In many homes, the hardest part isn’t the big emergency. It’s the quiet, everyday vigilance — listening for a door, watching the clock, planning errands around “what if,” and holding your breath when you can’t be in two places at once.
It can happen in the smallest moments. A quick trip to the mailbox. A phone call in the other room. A stop at the pharmacy. You’re still nearby, but not right there — and that tiny gap is where worry likes to live.
Caregivers tell us the same thing in different ways: they don’t want to hover. They want the person they love to keep their routines and keep their dignity. But they also want to know that if something changes — a fall, a confusing moment, an unexpected turn — there’s a clear path from concern to action.
That’s what MedicAlert has been building with a brand-new, state-of-the-art suite of GPS-enabled safety products. We call it SAM — Safety. Autonomy. Mobility. SAM isn’t a replacement for the ways families already look out for each other. Think of SAM as a quiet companion — a practical layer of support for everyday life.
This April, MedicAlert will be launching two SAM devices:
“Both devices are being launched with fall detection and SOS voice capabilities — features intended to help when ‘something isn’t right,’ and a person needs help quickly,” says MedicAlert’s Chief Technology Officer, Clint Kimchand. But the bigger shift isn’t just the device on the wrist or around the neck. It’s what sits behind it: an intelligent caregiver platform designed to be customized to a caregiver’s specific needs, with the ability to connect directly to 9-1-1 when necessary. “It truly makes MedicAlert the complete safety system,” says Kimchand.
For many caregivers, the challenge with safety technology isn’t whether it works in perfect conditions — it’s whether it works in real conditions. When a device isn’t comfortable, it isn’t worn. When setup is complicated, it gets delayed. When alerts are constant or confusing, people stop trusting them. And when something truly urgent happens, families need more than a notification — they need a clear next step.
The SAM suite has been developed with those real-life constraints in mind: comfort and wearability, straightforward support, and a system designed to reduce noise and uncertainty rather than add to it. The goal is not to turn everyday life into surveillance. The goal is to provide reassurance with boundaries — support that can be tailored, not one-size-fits-all.
As we get closer to April, we’ll share more details about how SAM works, what members can expect from the pendant and smart watch, and how the caregiver platform can be set up to reflect different household needs — from those who want minimal interruption, to those who want more guardrails. We’ll also be able to provide more details on a third device we expect will be available in the fall of 2026 — a super-discreet wearable designed to be attached to an existing MedicAlert bracelet. SAM Micro will also feature extended battery life that addresses one of the major issues we’ve heard from our members –— the difficulty of ensuring a device like this is charged and worn consistently, particularly for caregivers who live at a distance from their loved one.
“We’ve spent the past three years listening to what our members want and need, and building a fit-for-purpose suite of products that reflects the quality and safety MedicAlert has been trusted to deliver to Canadians for 65 years,” says Kimchand. “We’re proud to be able to continue that legacy with SAM.”
Coming soon: More on SAM — the pendant, the smart watch, and the intelligent caregiver platform — in advance of our April launch.