Second Phone line - no 'spare pairs' in cable

P4ula

Hi,

My dad is disabled and lives alone. He has a lifeline system with fall detectors which automatically dial out on his telephone line to the warden service should he fall or press the button on his lifeline pendant.

What has unfortunately happened a few times is that when dads phone has rang, whilst getting to the telephone he has fallen. The lifeline is then unable to ring out to the warden service as a call is incoming (either still ringing inbound or the person is speaking with his answerphone). I tried to get dad to always carry a phone around that he can answer wherever he is but he constantly forgets to carry one around. Also if (as he has done) he knocks himself out when falling he would be unable to physically ring for assistance anyway.

To overcome this problem, I think dad needs a second phone line, one connected just to his lifeline and one connected to his normal phone. If he should then fall when on his way to answer the phone then the lifeline would be able to dial out anytime as that line would be 'free'.

I understood it would cost £130 to have this second line installed plus line rental which isn't a problem.

However a BT Openreach engineer came to visit him to see about installing the second line, however he could not install it as he said that on the cable that travels from a cabinet about 40 yards away to the cabinet opposite my dads house, there were no 'spare pairs'. All the wires in the cable being either in use or had been 'snipped off' as faulty. according to dad then engineers said that BT may not put in a new cable and he may have to wait a long even if they decide to renew the cable.. Is this correct? Apparently there is capacity at the exchange but not in the offending cable.

Or is there some way he could have a second phone line 'piggy backed' onto his current phone line (so the lifeline can ring out if the line is already in use)?.

Any help appreciated.

P.S. Just to add my Dad lives in an isolated village with no mobile phone signals if that makes any difference. BT is also the only service provider, there being no Virgin Cable etc.

Thanks

Paula

victor2

Could you try contacting BT directly on his behalf and see what they suggest?
They have certain facilities they provide for "chronically sick & disabled" people. It might be they'll be able to suggest an alternative or come up with a spare line for him under those circumstances. They certainly have priority fault repair for people registered as such.

Failing that, it might be worth enquiring if the lifeline systems can be configured to clear the line somehow so that they can call out on it.

P4ula

Hi Victor2,

My dad is already registered on the BT Priority repair system however having spoken to BT myself on Friday this applies to repairs of his primary phone line only.

I will try to speak with the lifeline next week but it was their suggestion about having a second phone line installed.

Thanks

Paula

notbritishgas

I take it Dad does not have internet.
A possible solution is to have internet connected and then take a VOIP telephone number for the lifeline, I think that could be free, apart from calls (the VOIP experts can confirm?).

The cheapest cost to you could be on Plusnet £25 connection and then a max of £12.99 a month, possibly only £5.99 a month if you live in a low cost area.

Who knows dad may find the internet useful.

P4ula

Hi,

Unfortunately Dad hasn't a clue about the internet (he would forget how to use it anyway). We did try to let him loose (with our help) on our PC when he was visiting us but he just doesn't 'compute.' It was difficult enough to teach him how to use a push button phone which took ages for him to master.

He is fiercely independent though and very stuck in his ways. Hence we do worry about him and thought the second phone line would be ideal for the lifeline.

Paula

notbritishgas

P4ula wrote: »

Hi,

Unfortunately Dad hasn't a clue about the internet (he would forget how to use it anyway). We did try to let him loose (with our help) on our PC when he was visiting us but he just doesn't 'compute.' It was difficult enough to teach him how to use a push button phone which took ages for him to master.

He is fiercely independent though and very stuck in his ways. Hence we do worry about him and thought the second phone line would be ideal for the lifeline.

Paula

You do not have to be able to use the internet to use the VOIP phone, it just plugs in and acts as a normal phone.
This may seem an overkill to have the internet just used for the phone but as you were considering having a second line installed with all of the relevant costs this should work out cheaper.

macman

Just use the cheapest possible broadband service: Plusnet Essentials is just £5.99pm, unless on a Market 1 exchange.

victor2

If you do go the VOIP route, you could also look at having an IP camera in the house so that you can keep an eye on him. He might just see it as an invasion of his privacy though!

iniltous

BT have a universal service obligation, but that has already been done with the provision of his existing line, any request for further service could be subject to excess construction charges if more work than a 'standard' install is required, such as replacing a cable that wouldn't be replaced if it were not for the need for a new non 'USO' line..so £130 would be 'cheap',you may find a provider quotes a figure for the installation then comes back with a revised figure once Openreach decide what's required to provide service.
DACS would be a possible solution, 2 lines are independently delivered over 1 cable pair, but the lifeline device may be incompatible, you should enquire if it's DACS compatible or not, and if it is order a second line to be DACS'd with the existing line, this requires no new line plant and so doesn't attract excess construction charges

System

It is no longer policy to fit DACs except to meet the USO due to the prevalence of broadband and other services that are not compatible with it.

Buzby

Your solution is to use a GSM-based phone. They can be standard mobiles, but they are available as desk-based types. Your problem is not unusual, as in her later years, my mum quite forgot that to hang up a cordless you ad o press the HANGUP button. (She started putting it face-down on any surface, like the phones of yesteryear).

See this:
http://www.gsmdeskphone.co.uk/GSMdeskphones/Telecom_FM_3G_Desk_Phone.html

This meant the line remained looped and a 30 mile round trip to make contact and ensure everything was OK.

Another solution - although his very much depends on he monitoring device is to remove the handset and only use the loudspeaker. Any inbound call will be auto-answered after an announcement chime - in much the same way as the monitoring service can. Outgoing calls are more problematic a large CALL button will connect with he service (of course) but calling other numbers require them to be pre-stored and as ther is no dial-pad, limited to 5-10 buttons.