Call for help quickly in an emergency—even in old age or when ill
In retirement homes, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities, emergency alert systems for seniors are often already part of the basic equipment. A care emergency alert system or senior emergency alert system lets people call for help in an emergency using a radio transmitter worn on the body. In this article, we’ll introduce these and other types of emergency alert systems for people requiring care and seniors.
Of course, younger people who live alone and experience problems such as dizzy spells, or simply want to feel safer, can also benefit from being able to alert someone immediately in an emergency by pressing an emergency call button.
Below, we explain how a personal emergency response system works and introduce various systems for seniors. Here you can see all the sections in this article at a glance. Click a line to jump to the relevant section.
- How does a personal emergency response system for seniors work?
- What do home emergency call services provide, and how much does an emergency call button cost?
- What services are included in the basic home emergency call plan?
- What additional services are available for emergency call systems?
- Emergency call services - which providers are considered reliable?
How does a personal emergency response system for seniors work?
Emergency alert systems, such as those used by seniors or in care settings, usually consist of two components: a radio transmitter with an alarm button, and a base station with a hands-free speakerphone. In an emergency, this system lets you call for help in the shortest possible time.
For example: suppose you fall in the bathroom and can no longer get up on your own. No one else is home, and none of the neighbors can hear you calling. Fortunately, though, you’re wearing an emergency alert button around your neck on a cord. You feel for it and press the button, prompting the emergency response center to contact you immediately through the base unit’s speakers. Since false alarms can happen, they’ll first ask how you’re doing.
You can now answer the monitoring center’s questions directly and draw attention to your situation. The intercom in the base unit makes this possible. Even—and especially—if the monitoring center gets no response from you, your emergency contacts and, if necessary, emergency services are alerted immediately.
After all, you may have lost consciousness after pressing the emergency button. The specific steps are taken by the staff member on duty at the emergency call center based on the situation.
Depending on the situation, the monitoring center can also alert the fire department or police, of course—the home emergency call system for seniors is not only for medical emergencies.
For more information on the risks of increased fall hazards and how to address them, we also recommend our blog post on “Falls in old age”.
What emergency call systems for seniors are available?
Emergency transmitters for seniors are often radio transmitters. They are always worn directly on the body in easily accessible places—for example, as a wristband or like a pendant around the neck. In an emergency, users need to know exactly how a home emergency call system works, so it is designed to be very easy to use.
The casing features a single large button that is easy to press to trigger the emergency call. The button should still be operable with the last of one’s strength, so occasional false alarms caused by accidental activation should be expected with a home emergency call system for seniors. The button for the home emergency call system is brightly colored — usually red.
An emergency button can also be worn on the wrist
To make sure the emergency button for seniors is within reach when needed, it should be worn on the body at all times, 24 hours a day. Ideally, these transmitters have a waterproof casing so they can also be worn while bathing and showering.
The base unit of a home emergency call system for seniors is equipped with a speaker and intercom . The intercom line remains open when the monitoring center responds. People seeking help then do not need to press any buttons or pick up a handset to speak with the monitoring center.
It is advisable to use a home emergency call system monitored by a professional provider. However, “private” use is theoretically also possible, since any phone numbers can be stored in the base unit of an emergency call system for seniors.
For example, pressing the emergency call button could also notify a family member. However, family, friends, and neighbors are not always available around the clock and may not be able to respond appropriately to every emergency.
An emergency call bracelet without a base unit, but equipped with a mobile phone app, is a good solution for all seniors who want to be out and about. These bracelets use GPS so that emergency responders can determine your location by tracking the emergency transmitter.
For people with dementia, GPS bracelets are used that the wearer cannot remove. For example, people with dementia may get lost and be unable to call for help themselves. If necessary, their movements can be tracked via the emergency transmitter so that emergency responders can quickly find them.
The classic home emergency call system is generally not suitable for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s. Because of their condition, these people are often unable to call for help. In addition to the GPS bracelets already mentioned, contact mats can be placed in their homes to determine their location.
These home emergency call systems sound an alarm as soon as someone steps on them. Some sensor mats are so sensitive that they can even detect and report falls or epileptic seizures. These emergency call systems are ideal for nursing homes.
So-called emergency call chimes are also used in nursing homes and care homes. When the emergency button is pressed, a call chime sends an audible emergency signal to alert nearby care staff.
What do home emergency call services provide, and how much does an emergency call button cost?
In home accidents such as falls, you can call for help immediately with a home emergency call system
Providers of emergency call systems operate their own monitoring centers, which receive alarms from all connected home emergency call or care emergency call systems. The staff at the center ask what happened and, if necessary, contact the local emergency services and/or family members or other contacts.
