Please note: This comparison is part of a series. If you haven’t done so already, we recommend starting with our main article on how to choose between alarms to ensure a base unit model is the correct type for you.
Here is our selection of the best personal alarms for the elderly that are for home-use only. Unlike GPS systems that can connect to a satellite from anywhere, these wrist or neck pendants connect to a base unit that you plug in, rather like a phone or router.
When the emergency button is pressed, it immediately connects with a 24/7 emergency monitoring service. They are ideal if your parent or elder relative spends most of their time at home or in the garden and doesn’t often go out alone. If your parent or elder relative is still quite active and frequently goes out independently, you might consider a GPS system for more comprehensive coverage.
Note: These alarms cannot prevent falls or other emergencies. What they can do is increase the likelihood of speedy intervention. They are no substitute for also taking steps to prevent falls happening in the first place. See here and here.
The features to consider and why
There are two main differences between this type of design and the more expensive GPS systems. They only work within range of the base unit, and none of the pendants have a microphone or speaker. These are housed in the base units.
In an emergency, the user has to be near the base unit to talk directly with the emergency team. If the team cannot hear the user after an alert they will try calling the wearer’s phone, call designated contacts to check on them, or call emergency services.
All these pendants have excellent battery life that lasts for years, and all companies replace them for free when needed. They are all showerproof, so can be worn in the bath or shower where many slips occur.
Learn more about the key considerations we think you should understand below, or jump straight to the alarm comparisons.
Range
Those with larger properties, especially with big gardens, should ensure that the pendant will always be in range of the base-station. Thick walls, old homes, large metal furniture and interference from other appliances and networks can cause WiFi dead spots, so you may want a more powerful signal in such cases.
Proximity of carers
If your parent or elder relative has a live-in partner or carer, a helper nearby or someone to accompany them when they venture out, then these systems can still provide ample security. If they are isolated or far away from help, the more you might want a microphone in the pendant, or GPS, for peace of mind.
Fall detection
This built-in technology senses when the wearer has a sudden or unexpected fall and automatically sends out an alert. Even if the individual is unconscious or unable to press the emergency button, it summons immediate assistance. Consider your parent or elder relative’s health and mobility condition carefully. This feature is particularly useful for older people with conditions that affect their balance such as Parkinson’s.
Keysafe
A keysafe is a lockable box, containing a spare key, placed outside the alarm user’s home. They allow neighbours or emergency services to easily access the home if needed. Some of the companies offer these as part of the deal, so now is the time to consider if a police-approved keysafe is a good idea for your situation.
Reliable connectivity
Consistent performance is vital for any personal alarm system. The selected alarms boast reliable connectivity, ensuring that distress calls are always received and that there’s minimal risk of technical hitches during emergencies. The Telecare pendant offers additional connection to your router via an Ethernet cable.
Water resistant
These alarms are waterproof (typically IP67, meaning they can be immersed in 1 metre of freshwater for up to 30 minutes). This allows users to wear them in the bath or shower, where falls and emergencies often occur.
Comparing Alarms
The company websites don’t display all the key information and, being sales oriented, can quickly become overwhelming. Our comparisons will save you a lot of time and legwork.
| Product | Setup cost | Monthly subscription fee | Water resistant | Range | Backup pendant | Works without a landline | Fall detection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taking Care Digital Personal Alarm | £69.99 | £19.99 | Yes | 300m | Yes Additional £36 for 1st year, £48 annual payment afterwards | Yes | No (requires upgrade to Digital Fall alarm at £25.99 per month) |
| Careline Essential + Personal Digital Alarm | £45 | £26.67 | Yes | 600m | Yes. Additional £45 annual payment | Yes | No. (can add for £5 per month extra) |
| Suresafe FallSafe | £45 | £17.99 | Yes | 100m | Yes. Additional £124.95 single payment | No (landline is required) | Yes |
| Telecare Digital Pendant Alarm | £45 | £19.00 | Yes | 200m | Yes. Additional £49 single payment | Yes | No |
To make the costs as clear as possible for each alarm, we have calculated the first year payment for you, and also a five-year projection.
