to be higher, and besides, there are additional activation and/or installation fees.
No Location Information Sharing – More and more companies are making it easier for subscribers to share their mobile button device location with their care contacts. This would be a great feature to include with their GoSafe2 button.
We recommend that shoppers compare Philips Lifeline to what is very similarly offered by other top rated home personal emergency response system companies. As with purchasing anything, if time allows, it’s always good to first compare and then decide. See the Compare Medical Alert Systems chart.
Lifeline Detailed Review
Background
The Lifeline (formerly Philips Lifeline) medical alert system was a product under the umbrella of the Royal Philips corporation, a health technologies conglomerate from the Netherlands. Philips acquired Massachusetts-based Lifeline Systems in 2006 as part of Philips’ plans to enter the US home healthcare market. In 2021, they sold Lifeline to Connect America. Connect America is the same company that runs the Medical Alert brand.
Lifeline Systems was established in 1974 as a company focused on developing personal emergency response systems that provide help to seniors living on their own. They grew into a NASDAQ listed company that was eventually acquired by the Dutch company Royal Philips. Lifeline was sold off to Connect America in 2021.
Lifeline itself is located in Framingham, MA. Lifeline is a company that prides itself on innovation and quality, with decades of experience in providing products that enable seniors to live independently at home.
The Lifeline website states that they were creators of the original personal emergency response system. Lifeline was also one of the first companies to popularize use of the auto fall alert pendant. In recent years, other major companies have caught up on offering fall alert pendants, and even beyond.
Lifeline’s last major medical alert product release was the GoSafe2 in 2017. This is a great product that provided medical alert coverage both in and out of home. Once the company is more fully integrated into Connect America, we may see more product updates.
Lifeline’s current competitors include Life Alert and LifeStation. Through successful TV advertising to consumers, Life Alert has been successful in establishing a strong presence. Regardless, Lifeline’s medical alert service continue to be widely known and bought by users given their long history and entrenched distribution network. Many community organizations, hospitals and doctors’ offices retail their products.
How It Works
Lifeline Video Review Notes & Pictures
Lifeline’s standard home medical alert system consists of a base unit that connects to a phone line, and a waterproof help button worn as a necklace or bracelet. The senior user presses a button in case of an emergency. This connects him or her a trained emergency response agent who will speak with the user and call for help. Their monitoring service operates 24/7 round the clock, every day of the year. Typical response times are within 20 – 30 seconds according to their internal tracking.
To see more video reviews, visit our Medical Alert Systems Videos section.
Cost
The standard Lifeline senior medical alert service costs as low as $29.95 monthly for new customers, and goes all the way up to $58.95 monthly for their HomeSafe Cellular with AutoAlert.
Their catalog lists an additional cost for activation that runs around $50 if you start with HomeSafe. Optional in-person installation fees could add an extra $100 to the initial set-up cost, but this can be avoided by choosing self-installation for $20. Check out our comparison chart to compare the costs of various top medical alert companies.
Lifeline’s prices are generally a little higher than those of its competitors, but it also has higher brand recognition than most other companies.
Towards the end of 2014, Lifeline introduced its new GoSafe Mobile Alert GPS system that allows for both at-home and out-of-home use.
This eventually became the all-in-one single pendant GoSafe 2 system that costs $49.95 a month, plus $99.95 for the button.
Contract
Payments are charged monthly and users are free to cancel anytime with 30 days notice. To complete the cancellation, any equipment and accessories that were leased will need to be returned to the company. There are no worries about long term contracts, which is a plus.
Equipment Overview
The medical alert base console, called the CarePartner Communicator unit, is both attractive looking and reliable. The speakerphone and microphone on the console is sensitive and loud, allowing for clear communications between the user and the emergency response agent handling the call.
The equipment, including the base console or pendant, adheres to various industry standards. For example, Lifeline’s base CarePartner Communicator unit meets with ETL standards. It also has in-built self-checking mechanisms to alert users or their monitoring center if the phone line is off or if battery runs low.
Users can choose to either use a wrist strap or wear the pendant as a necklace. These are waterproof and can be worn while showering. The buttons have a battery life of up to 5 years. If you need an additional button for your spouse, there is an additional cost of $10 a month. The company will send out replacement batteries and repair/replace equipment within their lifetime warranty guidelines.