There are monthly costs for using home emergency call systems. The basic plan currently costs around 25 euros per month. People with a care level who need an emergency care call system can apply for coverage of the costs by their long-term care insurance fund. Health insurance funds generally cover the monthly cost of the basic plan without issue from care level 1 onward. Any additional services booked on top are not covered by the fund.
During installation, the emergency call system’s base station is connected to the customer’s telephone line. Connections to mobile networks are also possible. The connection fees vary by provider and are around 60 to 70 euros.
How is a home emergency call system installed? When installing a senior emergency call system, make sure the base unit is positioned so that the intercom can also be used from adjacent rooms, if possible. The wireless transmitter’s signal usually reaches about 30 to 50 meters. The base unit for the emergency call transmitter should therefore be placed in a central location in the house or apartment.
The emergency call center can immediately alert the emergency services
What services are included in the basic home emergency call plan?
- You will be provided with a senior emergency call system consisting of a base station and a wireless transmitter.
- The system is connected to your provider’s emergency call center.
- Staff are on hand at the control center around the clock to respond to incoming emergency calls. Depending on the urgency and type of alarm, the designated contact person and, if necessary, the emergency services will be notified.
- Regular inspection and maintenance of the emergency call systems, as well as replacement of defective components and batteries.
The exact services provided may vary from one provider to another. Check carefully how and what is billed, and feel free to put customer service to the test, too. Are there flat fees, or are emergency calls billed individually, meaning even accidentally pressing the emergency button could incur a charge?
A provider of a mobile emergency call service for seniors should definitely take the time to record your health information. What illnesses or limitations do you have? What medications are you taking? In an emergency, this information can save lives.
What additional services are available for emergency call systems?
- Daily status check - to do this, you must either press a button yourself every day or use a wireless motion detector that records when you, for example, walk down the hall.
- If the status of an emergency call customer cannot be determined this way, the monitoring center will first try to contact them by phone. If the person still does not answer, emergency call service staff will be sent to the address in question.
- Emergency access to the home - this may be necessary if no one answers from inside and an emergency is suspected.
- Safety mats can help locate people with dementia or automatically provide routine status updates. One example of such sensor mats is Behrend's CareMat wireless safety mat.
- Fall detectors record when a person falls to the ground and immediately trigger an alarm.
- Smoke detectors can also be integrated into emergency call systems for seniors.
A sensor mat, for example, registers when people in need of care get out of bed
When it comes to additional services, it's also important to check in advance exactly which provider best meets your needs.
Emergency call services - which providers are considered reliable?
With a portable emergency call system, medical help is never far away
In addition to various private providers , emergency call systems for seniors are also offered by nonprofit organizations. In a 2018 review by Stiftung Warentest , the latter received the highest ratings. The first four places in the “Emergency call handling” test category went to the Arbeiter Samariter Bund (ASB), the German Red Cross (DRK), Malteser Hilfsdienst, and Johanniter Unfall-Hilfe, in that order.
- That’s why we’re sharing some more tips on home emergency call systems for seniors based on reviews by Stiftung Warentest. Be sure to keep these points in mind when arranging a home emergency call system or a senior emergency call service:
- The quality of the voice connection must be checked when setting up the emergency call system for seniors. Can the person seeking help and the response center hear each other clearly? Can they still hear well enough if the person moves away from the base station—for example, into an adjoining room?
- Has the person for whom the home emergency call system is being set up understood how to use it and how all the procedures work ?
- Is the emergency call service tailored to the needs of seniors ? Older people often have hearing difficulties. That’s why their conversation partners may need to speak louder and, above all, more slowly. It’s important for seniors to know what steps will be taken when they press the emergency call button and that help is on the way.
- As a rule, the emergency response center should always ask what exactly happened as soon as the emergency transmitter for seniors is activated. In some cases, it may only be necessary to notify relatives. If there is a medical emergency, every detail they ask about may be important. The center’s staff should therefore have patience and empathy so they can assess situations correctly.
- Read the contract and the general terms and conditions of your emergency call service very carefully before signing. Reputable providers require no minimum contract term and offer short notice periods for cancellation.
As a rule, you should compare all potential providers of home emergency call systems yourself and carefully consider which services best suit your individual situation. For example, the requirements of a mobile emergency call system for seniors differ from those of an emergency call system in a nursing home.
An emergency call button gives seniors a sense of security, knowing that help is available if they activate the emergency transmitter. That’s why it’s worth setting up a home emergency call system as soon as the first signs of physical frailty and age-related complaints appear.
