The Best Medical Alert Systems for Diabetics in 2023

The ever-increasing need for the timely provision of healthcare services has led to the development of medical alert systems. These devices ensure that patients with unstable health conditions get access to emergency healthcare in the shortest time possible, without needing their phones.

With so many lives lost to health conditions like diabetes and heart attacks due to the inaccessibility of immediate healthcare services, medical alert systems have swooped in to save the day. So, how do these alert systems provide healthcare access and save the lives of diabetes patients? Let’s find out!

How a Medical Alert System Works 

Medical alert systems come in various designs — while some are voice-activated, others come with a marked alert button. Nonetheless, most of them require the user to take action before transmitting a medical alert to emergency operators.

Blackouts, an unstable state of consciousness, are a major possibility for people living with diabetes. Thankfully, a medical alert system connects people with diabetes to life-saving care as quickly as possible.

In most cases, these systems send a medical alert following the push of a marked button, after which an emergency support team ascertains the details of the situation and sends help immediately. If the individual can’t respond, the emergency support team proceeds to contact families or friends living close by to check up on the person before help arrives.

A Brief Overview of Diabetes

As one of the widespread medical conditions among people above 40, it’s no surprise that a medical alert system is advised. Due to defective blood sugar management, the condition is characterized by increased levels of blood sugar. As a result, the body can’t effectively break down glucose for energy, leading to accumulation.

This failure to control blood sugar levels causes damage to a wide range of organs, leading to several complications (e.g., heart failure and stroke).

What’s Responsible for Blood Sugar Level Increase?

Ideally, when you eat foods rich in carbohydrates, the body breaks them down into glucose for use as energy. When the glucose level is high enough, insulin mediates its conversion into glycogen for storage. However, when this hormone is deficient or defective, or when your body fails to respond to it, glucose accumulates in the blood, leading to diabetes.

What Are the Types of Diabetes?

Diabetes is differentiated into three types based on its cause or manifestations — type 1, type 2, and prediabetes. Also common in pregnant women is gestational diabetes, which resolves after childbirth.

Individuals in their senior years are more susceptible to diabetes complications, necessitating the need for a medical alert system (we’ll talk more about this in a bit).

Medical Alert Systems for Diabetics

There’s a common belief that a medical alert system is strictly for the elderly, but this tends to be untrue. While the likelihood of falls or complications is higher in older patients, the use of a medical alert system in younger patients isn’t entirely ruled out. So, to prevent any mishaps attributed to diabetes, here are some of the top medical alert systems out there that are worth trying.

Mobile Help

Mobile Help, like other medical alert systems, has a variety of plans that you can choose from depending on your preferences. While you can enjoy protection for two at the price of one with their Mobile Duo plan, the MobileHelp Solo plan comes with GPS tracking ensuring you always get help regardless of your location.

However, a newly added feature of Mobile help has left its competition in the dust. This feature is the MDLive platform.

This feature allows diabetics who might feel uneasy about their condition or cautious about leaving the safety of their homes to talk to healthcare providers in real time. Doctors can prescribe drugs if needed or just offer advice.

While there’s a slight complaint about the cost of replacing equipment without a protection plan, Mobile Help compensates by charging nothing for setting up and activating equipment.

LifeStation 

Although the various brands of medical alert systems have a familiar function, each has unique capabilities that give it an edge over the others. For LifeStation, it’s their one-of-a-kind customer support.

As the winner of the Silver Stevie award for best customer engagement initiative award in 2024, this alert system boasts of offering customers the best service.

LifeStation is equipped with a fall detector, which utilizes top-notch sensors that alert the system when you fall. This information is immediately transmitted to the emergency responders, enabling you to receive medical attention as quickly as possible.

It also comes equipped with an amazing speaker with which you can communicate with the emergency responders even if you’re down on the floor. However, in situations where the individual can’t speak, the emergency support system implements an action plan. This involves contacting close neighbors, family, and friends, to provide you with the necessary support before the emergency team arrives.

One-Call Alert 

This alert system provides its users with three plans — in-home wireless, complete protection, and mobile on the go. Each is designed to suit the lifestyle of the patient.

Unlike other medical systems that commonly utilize landline or Internet connections, One-Call Alert uses a cellular connection via the AT&T network. This implies extensive and hassle-free coverage as long as there are AT&T network towers in the area.

Although the cost of the fall detection feature for the One-Call Alert system is relatively higher than others, the products don’t have any activation or installation fees. Customers are also provided a risk-free, 30-day trial to decide if it’s a good fit for them. Refunds are allowed within these 30 days if they choose to return the product.

Medical Alert

Medical Alert was developed by Connect America and is notable for being one of the oldest in the business of making medical alert systems. However, this doesn’t explain why it’s the largest provider of personal medical alert systems in the US.

Aside from the ease of setup and its variety of features, this alert system is notable for its fast response time. No matter how sophisticated a medical alert system is, speed of response to an emergency is of prime importance and Medical Alert has succeeded in acing this aspect.

With their landline-free protection and fall detector, you can be sure of getting access to healthcare even at the slightest fall. A 24/7 customer support and a 30-day money-back guarantee is among the many reasons why this brand has become a nation’s favourite.

Why Do Diabetics Need Medical Alert Systems?

Increased blood sugar by itself isn’t such a menace, but the complications that accompany it make it a deadly disease. With conditions such as hypertension and stroke being constant threats to the health of diabetics, a medical alert system is of great benefit. 

Vision problems (like diabetic retinopathy) are common among individuals in their senior years, increasing the possibility of falls. Moreover, fatigue or hunger, which causes hypoglycemia, could lead to fainting or falling from dizziness or exhaustion. However, the fall detection technology in medical alert systems can help provide sufficient support rapidly.

A medical alert system also allays fears that arise from having aging relatives who are diabetic. Namely, the ease with which they’re able to access medical care—at the push of a button—allows you to rest easy. Some alert systems even send messages or put calls through to family members, allowing you to reach out to your sick, elderly ones in times of crisis.

Finally, these devices shouldn’t be regarded as a safety measure for only the frail. If anything, it’s way more than a precautionary measure, allowing you to remain active without fear.

Conclusion 

The occurrence of diabetes is continuously increasing, and it’s not restricted to a particular age group. Considering that many diabetics have lost their lives in the past due to an inability to call for help, it’s great news that medical alert systems have come to save the day.

While there are a variety of alert systems, it all comes down to your preference. In summary, before you choose, you should consider the cost, the quality of customer support, and the convenience of using one.