Personal alarms for elderly

[Harry Bloomfield]

I just had one of their leaflets pushed through my door, and for what they are, they seem awfully expensive. No, I am not considering one. The cheapest, which just covers you around the home, costs £22 per month, plus £70 installation. Reading between the lines - for that, all they do is signal a call centre that you have pressed a button on the unit. The call centre then alerts the authorities that you need some help.

One alternative option, would be mobile phone carried at all times, in place of the pendant, and I think I remember seeing an app, which would alert the authorities on your behalf, including providing GPS location. Additional cost, assuming you already have the phone - nil.

 

[crystal ball]

MIL has one through the county council, its only a few quid a month, Fire brigade called to check her smoke alarms the other day and are going to link them to the same system FOC.

 

[Justin Passing]

No way my mother would have carried a phone about, and she found it a good thing to have. I think hers was council approved, cost a few quidr a month. No need to charge it, it could detect a fall. Fire brig fixed her up too. Can't remember the name, not this one: https://www.lifeconnect24.co.uk/pricing

 

[Dork Lard]

One alternative option, would be mobile phone carried at all times, in place of the pendant, and I think I remember seeing an app, which would alert the authorities on your behalf, including providing GPS location. Additional cost, assuming you already have the phone - nil.

So you are considering one then?

 

[Mottie]

My mum has one - she got it FOC for 6 weeks when she came out of hospital after having her hip replaced. Was supposed to be charged after that but that was ages ago and she has never been asked to pay. It’s a pendant linked to a type of answering machine. If she presses the button they can talk to her through the machine and she can be heard anywhere in the house. If she needs assistance, they send someone round. One night she woke up to find a man and a woman in her bedroom - she had accidentally rolled onto it during the night and had not responded to the operator trying to talk to her through the machine. They had her keysafe code, came round and let themselves in to check on her.

Our friends have one for their mum and it’s works on sending a text to their mobile via the mobile network so is dependant on a good signal at both ends. All they get is a text and then they have to call or go round to her. Bit of a pain when you're 30 miles away! You get what you pay for I suppose.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

I posted a similar topic a year or so back as I'm considering getting something for my mum, now in her 80s. At first she was reluctant (I can understand why) however I think she's now coming round to the idea. I don't think we'll opt for one that is centrally monitored 24/7, will probably go for something that sends x people a text.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I don't think we'll opt for one that is centrally monitored 24/7, will probably go for something that sends x people a text.

I think that is a much better idea, and cheaper long term - people known, will be much more likely to respond rapidly, than someone operating a supposedly monitored 24/7 service, who might eventually get around to answering the phone. As said, check through the phone apps, I'm sure I saw something which would serve.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

There are a few here -

https://www.gadget-cover.com/blog/best-personal-safety-apps-to-download-today

 

[Mottie]

someone operating a supposedly monitored 24/7 service, who might eventually get around to answering the phone

On my mums one, you can press the button any time and it is answered immediately. You can then just sat "Just testing, can you hear me ok?" and they respond with "receiving you loud and clear, good evening". They encourage you to do that.

 

[Vinty]

My daughter got the wife one of those wrist watch type mobile phones.
She wears it all the time now, before she was going out shopping without her mobile phone and when i or any of the family would ring, there would be no answer and the daughter being a bit of a worrier would ring me asking why mum wasn't answering her calls.
If you could get one of those wrist phones linked to a call centre it would a better solution than carrying a phone which you could lose at any time.

 

[ericmark]

The council fitted one also did other things, like alert if she did not return to bed, it alerted the call centre, who would first ask her if she was OK, if no answer then phone me, if no answer then some one else, depending on what they thought was wrong, police, fire etc.

However the microphone was in the base station not the pendant, and I also had a pet cam in same room with a microphone and when wet room door was damaged and mother could not get out, I could hear her shouting help, but call centre could not.

When I got house rewired did not fit smoke alarms as already fitted, then when mother died they removed them.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

My daughter got the wife one of those wrist watch type mobile phones.

Do those things work, even when the phone itself has been left at home? I always assumed they simply bluetoothed to the phone.

 

[fillyboy]

Do those things work, even when the phone itself has been left at home? I always assumed they simply bluetoothed to the phone.

My wife's watch simply bluetooths to her phone, but for several quid a month extra on the contract, it will work remotely, can't remember exactly what the extra cost was but it wasn't a huge amount.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Our very elderly neighbour who we normally hear on a daily basis went very quiet for a day or so so, ordinarily the lady opposite has checked in on her but we couldn't get hold of her either, after about 4 days Mrs Mercury finally made contact with the neighbour having finally been answered after banging on the door and turned out she was just fine, Mrs Mercury was told in no uncertain terms to mind her own business and that if said old dear had fallen and broken her hip or whatever then that was that and we needn't be concerned. Screw her then, grumpy old cow.

 

[Vinty]

Do those things work, even when the phone itself has been left at home? I always assumed they simply bluetoothed to the phone.

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