Lively 2024 Review

Lively (formerly known as Greatcall) is famous for the Jitterbug phone designed for older adults, but the company also makes medical alert devices and offers a professional monitoring service that works with the Apple Watch and Amazon Alexa-enabled devices.

The Lively Mobile Plus is the company's proprietary medical alert, but it's bulky compared to the competition. That said, Lively offers some cool extra features like virtual doctor’s visits, a caregiver app to keep your loved ones updated, and automatic fall detection that contacts help if you lose your footing. 

The Lively Mobile Plus costs about $50, making it one of the most affordable mobile medical alerts on the market. 

Monitoring for the Lively Mobile Plus costs $24.99/mo. for professional monitoring and a caregiver app called Lively Link. For $34.99/mo., you also get access to an on-call nurse for medical questions and a dedicated care advocate. 

Fall detection can be added to either plan for an extra $9.99/mo. 

How Lively stacks up

For our Lively review, we compared this company to the top medical alert systems. We noticed a few significant differences between Lively and our top picks. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Lively isn’t an at-home medical alert system. This system is the only one of the bunch without an at-home landline or cellular system, unless you opt for the Amazon Alexa integration. All the medical alert devices from Lively are GPS wearables designed without a base station. They work the same but give wearers more freedom to leave the house. 
• Lively emphasizes personal care services like few other medical alert companies. Your loved one may appreciate having easy access to a nurse or care advocate through Lively.

In addition to Lively's medical alert device, you can also get a senior-friendly cell phone called the Jitterbug. Each device is designed with older adults in mind—with a comfortable wearable fit, loud two-way talk, and contact with real human operators trained to help in emergencies.

Overall, Lively is best for active older adults who leave the house frequently, travel domestically, and live alone. While pricing isn’t the lowest we’ve found, it’s still under $40 per month for features like fall detection, Urgent Care, and the Lively Link app.

Lively’s Jitterbug phone debuted in 2006 as one of the first of its kind—a cell phone designed with seniors in mind. Both the Jitterbug Smart 2 and the Jitterbug flip give you the freedom to call and message your loved ones without all the distractions and extras smartphones have.

Both phones come with large-text screens and buttons, making them easier to see and message friends and family. These phones are armed with powerful speakers and sensitive microphones that make it easier to hear the conversation. They also have a 5Star button that allows you to call the monitoring center for help just like a medical alert system.

We don’t recommend completely replacing a dedicated alert system with a standard flip phone or smartphone. But both versions of the Jitterbug are solid choices for older adults who want a no-fuss phone.

You can now connect to Lively's professional monitors through an Amazon Echo, iPhone, or Apple Watch on all Lively plans. No Lively devices are necessary for these integrations.

With the Amazon Echo integration, you can say, "Alexa, call for help." A Lively monitor will talk to you through your Echo device and can dispatch emergency responders if necessary. This seems basic, but voice-activated calls are rare among medical alert systems—Lively's now the fourth at-home option on the market aside from GetSafe, Aloe Care Health, and Medical Guardian.

For the Apple Watch and iPhone integrations, download the Lively App. When you need help, tap the icon to call the monitoring center. There are some caveats though—your Apple Watch must have cellular calling capabilities, for example, which costs extra.

The companion app Lively Link is a big plus for caregivers looking for a system for their loved ones. Even if your parents or grandparents are open to using a medical alert device, making sure they keep it charged and stay in touch can be a different story.

Lively Link lets you pinpoint their location and check on their device’s battery. It also sends you alerts whenever they press their 5Star help button. Their information stays private, but it’s a helpful tool for keeping tabs on older adults who may wander or forget to charge their alert button.

The only drawback is you’ll have to subscribe to a Preferred plan to get access to the app, which means paying $29.99 per month instead of $24.99.

You probably don’t have time to visit a doctor every time your arthritis acts up or a medical question comes to mind. Instead of sitting in a waiting room and dealing with expensive copays, Lively connects you to medical professionals with the Urgent Care app.

This feature (available with the Preferred plan) connects you to real doctors and nurses for quick check-ins and medical questions you may have in mind. It isn’t designed to replace regular doctor’s visits, but you’ll get the answers you need fast. It costs a little extra each month, but costs come included with your monthly monitoring fee.

If you’ve been injured from a fall before, you know how scary it can be. For folks over 65, falls can be especially devastating. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in five falls results in serious injury, with more than 300,000 people hospitalized for hip fractures every year.¹

Falls can be especially dangerous if they knock you unconscious. That’s why a feature like automatic fall detection is so important in a medical alert device. While it’s an extra paid feature, it allows the device to sense changes in speed and pressure during a fall. When it senses activity, it will automatically call the 5Star center, getting you help as soon as possible.

This feature costs a bit more from Lively than other medical alert systems (which usually charge an extra $10 per month), but it’s worth considering if you have conditions like osteoporosis, mobility issues, vision problems, or foot pain.

Whether you have questions or find yourself in a serious situation, the customer service pros need to be able to listen carefully and respond quickly. Lively uses monitoring centers from 5Star Urgent Response, a monitoring center with certification from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED).

While we have no complaints about Lively’s monitoring skills, its return policy may leave customers unsatisfied. We recommend reading the fine print before purchasing. Lively doesn’t require a contract, so there’s no cancellation fee, but returns must be completed within 30-days of purchase and may include a $10 restocking fee or more depending on the condition of your device upon return.

Buying a medical alert system can feel like a huge decision. Thankfully, most systems don’t require contracts or charge for canceling. So if you decide the product you purchased isn’t for you, pressure is low. But if you weigh the right factors, you can get it right the first time without the hassle of returns and refunds. Consider the following:

• How often do you leave the house? How far do you go? 
• Are you comfortable with your phone? 
• Are you comfortable wearing something 24/7?
• If you’re a caregiver, how open to tracking is your loved one? 
• If you’re buying for yourself, are you willing to let your loved ones keep an eye on you (they care about you, after all)? 

Learn more about how to choose a medical alert system or talk to your parents about a medical alert system before you tackle the next big decision.

The Lively Mobile Plus is a simple device with two-way audio that connects directly to 5Star monitoring pros. Whether you got a flat or slipped in the bathroom, it’s a compact device that will get you help quickly with the press of a button. It’s not as small as other wearable devices, but with so many ways to wear it, it’s easy to get comfortable with.

We started our research at the source, digging through Lively’s website to find details on equipment, pricing, and extra features. Then we searched through reliable customer review websites like Trustpilot to hear from older adults and their loved ones who have first-hand experience with Lively or the former brand GreatCall.

We found some mixed reviews over the Jitterbug phone, but the testimonials we found on the Lively wearables were glowing.

Once we could see the big picture, we compared Lively to popular medical alert systems we’ve reviewed before—think Bay Alarm Medical, GetSafe, and Philips Lifeline. This illuminated where Lively stands among competitors. Learn more about what goes into reviews like this one on our methodology page.

• Best Safety Devices for Seniors
• How Smart Home Tech Can Help Older Adults
• GPS Trackers for People With Dementia
• Best Blood Pressure Monitors
• Best Medical Alert Watches

1. Centers for Disease Control, “Important Facts about Falls,” August 6, 2021. Accessed January 19, 2023.