Many people are able to live happy, independent lives well into old age. But should elderly people ever experience a medical scare or another type of emergency, they may require urgent assistance from a loved one or carer.
However, when elderly relatives live alone, it’s difficult to be there for them right around the clock. And the reality is that they may need help when you’re asleep, working, taking the dog for a walk or socialising with friends.
For those who care for an old-age pensioner, one of the best ways to offer the best level of support is by investing in a personal alarm.
These devices enable people to track the daily activities of their elderly loved ones and receive an emergency notification if an emergency unfolds.
Often, senior alarms can be worn on a lanyard by elderly relatives or placed in their homes. Technology manufacturers like Doro also offer easy-to-use mobile phones with built-in emergency assistance buttons.
But which type of personal alarm would best suit your needs and those of your elderly relative? Below, we’ve rounded up the best personal alarms for the elderly to help you choose the most suitable model.
Best personal alarms for the elderly at a glance:
- Best for a simple, pendant-based emergency alarm: Careline SOS GPS Alarm - £20.99, Careline
- Best for a subscription-free option: Ring Alarm Panic Button - £29.99, Amazon
- Best for a flip phone which doubles up as an emergency alert system: Doro 7030 - £79.99, Argos
- Best for ai-powered personal reminders: Sentai - £49.99, then £9.99 per month, Sentai
- Best for a GPS-based pendant which can detect falls: Taking Care Anywhere personal alarm - £28.99, Taking Care Anywhere
- Best for a non-wearable solution for forgetful relatives: Taking Care Sense - £16.99, Taking Care Anywhere
- Best for an accessible smartphone with emergency response features: Doro 8100 - £199.99, Doro
- Best for a highly advanced fall detector: Careline Fall Detector - £17.99, Careline
- Best for longer-distance emergency tracking: Careline SmartLife Alarm - £19.99, Careline
- Best for a reliable and easy-to-use digital alarm clock: Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Google Assistant - £25, eBay
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Careline SOS GPS Alarm
Best for: a simple, pendant-based emergency alarm
Careline offers a personal alarm aimed at helping elderly people lead independent lives at home and outside, called the SOS GPS Alarm.
It uses GPS technology to track the location of elderly relatives so that they can be easily found in emergencies. Clicking the SOS button quickly connects the user to Careline’s 24/7 Emergency Care Team, and a built-in speaker and microphone enable two-way conversation.
The pendant is waterproof, offers 24/7 monitoring and can be customised in a variety of colours. Fall detection can be added for an additional fee.
Buy now £20.99, Careline
Ring Alarm Panic Button
Best for: a subscription-free option
The Ring Alarm Panic Button is a perfect emergency system for anyone who owns one of the company’s alarms. After pressing and holding the button for three seconds, it sets off a siren on your Ring Alarm and notifies loved ones that something bad has happened. With the Ring App, you can set up alerts for three different emergency situations: panic, medical, or fire. You also get panic, medical and fire stickers to tell each panic button apart. The alarm is designed to be stored on flat surfaces or attached to walls.
Buy now £29.99, Amazon
Doro 7030
Best for: a flip phone which doubles up as an emergency alert system
The Doro 7030 is a flip phone with a built-in emergency response button, which allows the user to alert a family member or carer in the event of an emergency. What’s also great about the Doro emergency response button is that once pressed, it also shares the user’s GPS location so that a loved one or carer can get to them as quickly as possible. Other features include a large display, easy-to-use software, WhatsApp and Facebook apps, a basic camera, a torch, email, an alarm clock, a calendar, daily reminders, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, support for hearing aids and lots more.
Buy now £79.99, Argos
Sentai
Best for: ai-powered personal reminders
Sentai is a smart alarm system that helps elderly people live independent lives with the support of their loved ones. Comprising a motion sensor, a click-to-talk button and a smart hub, it allows family members to track the every move of their elderly relatives and be alerted to a break in routine. Should the user fall over, they can hit the clicker so that a warning notification is sent to their emergency contacts.
