Personal alarms are devices that can alert relatives, carers, or emergency call centres if someone needs assistance – for example, if they have an accident, fall, or medical emergency.
They can give elderly adults or people living with medical conditions more independence and help them feel safer. Personal alarms can also provide friends and relatives with the peace of mind that, if something happens, their loved one will get help as soon as possible.
However, not all personal alarms are the same – and the one that’s best for you or your loved one will depend on your situation.
Who could benefit from a personal alarm?
Anyone who would like a little extra peace of mind could benefit from a personal alarm, but they’re particularly helpful if you or your loved one is…
- Disabled (or has limited mobility)
- Of advanced age
- At risk of a fall
- At high risk of sustaining an injury from a fall
- Living with a chronic medical condition
Types of personal alarm
There are many personal alarms out there, all with different features, so it’s tricky to sort them neatly into categories. However, to help you understand what’s available, we’ve grouped them loosely below.
Basic alarms
What the NHS calls ‘basic alarms’ are, as you can imagine, the simplest type of personal alarm. They make a loud noise when activated to alert people nearby that you need assistance. They’re usually activated by pressing a button or pulling out a pin.
These types of alarms are generally the cheapest (and they’re the only type of alarm that doesn’t typically require you to pay a monthly subscription fee). However, they come with a few notable disadvantages – the main one being that they can only alert people within hearing distance.
Pendant alarms
Pendant alarms are wearable devices that, when pressed, will alert a 24-hour emergency response centre that you need help.
The response centre will then get in contact via the device to decide whether you need emergency services or if they should call one of your pre-determined contacts.
Some pendant alarms are mobile, meaning they can be used anywhere. However, others have a limited range, so are only for use at home or in the garden.
Some at-home pendant alarms let you talk directly through the pendant itself, while others require you to speak through a base unit, which is typically plugged into the wall somewhere. If the emergency response team can’t hear you, they’ll usually call your designated contacts and, failing that, the emergency services.
These types of alarms can be worn on your wrist like a watch, a lanyard around your neck, or a belt or keychain via a clip.
Fall detectors
One of the main disadvantages of button-activated pendant alarms is that, if the wearer is unable to press the button, they can’t signal for help.
Fall detector alarms (which can be separate devices or come built into more conventional pendant alarms) solve this issue by using sensors to detect any downward movement that could be a fall. They then automatically alert designated contacts or an emergency call centre.
However, it’s best to buy a fall detector alarm that has a button-activated feature too. This is because fall detector alarms aren’t 100% accurate and can’t pick up other types of emergencies, such as illness.
GPS tracking alarms
GPS tracking alarms allow carers and family members to see where the wearer is. This is particularly helpful for those living with dementia who may wander.
Some GPS tracking alarms allow you to set up digital boundaries called ‘geo fences’. This means if the wearer leaves or enters a set area at a certain time, an alert will be sent out.
Lots of GPS tracking alarms also include a panic button feature so wearers can alert carers, loved ones, or emergency call centres manually.
Things to consider when buying a personal alarm
Is it family or call centre monitored?
As we’ve said, many personal alarms are monitored by trained emergency response teams who will usually contact the wearer in a matter of seconds to try and resolve any situation. However, others are designed to be monitored by the wearer’s designated contacts – i.e. friends, family, and carers.
Family-monitored alarms – such as this one from SureSafe – are generally cheaper, but they put extra responsibility on loved ones to be available to answer alerts.
Is it waterproof?
According to the National Institute on Ageing, 80% of falls happen in the bathroom because of slippery floors and surfaces. With lots of hard materials like tile and enamel, these places can also pose a higher risk of injury if a fall does occur.
With this in mind, some find it important that their personal alarm is waterproof so it can be worn in the bath or shower.
In-home alarms that require communication through a base unit are generally more waterproof than mobile ones. But it can be difficult to speak to an emergency response team from the bathroom if the base unit is elsewhere in the home – especially if there’s water running.
Do you need ready access to GPS tracking?
All mobile personal alarms have GPS tracking. However, this function isn’t always made available to families and carers for general monitoring purposes. In some cases, the GPS is only activated when a call is made. So it’s important to factor this into your decision.
What’s the battery life like?
Battery life is a significant concern when it comes to personal alarms. This is especially true if the wearer is likely to forget to charge it – for example, if they have dementia. That said, the battery life options vary considerably from product to product.
For example, the SureSafeGO will run out of juice after four to seven days, while Taking Care’s Digital Personal Alarm pendant has a six-year-long battery life. Their staff will even let you know when it’s running low and arrange for a replacement pendant to be sent to you. Mobile alarms usually have lower battery life than at-home ones.
