Medical alert buttons, fall detection and caregiver pagers: getting help after a fall (2026)

If you fall: stop, check, then decide

The National Institute on Aging suggests you first take a few deep breaths and stay still for a moment to get over the shock. Decide whether you're hurt. Getting up too fast or the wrong way can make an injury worse. If you're hurt or can't get up, call for help (911 in an emergency) and try to stay comfortable and warm until it arrives, for example with a blanket or cushion from nearby.

Related guide: Balance and leg-strength exercises for fall prevention

Official source: Falls and Fractures in Older Adults: Causes and Prevention (National Institute on Aging)

How to get up safely if you're not hurt

Roll onto your side, rest, then get onto your hands and knees and crawl to a sturdy chair. Put your hands on the seat, slide one foot forward so it's flat on the floor, keep the other knee down, and slowly rise and turn to sit in the chair. Practise this with a physiotherapist or OT while you're well, so you know whether you can do it. If a bed is closer, a bed assist rail or handle can give you something solid to hold, but only if it's correctly fitted.

Related guides: Getting in and out of bed safely · Bed assist rails vs bed rails

Keep a phone on you, and set up a daily check-in

The simplest alert is a charged phone you actually carry, in a pocket, pouch or lanyard, not on the kitchen counter. Add emergency contacts and a medical ID to it. The NIA also suggests arranging daily contact with a family member, friend or neighbour, so someone notices quickly if you don't answer.

A caregiver pager for help inside the home

If someone lives with you, a wireless pager lets you call them from another room without shouting. The DAYTECH set pairs a wrist button with a plug-in receiver that can be turned up to 110 dB, with a listed range of about 30 m for the wrist button. It only reaches people in the house, it doesn't call 911, and range drops through walls and floors, so test it from the bathroom, bedroom and stairs.

• DAYTECH caregiver pager with wrist call button – Approx. C$40 (Amazon.ca, November 2026)

24/7 medical alert services

A personal emergency response system (a medical alert) connects a wearable button to a monitoring centre that can talk to you and send help. In Canada, Lifeline's On The Go is a mobile version with GPS and two-way voice that works where there's cellular service, so it can go with you outside. The device is listed at about C$150, plus a monthly service fee listed at C$35.95. Before signing up with any provider, ask about fall-detection options, contracts, cancelling, who gets called and how long the battery lasts. Some provinces and community agencies help pay for alert services for people on low incomes, so ask your local home and community care office.

• Lifeline On The Go mobile medical alert (Canada) – Approx. C$150 plus monthly service (Amazon.ca, November 2026)

Smartwatch fall detection

Some smartwatches can detect a hard fall. Apple says the Apple Watch SE and later (and Series 4 and later) tap your wrist and sound an alarm after a hard fall, and if you don't move for about a minute, start a 30-second countdown and then call emergency services and message your emergency contacts with your location. It turns on automatically if you're 55 or older. Apple also says it can't detect all falls, it must be on your wrist with Wrist Detection on, and it needs cellular, Wi-Fi calling or a nearby iPhone to call. Charging it every night means it's off your wrist then, so think about where night-time falls happen.

• Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40 mm) with fall detection – Approx. C$329 (Amazon.ca, November 2026)

Official source: Use Fall Detection with Apple Watch (Apple Support)

Make help easier to reach

Any alert works better when help can get in and see. Keep a lockbox or a trusted neighbour's key so responders don't have to break the door, light the path from bed to bathroom at night, and keep alarms working. Most of all, keep working on preventing the fall in the first place: grab bars, clear floors, good footwear and strength and balance exercise.

Related guides: Night lights for fall prevention · Smoke and CO alarms for older adults · Bathroom safety setup · Ice grips and cane ice tips

Official source: Fall Prevention Month (Parachute and partners)

Safety notes

• Suction grab bars are a balance aid only. They can release without warning and must never hold your body weight or be used to stop a fall.
• Anchor wall grab bars into studs or approved blocking, never drywall alone, and follow the manufacturer's instructions or use a qualified installer.
• Check the weight capacity and fit of any seat, rail or pole, and follow the manufacturer's instructions.