In brief
A personal alarm is only effective when the response pathway is clear. Test coverage, decide who answers, keep contacts current and arrange safe access to the home.
Map the response pathway
Establish whether calls go to relatives, a monitoring centre or emergency services, and who decides what happens next. False alarms and unanswered contacts need a written fallback.
Test where the person actually goes
Check the bathroom, garden, stairs and regular journeys. Mobile products depend on network and location services; fall detection cannot identify every fall.
Compare the full contract
Include installation, rental or purchase, monitoring, SIM charges, key safe, maintenance and cancellation terms. A council assessment may identify local telecare support.
Need before commissionCoverage and ordering follow the user’s task, suitability and transparent criteria.