What’s the range?
If you’re purchasing an at-home personal alarm, it’s important to check the range. This is especially important if you or your loved one have a large home or plan to wear it in the garden.
Landline, mobile, or Wi-Fi?
Personal alarms either connect to your landline, Wi-Fi, or a mobile network via SIM cards. But which option you choose won’t just be down to whether you’d like to use it at home or outside.
For example, if you don’t have a landline, you can choose an in-home option that operates from a SIM card. However, a landline or Wi-Fi-connected personal alarm may be better if you live somewhere with a weak mobile signal. But, bear in mind, if your alarm system is reliant on Wi-Fi, it’ll probably stop working if there’s a power cut.
Are you buying a personal alarm for one or two people?
If you’re looking for an at-home personal alarm, some – like Taking Care’s Digital Fall Alarm – allow you to have two pendants connected to one base unit. This can be a good option for two people who live together, or a single person who’d like a spare.
Is the volume high enough?
Once you’ve got your personal alarm, it’s important to test it. Not only will this pick up any faults with the device but also whether the volume is high enough for you or your loved one to hear. If you’re required to speak through the base unit, remember to test it from other rooms in the home to see if it picks up your voice.
You’ll usually have a 30-day money-back guarantee on a personal alarm, so you can return it if necessary.
Don’t worry about calling in a ‘false alarm’ to test your device. Most personal alarm companies ask their customers to test their alarms regularly to make sure they’re working correctly. Simply let the response team on the other end know that it’s a test.
Hopefully, this will also give you some extra confidence in your new equipment and the team on the other end.
How much are personal alarms?
As we’ve already mentioned, there are lots of personal alarms on the market, all with different features. And, of course, the more features a model has, the more expensive it’ll typically be.
If you’re looking for a basic alarm to alert people nearby (i.e. in the same home) that you or your loved one needs help, you won’t need to pay much more than a tenner. But, for any other type of personal alarm, you can usually expect a monthly subscription fee, as well as an upfront cost.
This monthly payment can include the 24/7 monitoring fee and the cost of renting the equipment (sometimes you don’t own it outright and will be asked to return it at the end of your subscription). The monthly fees for family-monitored alarms are much cheaper. In some cases, you can also get a discount by paying annually.
Personal alarms start at around £40 for setup fees (which include registering your account for the monitoring service) followed by a monthly payment of around £12. However, you’ll usually need to pay more for features like fall detection and GPS tracking.
Is there any help available to finance personal alarms?
Between the upfront and monthly fees, the costs of personal alarms can soon add up, so you might be wondering if there’s any help available to make things a little cheaper.
For starters, older adults may be eligible for VAT exemption if they fulfil one of the following criteria…
- They have a terminal illness
- They have a sickness that medical professionals treat as ‘chronic’
- They have a physical or mental impairment that has a long-term and substantial negative effect on their ability to carry out everyday activities
Plus, in some areas of the UK, local councils provide pendant alarms called ‘lifeline’ or ‘community’ alarms at discounted rates. You can find out if you’re eligible for one by visiting gov.uk.
Where can I buy personal alarms?
There are plenty of companies selling personal alarms. Below, we’ve pulled together a few trusted brands.
Taking care
Set-up costs start from £50.00
Subscription costs start from £16.50/month
Rated ‘excellent’ on Trustpilot, Taking Care offers a range of alarms – from simple, at-home pendants to GPS trackers for people with dementia and a discreet alarm that looks like a watch.
SureSafe
Set-up costs start from £45.00
Subscription costs start from £7.00/month
Another highly respected provider of personal alarms, like Taking Care, SureSafe has a wide range of products. But their SureSafeGO is probably the best, as it lets you choose between family and 24/7 call centre monitoring.
Companion
Set-up costs start from £199.00
Subscription costs start from £25.00/month
Companion’s sleek and stylish watches double up as mobile personal alarms with GPS tracking. They also monitor heart rate, activity level, and respiratory rate, so you can keep track of your health.
Careline 365
Set-up costs start from £45.00
Subscription costs start from £9.00/month
Age Space rated Careline’s SmartLife model as the best in-home alarm on the market, though you can still find mobile ones on their website.
Final thoughts…
The world of personal alarms can be confusing and spans more than we can include in a single article. However, hopefully, this introductory guide has provided a helpful starting point if you’re thinking about buying one.
For more support with keeping you or a loved one healthy and happy at home, check out our articles; 5 tips for fall-proofing a home and 6 things to consider before moving an elderly parent into your home.
Have you bought a personal alarm? Or are you thinking about it? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.