Competitor D vs Lifeline: Which One Is Better?

Why choose Lifeline over Competitor D

*DirectAlert was acquired by Competitor D early in 2020. At the time of acquisition, Competitor D became the largest Canadian-owned PERS provider. DirectAlert has now become part of Competitor D.

Related: Best Medical Alert Systems (2023 Guide)

Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Choose Lifeline over Competitor D

Before we get into the specifics of why you might want to choose Lifeline over Competitor D, it’s essential to let you know exactly what Lifeline is and what has led to becoming one of the most trusted names in medical alert technology.

Lifeline is an easy-to-use personal medical alert system for seniors or people with disabilities who need an added layer of monitoring protection from slips or falls. Allowing you to call for assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Lifeline offers the dependability that doctors, hospitals, and professional caregivers trust when ensuring the safety of patients and clients.

At the heart of Lifeline’s superior technology is the Fall Detection option – the most widely adopted fall detection system in North America. Fall Detection fall detection feature automatically1 detects when an individual wearing a Lifeline necklace falls and connects the individual to a Lifeline-owned Response Centre. Even if the individual is unable to speak, highly trained Response Associates are able to identify if and when an emergency is taking place and ensure that help is on the way.

Now, while medical alert technology and services are available through other brands like Competitor D, let’s discuss four reasons why you should choose Lifeline over them.

1. Highly Focused Medical Alert Service Designed for Seniors

Lifeline has always been focused on establishing a solid foundation for dependability in the medical alert industry. Since the very beginning, Lifeline has provided highly focused medical services designed specifically for seniors, the physically challenged, and stay-at-home patients with medical conditions that need monitoring.

One of the key differentiators of Lifeline is its dedication to customer service. Lifeline Response Associates are rigorously trained and can quickly access relevant personal profiles when necessary to effectively and rapidly evaluate medical emergencies as they’re taking place. Most calls coming through Lifeline are answered in under 30 seconds by a responsive, caring Associate giving an increased sense of comfort and confidence to your loved one.

Lifeline Canada also knows how important personal safety is to caregivers and family members. This is why Lifeline offers Wandering option that sends smartphone messages to caregivers once a loved one leaves home. This gives caregivers the option of validating the alert before help is automatically sent to their location, allowing them the flexibility and on-demand support they need to make the right safety decisions for their loved ones. Rather than leaving subscribers vulnerable to wandering off into dangerous areas or getting lost, Lifeline takes a proactive approach to personal safety, giving caregivers the ability to check on their loved ones themselves or involve a Response Associate.

2. Years of Trusted Experience

Founded in 1974 by Dr. Andrew S. Dibner, and acquired by Phillips in 2006, Lifeline has over 45 years of trusted experience in the medical alert industry. Still to this day, Lifeline remains the leading provider of Medical Alert Services in North America.

As of today, Lifeline has served over 7 million subscribers in the US and 700,000 subscribers in Canada. This has been a direct result of Lifeline’s dedication to personal safety and service, helping to build confidence, reliability, and peace of mind for seniors, the physically challenged, and stay-at-home patients. This has led to Lifeline receiving more than 90,000 referrals² from leading Canadian healthcare professionals and hospitals who rely on Lifeline to keep their patients safe in and out of the hospital.

Lifeline Canada prides itself on its service and fully supports its products with Lifeline Home Service representatives. It’s important that you and your loved ones feel confident in the medical alert products you subscribe to. This is why Lifeline doesn’t simply ship equipment to a subscriber’s home. Instead Lifeline subscribers have the option of having a Home Service Representative arrange in-person installations or via telephone. Most installations take place within 48 hours and can take place in the daytime, evening, or weekends, depending on the preference of the subscriber.

3. 24×7 Local Monitoring

When it comes to responsiveness, Lifeline stands above the competition. This is because, unlike many medical support brands, Lifeline only monitors medical alarms. This singular focus helps ensure all seniors’ calls are handled with the same level of seriousness and consistency as they should be. It also ensures all Personal Response Associates are onboarded under the same standards, undergoing 240 hours of training to provide subscribers with caring and efficient responses in 30 seconds or less³.

Many medical alert brands outsource their monitoring or support to third-party centres across North America. Lifeline Canada operates two fully-owned Response Centres in Toronto and Montreal, giving continuous coverage to subscribers regardless of where they are located. Both Response Centres with highly trained operators offer 24/7 call responses in English and French while supporting over 170 different languages through the use of third-party translation services. Lifeline’s Response Centres also have backup redundancies and disaster recovery plans to ensure they are operational even in the event of power outages or natural disasters.

The Last Word

As our loved ones get older or need additional living assistance, finding reliable medical alert technology that you can trust is vital. While there is any number of solutions to choose from, finding the one that’s right for you and your loved ones requires dependability and peace of mind that safety monitoring is first and foremost.

Competitor D is a strong brand in the medical alert industry, offering effective technology and monitoring solutions for a wide range of users. However, it’s hard to compare with Lifeline when it comes to providing cutting-edge technology backed by more than 45 years of experience in medical alert monitoring and highly focused senior service.

As pioneers in the medical alert industry, Lifeline is still one of the largest and most trusted medical alert systems available. Lifeline differentiates itself from the competition with its highly accurate fall detection technology, GPS location technology, waterproof design, and superb level of support in up to 170 languages. With monitoring available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by highly-trained Response Associates across two Canadian-based Response Centres, you can be confident when choosing Lifeline, knowing your loved ones are in good hands.