Emergency pendants

RavingMad

An elderly relative had a fall at home and only a chance visit did we find him laying on the floor unable to get up

Can anyone recommend a pendant/service that they can raise an alarm with and possibly get assistance should this happen again

What's available on the market?

Thanks

elsien

Local authorities often offer the service but it’s more to alert the contacts such as a family member. Other than the emergency services they don’t provide any hands on response as a rule.

I would start off with his council.

flaneurs_lobster

There's an overview of the devices available on the Which? website

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/assistive-technology/article/how-to-buy-the-best-personal-alarm-aiDEp0U1Tdr2

Age UK have some options from their commercial subsidiary

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/products/mobility-and-independence-at-home/personal-alarms/

No personal experience, they're just the best-known charity in the elder sector.

Flugelhorn

agree with @elsien best to start with the council - they need some sort of system that goes through to a manned call centre. Most of the (many) alerts are false alarms, they will speak to the person via a speaker and if all is well switch the alert off, if no answer then they may contact relatives or whoever is on the call list - or an ambulance if it sounds like that is what is needed.

Keep_pedalling

My mother had a pendant from Careline which was arranged through the LA. The service was very good but this was a good few years ago.

Has your relative been assessed by an occupational therapist?

Flugelhorn

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81916824#Comment_81916824

that names rings a bell - seem to remember there are different services with monthly fees

Keep_pedalling

Yes there was a monthly charge for the service although in my mother’s case it was subsidised by the LA as she was on pension credit. Back then it was done over a land line it is now done over a mobile network.

p00hsticks

Agree with starting with the local council, as they may provide a service where someone can actually come out if the alarm goes off. Unfortunately not all councils can do this - my local one wasn't taking on any new customers when I approached them.

I ended up with one from Taking Care for my mother - she has a pendant but I think you can also get watches.

We ended up going for the more expensive option which is £30 a month but includes a fall detector, allows her to communicate with the call centre via the pendant itself and works outside the house. Only issue is that you really need local contacts who will be able to check on them if they don't respond to say they're ok when the device goes off, although the call centre can alert police or ambulance if necessary. You need a keysafe fitted and to let them know the combination.

chrisw

My mum had the pendant but it was a bit bulky and she kept leaving it on the side at home. She's since swapped to the Yourstride watch type which is much better. I think it was about £60 then £20 per month with the fall detection. It also has gps so works away from home and I think a relative can track the location.

john1

I have a Google pixel watch which incorperated fall detection.

If a compatable phone is near by ( in bluetooth range) then an emergency call will be made to preset numbers via the phone .

If the watch is the lte version (£50-70 CEX) the watch can call directly with no phone present. but requires a additional subscription on your phone plan about £7 month.

From AI Key Details for Pixel Watch (1st Gen) Fall Detection:
How it Works: The watch differentiates between hard falls and, for example, burpees or other high-impact exercise.
Response Window: After a fall, the watch vibrates and sounds an alarm for about 30 seconds.
User Actions: You can tap "I'm OK" to dismiss the alert, or "I fell & need help" to connect to emergency services.
Auto-Call: If you are unresponsive for 30 seconds after the alert, the watch can automatically call emergency services and share your location.
Setup: Go to the Safety app on the Pixel Watch > Fall Detection > Turn on.
Requirements: Requires location permissions, and if using the Bluetooth-only model, your phone must be nearby for emergency calls.
Limitations: It may not detect all falls, and false positives can occur during intense activity or sleeping

beanielou

I have an I watch I use for this purpose. Not for everyone I know.