Pro Tip: Are you looking for the cream of the crop? Check out my pick for this year’s best medical alert system.
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Numactive differentiates itself from other medical alerts with its commitment to customer service and quality testing. Most medical alerts test each of their connections once a month, for example, but Numactive offers daily remote testing of your medical alert device. Any issues with your device, such as power or signal trouble, are immediately flagged, so you can rest assured your device will respond as programmed.
In this rundown, I’ll cover everything you need to know about Numactive, its systems, how they work, and how they compare to what competing brands have to offer.
Pro Tip: Are you looking for the cream of the crop? Check out my pick for this year’s best medical alert system.
In-home system | $28 per month |
Mobile system | $40 per month |
Most affordable system | $24 per month |
Fall detection | $5 per month |
Extra users | Not available |
Protection plan | Not available |
Numactive offers three medical alert devices: Alert Home is meant for in-home use, and Alert Sky and Alert Cloud are intended for more active users. The company provides a wide array of payment options, in terms of both cost and flexibility. You can pay for your system on a monthly subscription basis, but I recommend the quarterly or annual plans for additional savings.
Great for people with limited mobility or older adults looking for extra protection in their home, the Alert Home system uses a landline to connect to care specialists at Numactive’s monitoring centers. When billed monthly, the service costs $28 per month, while an annual contract reduces the cost to $24 per month.
The Alert Home system includes a base station with a two-way speakerphone you plug into a power outlet and a pocket-size portable device — to be worn around your neck or wrist — equipped with an emergency button that dials the monitoring center when pressed. It’s also safe and easy to wear the waterproof pendant in the bath, shower, and swimming pool. The Alert Home system has a coverage area of about 500 feet — enough to cover the average home and more.
Unlike Alert Home, Alert Sky offers an unlimited range and does not require landline service. Instead, it comes with a Rogers, AT&T, or CDMA cellular package that lets you move around the United States and Canada and still be covered. If you live in the northernmost U.S., then you may appreciate that Numactive works on multiple cellular networks — especially during local emergencies.
Alert Sky also features GPS functionality, which helps the monitoring center find your exact location quickly if you need assistance while you are out and about. These two features make the Alert Sky system slightly more expensive, at $40 per month with a one-time activation fee of up to $150, depending on your contract length. If you purchase an Alert Sky subscription with a three-year commitment, then the activation fee will be waived.
Numactive’s Alert Sky system lets you choose between a lanyard, wristband, and belt-clip wearable. The small, waterproof device features a powerful two-way speaker and an emergency button that connects you with the care center. Based on your situation, a monitoring specialist will decide if they need to send someone to your home to help and whether it should be local emergency services or a family member listed on your account.
The Alert Sky’s battery is relatively long-lasting since it needs only about four hours on its charging dock every 72 hours. You’ll never be surprised by a dead battery because the device emits not only visual cues but also audio alerts when the Alert Sky’s battery level is low. When the battery level reaches critical, the Numactive care center calls and reminds you to charge your system.
To further protect against severe fall injuries, you can pay $5 per month to activate the built-in fall-detection feature.
To learn more about this system, check out my Numactive review.
Numactive’s newest and most high-tech system, the Alert Cloud, starts at $44.50 per month and provides fast and reliable access to the monitoring centers via the emergency help button on the system’s all-in-one pendant. Functional anywhere in North America, the Numactive Alert Cloud is a smart choice if you are often on the road (or in the air), especially if you travel frequently between the United States and Canada.
Lasting a full 24 hours longer than the Alert Sky before needing to recharge, the lightweight Alert Cloud pendant also features built-in two-way voice communication and verbal low-battery notifications to minimize the chances of a dead system. The Alert Cloud also incorporates the newest fall-detection technology and assisted GPS, which combines satellite and cell tower data to pinpoint locations faster.
Alert Cloud is compatible with the RemoteCare 24/7 smartphone app, so it’s also a great choice for caregivers who want to track their loved one’s location, set up medication reminders, or store all their loved one’s health information in one place.
System | Numactive Alert Home | Numactive Alert Sky | Numactive Alert Cloud |
---|---|---|---|
Monthly price | $29.99 to $34.99 | $40.57 | $44.50 |
Initial fees | None | Up to $150, depending on contract length | Up to $150, depending on contract length |
For use | In home | In home and on the go | In home and on the go |
Equipment |
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|
Connection type | Landline | Cellular, GPS | Cellular, GPS |
Fall detection | $5 per month | $5 per month | $5 per month |
Caregiver portal | Not available | Not available | Yes |
Additional features |
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If Numactive is going to offer only one add-on, it made the correct choice, especially since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there will be seven fall deaths per hour among older adults in the U.S. by 2030. Many of those will be people who couldn’t get help soon enough after their fall.
