Personal alarms eg careline.

I live in Wales and wear a ‘security ‘ pendent. The system is such that if ill or fallen or similar I press the button and as described above it is eventually answered to see what the problem is, if no reply someone is sent round with access to the key safe outside to come in and find out, then the relevant peoples are called, ambulance, fire, or whatever is needed. It doesn’t work outside the home tho so buying one to rely on if fallen away from home won’t work. My 2 sons take turns in paying for it for me every quarter ( £98+) . It is a bit of security blanket for me in the home, BUT if the same happened to me as previously, when I ended up in hospital, and generated the need for one after I returned home… it would be useless. I have kidney disease and was suffering from kidney stones. Went to bed in pain and shivering, etc, taking co codamol fir the severe pain, thinking it was another stones episode, which usually passed in one or two days, but that time I was actually suffering from a blocked stone and a UTI… I became unconscious and am only alive now because my neighbour and a friend missed me after 3 days / nights, couldn’t get into the house to check cos it was locked from the inside and called the Police. Who broke in and called the ambulance! The pendent wouldn’t have made any difference under the same circumstances! But a friend had one and fell in her house and was able to press her pendent and call for help. It is PARTIALLY useful depending on the circumstances.

Usedtobeblonde

Thankyou for the replies.
I was concerned about my two friends not using them.
It also concerned me that the alarm wasn’t triggered when my friend fell
I thought that would happen automatically.
Another thing my friend told me about some months ago is that when the land line phone system changes in a few months time the devices will all need to be changed to digital, this will be quite an undertaking.

I had a long but useful conversation with BT and they have agreed to leave my mum’s landline on the old network so there is no disruption. I explained that she is doesn’t have a mobile phone so her landline is necessary.
They will upgrade the line when she moves house.

My father had one and used it a couple of times. The first time, they called me and I went round and waited with him for an ambulance. The second time he was in the bathroom in the night, and couldn't get up from the toilet. So he pressed it. They couldn't get hold of me and couldn't speak to him as he was in another room. They did activate a "welfare check" by paramedics, who took about 8 hours to arrive. They did get him to hospital, but it wasn't great.

They are brilliant. I worked as a carecall operator for years. Some of the bracelets can also include falls detectors. When installed we ask for list of contacts and which order to call in for assistance. Eg. Although the person may have family, a next door neighbour may be willing to be called for assistance first. They do need to be pressed though. We asked people to press monthly to test and this worked as a reminder. They really do help independence, giving peace if mind to both person and family.

My mum lived in a Peveril complex. I was actually there soon after she had an episode. I could not lift her, and she became unresponsive, and pulled her cord to get help. After no answer for what seemed like an age, I called 999. The ambulance took 10 mins, and still no answer. They lifted her, brought her round, checked her over, wrapped and put her in the ambulance, and still no answer until I was locking up to follow. Shameful!
My niece, who lives alone, has an alarm set up on her phone. She only has to press a preset number and it calls about 6 of us. It did very occasionally go off when it should not at the start, but seems quite efficient. But it does rely on her having it charged and on her person at the time.
My aunt had one from the local authority on a chain around her neck - when they found her, it was hanging on the front door lock - it does need a discipline that requires it to be worn and charged.

I use Canary Care for my mum who is 95 and lives in her own home. There are motion sensors around the house and you can then set rules - ie. if she's not downstairs by 10am, it will send a text and e-mail alert to me, or if she stays in the bathroom longer than 2 hours, again it will alert me, or if the back door is open after 9pm etc etc. Very easy to install by sticking the sensors around the house and then setting the rules. Gives peace of mind to everyone.

** £31 per month.

Thanks for posting this. Also thanks to cornergran for mentioning it might be better to go to the local council for an alarm like this.
I am thinking of getting one as I feel I am on borrowed time. 46 years ago I found my mother dead in her bed. He cat Toots was there in the room with her looking absolutely terrified. I have a dog and I don't want that to happen to him.
I went for a job at the Age UK call centre in Devon that deals with these calls. I spent the morning with the workers there and heard nothing but kindness and patience with real and accidental calls. I didn't get the job by the way ( too old ! )

I am trying with difficulty to remove my door key so that the keysafe could be operated. It is only a matter of time before I need to use it-I will be 83 this year and very careful. I religiously wear the pendant around my neck.

Since I started this thread I have had numerous Facebook pages advertising call systems.
I did not look for information on systems anywhere, I only posted on GN.
One may have been a coincidence, the number I have received is certainly not.
We should be aware.
I only post on GN under a user name, as we all do, how is that linked to my Facebook?
I am actually quite concerned.
Any ideas?