To ensure that the system is working right, the company sends out weekly testing signals to monitor that the system is functioning. In addition to that, it’s always a good idea for users to make periodic (eg. monthly) test calls to ensure that one’s system is working.
Phone Line Options
The classic time-tested Lifeline CarePartner Communicator unit works best with a regular land telephone line. Connecting the communicator unit to a VoIP line is possible, but not advised. If you have a VoIP line, be sure to discuss this with a representative when ordering.
In early 2014, Lifeline (formerly Philips Lifeline) introduced their new HomeSafe Wireless System which allows customers to access Lifeline’s medical alert services even without a phone line at home. The communicator unit includes a wireless cellular connection that will connect users to their emergency response monitoring center.
Installation
Installation of this senior alert service can be done with the help of professional installers by appointment. They will set up the system, test it, and answer questions that the user may have. The advantage of this is that a user need not worry about setting things up personally or finding someone who can help him or her. The disadvantage of this is that it means extra set-up cost of $99.
To stay competitive, the company is increasingly allowing customers to choose self-installation for $19.95. This allows users to save on installation costs. The equipment is shipped out to their customer’s home and it is easy to set-up. The instructions are included and the customer or person helping with the installation can call Lifeline customer support for help as well.
Range
The range of the HomeSafe system is up to 800 ft, depending on the environment. This range is suitable for most homes and apartments. Keep in mind that 800 ft is the maximum range whereby an alert call could still be activated. It is by no means the voice range, which fades out when you move far from the base communicator unit.
One advantage of the system is that it allows for the addition of more voice extender units (at extra cost) for large homes, or in basements and attics. These are independent speakerphone units that connect to a phone jack and a power source.
Alternatively, you could consider the Go Safe 2 system, which comes with a speaker and microphone to facilitate two-way conversation at home or beyond.
Monitoring Center Support
Lifeline runs their own monitoring centers. This gives them the advantage of better integrating their response center services with internal business systems; and to have more direct quality control in handling emergency response calls.
In comparison, most companies are outsourcing this function to another company, albeit a US-based one, typically with strong industry certifications (TMA 5-Diamond and UL). We have listed examples in our comparison chart.
Lifeline does not list any industry certification by recognized third parties. This is a stance we hope to hear more about. Nonetheless, their monitoring service appear to be operating to high standards. According to their website, their monitoring center agents undergo thorough training, and the average length of service is seven years.
We’ve also seen numerous good reviews from customers who received help through their care specialists. Our test calls were answered promptly and politely.
For customers concerned about information security, Lifeline’s monitoring centers adhere to HIPAA compliant protocols.
Another vital feature is that Lifeline has two or more monitoring center locations operating. Just in case one call center is unable to perform, they are ready to have another center take over. As mentioned, monitoring is provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Having high monitoring service standards is an important performance factor for most people. For that, Philips Lifeline is a good company to consider. Another company to pay attention to is LifeStation, they are an experienced service provider with company-operated monitoring centers as well.
Backup battery
Sometimes, power can go off in the home. When that happens, HomeSafe users can be assured that there is a backup battery source for up to 30 hours built into the system. This allows the system to continue functioning until power is restored. For their GoSafe 2 product, the pendant can last 2 to 3 days or even longer on a fall charge.
Lifeline AutoAlert option
A key highlight of the Lifeline medical alert system is that it also offers the auto fall alert option. Sometimes, users can fall down, become unconsciousness, and therefore cannot press the help button even though they need to be helped. That’s when an AutoAlert becomes important. There is a sensor built into the necklace pendant that senses a fall.
When a fall is detected, an alert call is automatically placed to the monitoring center and a Personal Response Associate can call for help accordingly. Based on feedback from their customers, Philips Lifeline believes that the sensor can detect 95% of falls. No system can guarantee a 100% accuracy, and sometimes, there can be false alerts issued.
Lifeline Medication Dispenser
Besides the senior home medical alert service, Lifeline offers a separate medication dispensing service. This consisted of a physical dispenser and process that reminded users to take their pills. The user will load their medication into the dispenser and be reminded at set times.