Numactive offers fall detection as a $5 per month add-on to both of its mobile units, Alert Cloud and Alert Sky. What distinguishes Numactive from many other medical alerts is that fall detection is built into the Alert Sky and Alert Cloud pendants instead of requiring an additional device. The extra $5 per month — less than most brands charge for fall detection — is merely the cost of activating and monitoring the fall-detection service in the device you already own. Numactive does not offer fall detection on its in-home unit, Alert Home.
Numactive strongly believes in providing expert recommendations about the company’s medical alerts based on each user’s unique situation, so the only way to purchase a Numactive medical alert system is over the phone.
You’ll start by calling the company for a free personal consultation. During your consultation, a fall-risk-certified care agent will help you understand which medical alert is best for you. A few topics your care agent will cover are fall prevention, fall detection, mobile options, and payment plans. There are a variety of options, so choosing the best one can be confusing. Part of the care agent’s job is to make sure each option is presented clearly and every one of your questions gets answered.
Equipment for Numactive’s systems is leased, and the cost is included in your subscription price, which is the amount you pay each month, every few months, or annually, depending on your subscription choice.
If you decide Numactive isn’t the best choice for you, simply pack up your system’s equipment and return it, free of damage, within 30 days of delivery.
One obstacle to returns or early cancellation: If you cancel a long-term contract early, you’ll be refunded once you return your equipment, but you’ll lose your activation fee, which can be as much as $150.
Numactive does not offer any warranty or protection for its systems’ equipment, so you’ll likely be expected to pay for repair or replacement if your system gives out.
Note: No matter what plan you choose, Numactive will bill you for three months up front.
Numactive does not have its own app, but its newest system, Numactive Alert Cloud, is compatible with the RemoteCare 24/7 app, which is available for iOS and Android.
With RemoteCare 24/7, caregivers gain extra peace of mind since the app allows you to:
At Numactive’s core is its 24/7 monitoring service. Any time you press the emergency button on your Numactive system, you will be connected to one of the company’s local monitoring stations to speak to the agents via the device’s two-way speaker. The company boasts an average response time of 20 seconds from alert activation.
Numactive’s care centers are certified by Underwriters Laboratories and Underwriters Laboratories of Canada, which requires an annual audit and extensive training, background checks, and clean police records for its operators. All Numactive employees undergo six weeks of practical application training under the guidance of instructors certified by the Security Industry Association.
When you buy a Numactive device, you are asked to create an emergency call list with contact information for your caregivers, family members, or neighbors who will be alerted in case of an emergency. If these local responders do not answer, the call center will assess the issue and offer support. In Canada, Numactive has two monitoring stations in Ontario, while U.S.-based users can reach out to care centers in Union, New Jersey, and Houston.
Numactive is a solid brand with fabulous pricing options and a thoughtful fall-detection service. It does, however, have a high activation cost. I’d also like to see a more comprehensive caregiver app and a line of accessories and add-on options like those provided by QMedic systems and Philips Lifeline systems.
Nevertheless, Numactive’s professional monitoring service, long battery life, and regular testing make it an ideal solution for seniors and caregivers alike.
The Alert Sky system has a battery life of 72 hours, and needs charging for about four hours every three days. Alert Home’s base device plugs directly into an electrical outlet and doesn’t require batteries.
No, the system comes with automatic fall detection. You’ll need to pay $5 per month to have the service activated on your Alert Sky system.
The Numactive mobile pendant is 2.5 inches high, 1.5 inches wide, and 0.5 inches thick, and weighs just 1.7 ounces.
In the U.S., Alert Sky systems work wherever there is AT&T service. In Canada, the system is linked to the Rogers Communications network. Since the cellular service comes free with the mobile system, you don’t need an additional personal cellular plan for it to work.
Numactive does not officially offer a trial period, but you have 30 days to return your unit for a full refund. To be eligible for a refund, you will need a copy of your receipt and your equipment must be in brand-new condition and in the original box. Numactive also has frequent promotions that offer 30-day free trials or even a month or two of free monitoring.