As most customers will qualify for VAT exemption, all prices are without added VAT. (Add 20% to all prices if your parent or elder relative is not exempt.)
Note – Prices are correct at time of writing, but may be subject to change. Do double-check the price with the provider. Many providers offer deals and discounts, too. Our five-year projections are rough guides based on this year’s prices (November 2024).
1. Taking Care Digital Personal Alarm
Taking Care Trustpilot rating: 4.6 (Excellent), based on over 2,230 reviews
Overview
This no-nonsense alarm is easy to set up, use, and has a good range. It also offers two unusual features: Active Alert, which is free, monitors alarm-call usage patterns. If there is a change in the usual pattern of alarm alerts, the team will give a wellbeing call.
For an additional fee, users can also subscribe to Taking Care Sense, an additional monitor that is placed in the kitchen. If this detects changes in atmosphere or activity levels, it will alert the monitoring team who give a wellbeing call and alert family members if needed.
On the downside, this system has no fall detection facility and has the slowest response time (30 seconds).
Cost and cancellation policy
- Set up costs: £69.99
- Subscription fee: £19.99 monthly, or £18.32 per month if paid annually
- Minimum term: Monthly rolling-contract
- Total cost 1st year: £309.87 if paid monthly or £289.83 if paid annually
- Five year total cost: £1,269.39 if paid monthly or £1,169.19 if paid annually
- Refund policy: 30-day free trial period. No payment taken first month
- Warranty: Free lifetime
Features and Benefits
- Watch or pendant button? Both available
- Landline required? No
- Automatic fall detection: No (requires upgrade to Digital Fall alarm at £25.99 per month)
- 24/7 monitoring: Yes
- Range: 300m
- Average response time: 30 seconds
- Backup pendent? Additional £36 subscription 1st year, £48 per year afterwards
- Water-resistant? Yes
- Additional features: Taking Care Sense detects changes in daily activity, for an extra £147.87 a year. Active Alert monitors alert-call usage. A keysafe is offered for an additional £65
2. Careline Essential + Personal Digital Alarm
Careline Trustpilot rating: 4.6 (Excellent), based on over 3000 reviews
Overview
Arguably the most stylish of the bunch, this device claims to have the fastest connection time to the emergency centre. It also boasts the longest range of the systems reviewed here, so is able to cover large homes and properties. For additional fees, the device can be upgraded to include fall and smoke detection too. On the downside, the battery life is the shortest, it only comes as a neck pendant and is the most expensive, especially if paid quarterly.
Cost and cancellation policy
- Set up costs: £45
- Subscription fee: £26.67 per month if paid quarterly, or £19.99 per month if paid annually
- Minimum term: Quarterly or annual payments
- Total cost 1st year: £365.04 if paid quarterly or £284.88 if paid annually
- Five year total cost: £1,645.20 if paid quarterly or £1,244.40 if paid annually
- Refund policy: Refund within first 30 days, excluding set-up fee. No refund afterwards
- Warranty: Lifetime. Equipment replaced for free
Features and Benefits
- Watch or pendant button? Pendant
- Landline required? No
- Automatic fall detection: Yes, £5 per month extra
- 24/7 monitoring: Yes
- Range: 600m
- Average response time: 5 seconds
- Backup pendent? Additional £45 annual payment
- Water-resistant? Yes
- Additional features: Fall detector and smoke detector (£51 annually) can be added. A Yale keysafe can also be added at £32
3. Suresafe FallSafe
Suresafe Trustpilot rating: 4.8 (Excellent), based on over 390 reviews
Overview
This alarm is advertised as a fall detector, so this useful feature is built in for no extra cost. Basically a no-frills fall detector with an alert button attached, this is an excellent choice for anyone with particular concerns about falls, strokes and heart attacks… and it’s very competitively priced. On the downside, it has a significantly shorter range than the others, has a response time of up to a minute, and requires a landline.
