Equipment
Communication and alerts
Ways to call for help and ways to keep talking as speech changes. Set these up before they are needed, because that is when they are hardest to learn.
How to use this page
Every item below is listed with what it is for, the price band to expect, and the brands you will actually see. Ask your occupational or physical therapist which of these fits before you buy: much of it is covered as durable medical equipment with a physician order.
About the product links on this page. Where we link to a specific product, we earn a commission if you buy through it. It does not change the price you pay, and it does not influence which equipment we cover.
Communication and alerts: 6 items
Mostly in bed, Speech and calling for help
Caregiver call button / pager
Patient signals caregiver from another room
- Typical price band
- $20–$40
- Brands you will see
- Daytech, CallToU, SECRUI
- Typical rating
- ~4.6★
- Commonly used for
- Bedbound, ALS
Speech and calling for help
AAC / speech-generating device
Communication for speech loss
- Typical price band
- $30–$200
- Brands you will see
- Various (tablet/board)
- Typical rating
- ~4.4★
- Commonly used for
- ALS, Aphasia
Speech and calling for help, Hearing
Amplified / large-button phone
Easier calls for vision/hearing/dexterity
- Typical price band
- $30–$60
- Brands you will see
- VTech, Panasonic, Future Call
- Typical rating
- ~4.4★
- Commonly used for
- Vision, Hearing
Balance and falls
Bed / chair exit alarm
Alerts caregiver to fall-risk movement
- Typical price band
- $25–$50
- Brands you will see
- Secure, Smart Caregiver
- Typical rating
- ~4.4★
- Commonly used for
- Fall risk, Dementia
Speech and calling for help, Balance and falls
Medical alert system
Help button, some with monitoring
- Typical price band
- $30–$150 +svc
- Brands you will see
- Medical Guardian, LifeFone, Life Assure
- Typical rating
- ~4.3★
- Commonly used for
- Living alone
Speech and calling for help
Communication board / picture cards
Point-to-communicate for nonverbal
- Typical price band
- $10–$25
- Brands you will see
- Various
- Typical rating
- ~4.5★
- Commonly used for
- Aphasia, Nonverbal
Set these up before they are needed
The time to learn a call system is before the person cannot call out. Once speech or hand strength has gone, learning a new device is far harder, and that is exactly the moment it is needed. See communication tools and resources.
A call button is not a medical alert system
A call button or pager reaches someone already in the house. A monitored medical alert system reaches a call center, which is what matters when the person is alone. They answer different situations, and families often buy the one they did not need.
Low tech first, and keep it
A printed board of words and pictures works during a power cut, in the bathroom, and while a device is charging. Families who go on to a speech generating device should keep the board rather than retire it.
Voice banking has a deadline
Recording a voice has to happen while speech is still clear enough to use. It is the one item in this category where waiting closes the door. See voice banking and message banking.
Guides on this site
Before you buy anything
Check our equipment coverage guide first. Many of these items are covered as durable medical equipment, and a loan closet or a rental is often the better call than buying. Product links on this site earn a commission. It never changes which equipment we cover.