Emergency Monitor

[Kezzie200]

I'm looking into these for my father who is now, sadly, living on his own.

About 25 years ago my grandad had a "piper" alarm and he could call and talk to an emergency helper if he fell or needed help.

Presumably these now use updated technology and I am looking for recommendations and any comments on their usefulness.

My granny has something that hangs round her neck on a cord I think and if something happens and she presses the button, an alert goes through to a call centre and they contact a preset list of people, starting with my dad, then the downstairs neighbours, etc. She has a keysafe outside her door that allows access to any responders. There's a monthly fee.

I'm afraid I don't know the make.

She got it after a fall where no one knew she had fallen and it was only after my dad couldn't get hold of her for their daily call and he drove 45 mins to her house that he found her. That gave her a scare so now she wears the corded thing!

We've just lost my Mum, not from falls but from cancer, but she fell recently and he couldn't help her without support so he does know why I'm worried now he is here on his own.

Yes that's the sort of thing we need as I live 2 hours away. Not ideal but it's do able and I guess if it's an emergency they would call 999 instead and also alert us.

Try careline, it can be a pendant or watch alarm, they also do a range of falls alarms. The engineer will connect it up and he will need named responders, it can be the family, friend, neighbour, carers or emergency services with their consent. If he is worried about being on his own he can ask for an assessment from social services. Sorry to hear about your mum. In time maybe he might consider moving nearer to you with some support.

Just google falls alarms - there will be several suppliers in his area, the brands don't differ much. We've just upgraded FIL to one that detects falls by itself and it's worked well so far.

Your DF can press the button (on his wrist or a pendant) for help whenever he needs it, there's a box that attaches to the phone with a loudspeaker. They will call 999 or family or both as appropriate. Very straightforward, very reassuring.

My Dad has careline, we got it through his local council. It costs about £150 per year and it just goes through the phone line.

He will have to give numbers of people to call but they will call an ambulance if no one is nearby.

They come round and fit it and shows them how it works.

Get a key safe fitted outside and give careline the code and they give it to the ambulance service so they can get in.

They do try and guilt you into going by always saying the ambulance will be 12 hours, but if you are not nearby then you cannot go.

They ring you at any time day or night so it is a shock to get a call in the middle of the night, so that will be a consideration to who will be on his contact list.

My DM had one which she got through Social Care for a monthly fee. Her NDN was the main contact as we were 1 1/2 hrs away. I was at the house one day when DM accidentally set the alarm off. A voice came over the alarm box to check if DM was OK before they contacted the keyholder or ambulance - I was able to confirm she was and prevent a call out of either the neighbour or ambulance.