Sentai can also remind users to take medication, get a loaf of bread, go to bed and conduct other day-to-day tasks. And because Sentai is powered by Amazon Alexa, elderly users can speak to the personal assistant if they ever feel alone or want a question answered.
Sentai.ai, £49.99, then £9.99 a month
Buy now, Sentai
Taking Care Anywhere personal alarm
Best for: a GPS-based pendant which can detect falls
TakingCare Anywhere is a great option for elderly people who still live an active life, whether catching up with friends, getting some fresh air in the local park or going to the shop for a pint of milk.
It consists of a GPS-capable pendant that can detect when a user falls over and allows them to have a conversation with TakingCare’s emergency response team.
As well as detecting falls, the system allows users to receive help by pressing the emergency alarm button. Customers also get a backup pendant they can use when the main GPS pendant is on charge.
It takes the GPS pendant between three and five hours to charge. £28.99 per month.
Buy now, Taking Care Anywhere
Taking Care Sense
Best for: a non-wearable solution for forgetful relatives
If you’re worried about your elderly relative forgetting to wear a pendant around their neck, then it’s worth checking out the TakingCare Sense. It’s a sensor system that can be placed on a surface in your loved one’s home to track their daily activity and extreme temperature changes. When the device picks up irregular activity or temperature, it’ll alert the TakingCare emergency response team. A specialist from this team will then get in touch with the nominated emergency contact so that they can visit their elderly loved one and make sure everything is fine. TakingCare Sense can be used with the Anywhere personal alarm to ensure vulnerable relatives get the best possible care.
£16.99 per month inc VAT or £203.88 per year inc VAT
Buy now £16.99, Taking Care
Doro 8100
Best for: an accessible smartphone with emergency response features
Doro also offers an easy-to-use smartphone in the form of the 8100. And just like the Doro 7030, it sports an emergency response button that users can press when they need help from loved ones or carers. In terms of other features, it has a decently sized touch-sensitive screen, 4G connectivity, Internet access, front and rear cameras, video recording, a QR code reader, hearing aid compatibility, Android Go and an easy-to-use interface.
Buy now £199.99, Doro
Careline Fall Detector
Best for: a highly advanced fall detector
The Careline Fall Detector is an advanced emergency response system featuring an alarm base unit and a pendant that can be worn by wrist or neck.
At the heart of this personal alarm is a high-tech algorithm capable of measuring sudden changes in altitude and speed. If any irregular patterns are identified, the system can automatically alert Careline’s 24/7 Emergency Care Team.
Users can also get in touch with this team by pressing the pendant. Other features include round-the-clock monitoring, a 40-hour spare battery, an alert range of 100 metres and a waterproof pendant.
Buy now £17.99, Careline
Careline SmartLife Alarm
Best for: longer-distance emergency tracking
Careline also offers a more advanced system called the SmartLife Personal Alarm, which sports an impressive digital connection time of under ten seconds. Because the supported range between the pendant and base unit is 600 metres, users can still get emergency assistance in dispersed areas.
All they need to do is click the emergency button on the pendant or base unit to sound an alarm. The system has a 24-hour spare battery, end-to-end encryption and 24/7 monitoring. There’s also fall detection available, but this feature requires an additional upgrade.
Costs £19.99 per month.
Buy now £19.99, Careline
Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Google Assistant
Best for: a reliable and easy-to-use digital alarm clock
For elderly people who want a reliable digital alarm clock, look no further than the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Google Assistant.
It sports a sizable LED display that makes it easy for hard-of-sight users to determine the time, day and temperature. Another handy feature is a built-in nightlight, ensuring elderly people can get out of bed to go to the loo or get a drink without bumping into things or falling over.
Thanks to Google Assistant, it’s also possible to set alarms, check the news, play songs, listen to the radio, shop for essential items, manage smart home devices and lots more using your voice.
Buy now £25.00, eBay
Verdict
If you want a simple pendant-based emergency alarm for an elderly relative, Careline’s SOS GPS Alarm offers an impressive range of features for £20.99 a month.
Of course, not everyone will want to pay a subscription for a personal alarm. In that case, it’s worth considering the Ring Alarm Panic Button or a Doro mobile phone as you can purchase these outright.
