Personal Alarm service advice please

hethmar

86 year old uncle lives alone and had a stroke 6 months ago. We visited him over the weekend - he lives about 200 miles away and he seems fine but does have a fear of falling and not being able to get help.

Ive suggested a personal alarm system which connects to a central control via his phone and he is happy about this BUT Ive been trawling for info and there seems to be quite a lot of different companies and vastly differing costs involved.

Can anyone advise on the best company please (Sussex area)

Savvy_Sue

I don't know if it's 'best', but my parents went with the system from Age UK (was Age Concern / Help the Aged). I'm not sure what advantages they thought it had over the local service offered through the local authority by Sovereign, but we have no complaints about what they do have.

scotsbob

http://www.quicksafe.co.uk/phone-panic-alarm.htm

I know this one dials relatives directly instead of going through a central control. However you may want to consider it, as there will be no ongoing charges and relatives are contacted more quickly because they are contacted directly, rather than having the call re-routed.

monkeyspanner

See if you can talk to your Uncle's social services department they will probably be able to recommend a service. I believe my MIL got her service free but things may have changed since then regarding funding.

hethmar

Ive got 4 different companies now. Two local (to him) companies, including one that the social services use, SAGA which lets the person try it free for a month and Age concern (which was the most expensive, almost 3 times the cost of the others!).

I will let him have all the details so he can make the choice.

Thanks people.

Farway

I found the main difficulty was trying to find someone local, neighbour, who would respond to an emergency call

You will probably find Social Services do not want to know, and fairly certainly will not go out at 3 am to help out

We lived over 70 miles from my mum, and luckily a neighbor was willing to help, but often of course neighbours are out at work, on holiday, frail themselves

hethmar

Well the system I want for him contacts a central control board and they can send out emergency services. It has two way speakers so if he say fell in one room and pressed the button on his pendant the control room would be able to speak over a loud speaker on his phone system to him. If they get no reply the emergency services would be contacted immediately.

Savvy_Sue

hethmar wrote: »

Well the system I want for him contacts a central control board and they can send out emergency services. It has two way speakers so if he say fell in one room and pressed the button on his pendant the control room would be able to speak over a loud speaker on his phone system to him. If they get no reply the emergency services would be contacted immediately.

I'm not sure you will find a system which doesn't also ask for an intermediary: neighbour, family, friend etc.

The control system assess the situation and obviously send out the emergency services immediately if that's required, but there are sometimes non-emergency situations. The way my Mum's system works if that if she accidentally presses her alarm, and doesn't respond to a phone call or via the loudspeaker, they would get a neighbour to check on her first. Which is just as well, because if she DOES accidentally press her alarm, she won't hear the phone ring if she's not in the same room, she won't hear what they say to her if she DOES hear it ring, and she certainly won't hear what they say over the loudspeaker system! You wouldn't want the emergency services going out every time in that situation.

Also you'd need to have a keysafe fitted if you didn't have someone local who could let the emergency services in. That's just an example, not the only model available.

hethmar

The chap opposite holds his house key at the moment, so that should be ok.

Savvy_Sue

sloughflint wrote: »

But sometimes it's quite helpful to have the central control who can be in reassuring dialogue with the person while the keyholders are contacted or on their way.

It's a good point, I tested Mum's alarm this morning for her, and there's a very measured recorded voice speaking at first, absolutely lovely, and then one of the controllers comes on. They're all very friendly and lovely too ...

smilelols

Hi
Not sure if you have had this resolved yet - but there are some really good schemes in the Sussex area. First off contact your local services dept - they can assess and refer for the right kind of equipment of service. In the bit of Sussex I work in, we use telecare + lifeline. Lifeline is a pendent you wear round your neck and press the button if you have a problem. Telecare have alsorts of fab equipment and systems that help with generally everything! ie falls sensors, flashing smoke alarms, equipment which dispenses medication etc etc.
Social services will help assess as I mentioned and will also look at any other needs that he has. He will be asked to make a financial contribution, but the amount will be based on what he can afford!!!