Cost and cancellation policy
- Set up costs: £45
- Subscription fee: £17.99 monthly, or £16.25 per month if paying annually
- Minimum term: 30 day free-trial. Can cancel subscription anytime
- Total cost 1st year: £260.88 if paying monthly or £240 if paying annually
- Five-year total cost: £1,124.40 if paying monthly or £1,020 if paying annually
- Refund policy: Full refund within first 30 days
- Warranty: Lifetime
Features and Benefits
- Watch or pendant button? Both available
- Landline required? Yes
- Automatic fall detection: Yes
- 24/7 monitoring: Yes
- Range: 100m
- Average response time: Within 60 seconds
- Backup pendant? Additional £124.95 single payment
- Water-resistant? Yes
- Additional features: None
4. Telecare Digital Pendant Alarm
Telecare Trustpilot rating: 4.6 (Excellent), based on over 2,550 reviews
Overview The least expensive of the systems here, its 200m range is perfectly adequate for most flats and houses. It boasts a battery that lasts 18-24 months and provides an Ethernet cable to connect to your broadband and maximize connectivity. If mobile network signals are low, this alarm connects through the broadband instead. Telecare also throw in a free keysafe.
On the downside, after a 14-day cooling off period, you get locked into a year-long contract.
Cost and cancellation policy
- Set up costs: £45
- Subscription fee: £19.00 monthly or £15.00 per month if paying annually
- Minimum term: 12-month contract
- Total cost 1st year: £273 if paying monthly, or £225 if paying annually
- Five-year total cost: £1,185 if paying monthly or £945 if paying annually
- Refund policy: Full refund 14-day cooling-off period, excluding set-up fee
- Warranty: Free replacement and maintenance of equipment for lifetime of contract
Features and Benefits
- Watch or pendant button? Both available
- Landline required? No
- Automatic fall detection: No
- 24/7 monitoring: Yes
- Range: 200m
- Average response time: Within 30 seconds
- Backup pendent? Additional £49 single payment
- Water-resistant? Yes
- Additional features: Free keysafe offered. Can plug the alarm into broadband router for additional connectivity.
In summary
These alarms are home-use only and have been selected for elder people who are more or less housebound or only go out when someone is with them.
If your parent or elder relative is still quite active and often ventures out away from home by themself, you might be better to consider a GPS system that can cover them while they are out. For our recommendations on these types of alarms, see here.
Remember that a personal alarm is for detection of falls and calling for help when a fall occurs only, and of course cannot prevent falls or other emergencies from happening. What they can do is increase the likelihood of speedy intervention. They are no substitute for also taking steps to prevent falls happening in the first place. Learn more about the importance of fall prevention here.
We hope this guide helps make choosing an alarm simpler for you, so you and your parent or elder relative can have greater peace of mind. While you wait for your alarm to arrive, we have a guide here to help you set up your new system.
Common questions
- What is the basic personal alarm for the elderly?
A basic personal alarm for the elderly is a device, often worn as a pendant or wristband, that allows the wearer to summon help in case of an emergency.
Pressing a button sends a signal to a designated emergency response centre or a pre-selected contact.
- Are personal alarms worth it?
Absolutely. Personal alarms provide an added layer of security and peace of mind for both the elderly and their families.
They ensure that help can be summoned promptly in case of emergencies. Given the invaluable benefit of ensuring the safety and well-being of a loved one, many consider them a worthy investment.
- Which is better – a pendant alarm or a wrist alarm?
Both pendant and wrist alarms serve the same essential function, so the choice largely comes down to personal preference.
Some find the pendant more comfortable and less intrusive, while others prefer the wrist alarm for its wristwatch-like feel. It’s crucial to choose whichever is more likely to be worn consistently.