My mum had a pendant and when she fell she lay on the floor all night. When asked why she didn't activate it she said she didn't want to bother anyone! Obviously the people it would have contacted are paid to respond but I think they would then contact my brother who lived about 3 miles away. I don't know more than that as I lived over 200 miles away so wasn't ever contacted! It was a relief to me when she moved to sheltered accomodation with a warden. I often worried about her if I phoned and didn't get an answer as I didn't know if she had gone out somewhere or had fallen at home. She didn't have a mobile phone and if I rang my brother to check on her he would see it as a huge imposition! In the end her cleaners said if ever I was worried, to call them and they would go and check even though they lived a similar distance away as my brother!
Emergency pendants are only helpful if the user wears them and presses them if necessary.

Until my mum died, she had a watch on her wrist where she pressed a button if in trouble. This worked really well when she had a couple of falls. She was called on her landline, and they ask if she is ok. You don’t need to answer the phone, she was in her bedroom. She said no and they came round, let themselves in via the key safe and tended to her. If they get no response, they come round anyway. If she pressed it accidentally, she would just say sorry, false alarm and they’d say ok. I think she got it through social services. I forget what she paid, about £200 a year I think, but this was a few years ago.

Forgot to say I am about 105 miles away and my sister lives in Cornwall. I’m was in Norfolk.

Not I’m, I meant mum

My Aunty and Uncle have CareCall, they are fantastic. They probably have a call out once a month and the service is brilliant. Like others have said, they talk through a box and come out automatically if either fall.

Mums has died and we need to get a new one but she's concerned about the price £180 I think. It's a brilliant little gadget, £1.50 a month to run as it's gsm and contacts me via text/phonecall On its anywhere sim.

It's a Pebbell. If she falls (as long as she has it on her) it automatically calls me, or she can press the button and call me. The original had a lot of use calling me when I was out and the dog started fitting! Worth it weight in gold!

Now, it's died "buy a new one" I say "it's too much" she says! I can't win!

I’m a companion and neither of the ladies I sit with have ever used theirs when they needed to. They crawl to the phone or wait until someone turned up. It’s not something they relate to, it’s just there on there body.

I think the "falls" option is really important as people don't need to press it at all (if they fall, obviously).
The call centre can liaise with the emergency services too.

My mum lives in an assisted living apartment and they have pull cords around the flat plus a pendant linked to careline , however she has to press the pendant and a few times she’s fallen and hasn’t pressed it because she doesn’t want to bother people .
After a fall in her bathroom 2 months ago she now has a wrist alarm with a falls sensor , the call centre call her and if no answer, they call me as I’m first on the list .

I have often thought it would be a good idea if there was a number that I could check in with every morning to say I was ok. I don't speak to the same person every day so it could be several days before the alarm was raised if I couldn't press an alarm . My brother in law had been dead for several days before he was discovered

Yes my mum has a free one . She fell last week . Because traffic was bad, my sister number 1 on list)would be 30 mins do they called her neighbour ( number 2 on the list) who came round used the key safe to lift her up .
As she could move etc but couldn’t get to standing. So yes they work and mum also has one on the bottom of her shower screen in case she falls in the bathroom .

My mother-in-law used to text every morning and evening and if we didn't hear by the agreed time we followed up on it.
Not foolproof though - but better than nobody checking in.... and it was a stroke in the night that persuaded her that this was not enough.
Do you have a friend of family (however far away) who would do this for you Mazgg?

I persuaded my 90yo uncle to have one installed after he had been on the bathroom floor all night . He had been very reluctant before then .
When we registered the device we had to give three contacts with their phone numbers of which my number was first to be contacted .
He had to use it a couple of times before he died and it worked perfectly. When he pressed the button the voice came over the phone which could be heard all over his home so it didn’t matter which room he was in. He was asked what the problem was and then they would ring me to assist him . It was useful when his catheter blocked off during the night and he had to be taken to hospital.

Jocirk, how goof your mom had you. To think coeaners were more caring to her than her son considering her a nuisance is
awful. Maybe he will be treated the same.

My dad had one through the local authorities but it would only work a short way out of the house a matter of yards. he found it a great comfort and used it on a few occasions always with success
My close friend has one now and it has been a boon as she is a faller It works anywhere out in the street, garden, shops anywhere and works as above described re ambulance etc
If you can afford it go for it might save your life