MobileHelp and LifeStation Differences
Systems & Devices
While MobileHelp gives customers a choice of six systems, LifeStation only has two systems.
MobileHelp presents in-home users on a budget with the best option financially at $19.95 per month. With that said, LifeStation’s At-Home system is $21.95 per month and will only cost you about $24 extra each year. LifeStation also offers discounts for veterans and AARP members, so if you fit one of those categories, you could potentially end up paying less for an in-home system with LifeStation than with MobileHelp.
MobileHelp in-home systems have a range of 600-1,400 feet from the base station, depending on which system you select. In the event of a big storm or other instance where you might lose power, your in-home system’s base station will last its remaining charge plus an additional 30 hours on a backup battery. Unfortunately, MobileHelp’s on-the-go systems do not include the robust battery life the in-home systems do, lasting a maximum of 24 hours after a charge. As a result, MobileHelp recommends users carry a portable base station when they leave the home. MobileHelp also has a landline option whereas LifeStation does not.
Emergency Response & Call Centers
While LifeStation owns its monitoring center, MobileHelp chooses to hire Rapid Response, a well-known emergency and medical monitoring company. Both companies offer 24/7 U.S-based monitoring with the safety of redundancy. By owning its monitoring centers, LifeStation has more control over the quality of service provided, unique initiatives undertaken, and the qualifications of operators hired to answer emergency calls. LifeStation also promises that your certified care agent will stay on the phone with you until help arrives.
Currently, LifeStation’s centers are UL- and CSAA Five Star Certified and maintain the fastest average call response rate in the industry: 20 seconds. LifeStation operators must be college-educated and must pass a rigorous 160-hour in-house training program and have frequent performance reviews. To cater to Spanish-speaking customers, some operators are also fluent in Spanish.
MobileHelp’s centers, via Rapid Response, are UL- and FDNY-certified. Operators, who must also have an associate degree or two years of military service, undergo some of the most extensive training in the industry including critical event and adverse situational training and many are EMT/EMS certified. In addition to bilingual English/Spanish monitoring center operators, Rapid Response employs a translation service capable of communicating in over 240 other languages.
User and Caregiver Apps and Services
All MobileHelp users have access to the MobileHelp Connect app at no additional charge. That said, some premium features inside the app do cost extra. MobileConnect is is a suite of online tools to help customers and authorized caregivers, such as family members, actively participate in the subscriber’s health and well-being. Popular MobileConnect tools include medication management ($5/month), location tracking (30 free per month), and activity tracking. Location tracking can also be used to help find a missing device.
Added to all mobile systems at no cost, LifeStation’s Find My Loved One service lets you locate a loved one at any time with only a text message. This ability to easily check in on your loved one almost immediately gives caregivers peace of mind about a loved one’s safety. This tool also doubles as a “find my emergency button” service. Once you make the text or Alexa-based request, you receive a text message response with the address where the emergency button is located and a link to view the location on a map.
Add-Ons
Unless you’re set on a specific system, the most significant differences between LifeStation and MobileHelp are in the add-ons.
- Fall Detection: Both brands offer fall detection and both require an extra pendant. However, it’s $10 per month extra with MobileHelp and only $5 per month extra with LifeStation, a difference of $60 per year.
- Wall-Mounted Help Buttons: MobileHelp’s voice-activated and wall-mounted emergency buttons can be added to your subscription for $34.95 per year. LifeStation’s wall buttons, which must be pushed in order to reach the monitoring center, cost $4 per month, which totals $48 per year.
- Lockboxes: One lockbox comes free with your MobileHelp prescription. LifeStation customers can lease a lockbox from the company for $3 per month.
- Spouse Monitoring: It costs $3.99 per month to add spouse monitoring to a LifeStatuin system. MobileHelp provides a single system choice for two users in one household. However, beyond that, there are no spouse monitoring discounts.
- Telehealth: Telehealth service continues to grow dramatically, and seniors are open to it. During public health scares such as COVID-19, this type of medical service can limit your exposure to environments that could potentially compromise your health. MobileHelp offers the option to add MDLive, a telehealth service that provides customers 24/7 virtual access to a physician with no additional co-pay or insurance required, for $10 per month. LifeStation does not offer this type of service.