The dispenser is connected to the senior’s telephone line, so if the senior misses a dose, the dispenser can contact a care contact (eg. family members or friends). A care contact will know if there are missed doses and contact their patient or loved one.
While it’s a useful service, it was a little pricey at $85 to install and then $75 a month. The service is being listed as “out of stock” on their website (Aug 2021). With the use of smartphone apps and decreasing use of landline, Lifeline may not be continuing with this, at least not in its established format.
As an alternative, MobileHelp offers a medication reminder service ($5/ month) that displays reminders through it’s base communicator unit.
With the MobileHelp medication reminder service, a digital report can be optionally shared with care contacts (eg. family members) through their app or online dashboard. Instead of phoning a care contact to send an alert, the MobileHelp service will inform them via a smartphone app or website.
Philips Lifeline GoSafe Home & Mobile Medical Alert System
Lifeline (formerly Philips Lifeline) launched what was then a state-of-the-art comprehensive mobile medical alert system at the end of Oct 2014. This all-encompassing system was called GoSafe.
With this mobile medical alert system, users can wear and use the help button pendant both at home and outdoors. This system will consist of a base station unit that will be placed at home, and an Auto Alert pendant the works both with the base station at home, and in a standalone manner when the users go out. This system also comes with automated fall alert detection.
If you are interested in the GoSafe system, a good product compare it with is the MobileHelp Duo mobile alert. Like the original GoSafe, the MobileHelp Duo system contains both an at-home base communicator unit and a mobile speaker device.
The dual-communicator configuration offers an extra layer of protection, but not many companies offer it. In addition, the pendants are waterproof and you can opt for fall detection.
To compare GoSafe with other mobile systems, visit our Mobile Medical Alert Systems with GPS Reviews section.
GoSafe 2 Mobile Alert Pendant
In 2017, Lifeline (formerly Philips Lifeline) introduced the GoSafe 2 mobile medical alert pendant. Unlike the original GoSafe home and mobile medical alert system, the GoSafe 2 system does not include a separate home communicator unit.
It’s a single mobile alert pendant that features a help button, speaker and microphone, fall detection, GPS and other location technologies. Compared to the original GoSafe system, it is much easier to understand and use. The all-in-one single pendant design of GoSafe 2 is in line with what other companies in the industry offer.
The subscription is $49.95 per month. It comes with AutoAlert automatic fall detection included.
There is a one-time device fee of $99.95 and $19.95 for self-installation. To compare the GoSafe 2 with other similar products, visit our Mobile Medical Alert Systems Reviews section.
Cares App
Subscribers and care contacts can access the Philips Cares App or web account to share information, receive notifications on device status, update their availability schedules, manage their Lifeline account and more. This feature is available for all Lifeline medical alert systems. It brings added convenience to the Lifeline user experience.
Although this app is conceptually sound, the feedback on Google Playstore has been mixed.
Complaints
Lifeline (formerly Philips Lifeline) has received 16 complaints in the last 3 years (as of August 2021) according to the Better Business Bureau. Overall, it has a BBB rating of A+. Of the 16 complaints, 5 were resolved to the satisfaction of complainants and 11 were addressed by Lifeline but the complainants either remained unhappy or did not indicate whether they were satisfied or dissatisfied.
Given the size of Lifeline, one can expect that there will be some complaints. To compare, Life Alert, another large medical alert systems company drew 200 complaints within the same timeframe.
You can read the reviews here.
Summary
Lifeline (formerly Philips Lifeline) is one of the largest medical alert systems company in the US and Canada. It has a well-recognized brand name and wide distribution relationships with healthcare providers and other organizations who recommend it. It is a good, reputable company that was sold in 2021 to Connect America, the company that runs the Medical Alert brand.
Speaking in 2022, the competitive landscape is in a flux. There are other newer and quality companies that provide very similar services with less expensive pricing. Some companies have also been actively leveraging new technologies to improve their services. This means more features and options for seniors and others in need to medical alert services.
If you are new to medical alarm systems, it may be worthwhile to shop around and compare various systems before you decide. You can take a look at the Medical Alert Systems Reviews page to learn more.
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While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this review, the information is supplied without warranties of any kind. We advise all readers to do careful due diligence before purchasing. Take time to visit the company’s website or speak with their representatives.
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