Careline Alarms help thousands of elderly and disabled people across the UK to live safely in their own homes. In this helpful guide, we’ll explain how the Careline alarm service works and go through the different alarms we offer. This article will help you find the most suitable personal alarm for you and your needs.
An Ageing Population
The UK has an ageing population. Older people are continuing to live longer thanks to medical breakthroughs. According to 2018 statistics, there are 11.9 million over-65s in the UK, making up 18% of the total population. See the infographic below for more information.
While older people are living longer, healthier lives, it’s important to acknowledge the risks they face. As we get older, we are more likely to experience falls and medical concerns. Naturally, this can be very worrying for older people and their loved ones. These risks increase if the elderly person lives alone, which is becoming more and more common. Statistics show that:
- 3.64 million people over the age of 65 live alone in the UK. That’s 32%.
- 17% of older people are in contact with family, friends and neighbours less than once a week.
- 51% of people over the age of 75 live alone.
(*Credit to Campaign to End Loneliness.)
Living alone places elderly people at risk, especially if they are prone to falls. If an elderly person has a fall and is unable to get up, they might not be able to call for assistance. For many people, Careline Alarms are the ideal solution.
Who Are We?
Careline365 is a national provider of Careline Alarms, also known as Telecare Alarms and Personal Alarms for elderly and disabled people.
We support thousands of elderly, disabled, and vulnerable people across the country, in the comfort of their own homes. We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy their later years without fear or worry. Furthermore, we believe that Careline Alarms can be an affordable alternative to residential care homes.
As we’re a national, private provider of Careline Alarms, we’re not tied down to any local councils. This means that we can provide a high-quality service for our clients at the most affordable prices possible.
In fact, we have different price packages available to suit a variety of budgets and needs. Our alarm users can choose to pay for their Careline alarms on a monthly or yearly basis.
Who Can Benefit from a Careline Alarm?
Careline Alarms are ideal for elderly and disabled people anywhere in the UK. They are especially helpful for those who live alone, as they provide help and support that may not otherwise be available in an emergency.
Many elderly people, especially those who live by themselves, worry about what might happen if they suffer a fall. If an elderly person has a fall and is unable to get back up again, they may not be able to call for help. If they can’t reach for a telephone, they could face waiting a long time before a loved one or neighbour pops round to see them.
Careline Alarms can resolve these fears for everybody involved. All our alarm users can feel safe and comfortable in their own homes, knowing that help will be there with just one push of a button. In the long run, Careline Alarms also help people to carry on living independently at home for longer. Additionally, friends and family members will feel much better, knowing that their loved ones are being looked after by a reliable, 24-hour service.
Careline Alarms from Careline365
Next, let’s look at the different kinds of personal alarms for elderly and disabled people that we offer. There are options to suit a wide variety of needs and lifestyles. Keep reading to discover the best personal alarm system for you.
Most of our Careline Alarms come in two separate parts, which link together to form a life-saving package. The first part of the service is the alarm base unit, which plugs into the alarm user’s telephone socket and the mains power. The user’s telephone is then connected to the back of the base unit, using the adapter provided. The second part is a comfortable, lightweight pendant which the user wears around their wrist or neck. The pendant features a button which the user can press to call for assistance.
Careline Vi Alarm Unit
This is our most popular alarm system. It’s perfect for those who need a little bit of extra support or back up when they are at home.
The Careline Vi Alarm base unit comes in a sleek grey and white casing. It is small enough to be discreetly installed in the alarm user’s hallway or living room (or wherever their telephone socket is). The unit comes pre-programmed and just needs to be plugged into the main phone line and a power socket. It also comes with an adaptor which lets you plug a landline telephone into the back of the alarm unit. This means there is no need for splitter or an additional telephone socket. Set-up is incredibly simple, so there is no need for an engineer or installation service.
The sleek, compact base unit has a loudspeaker and built-in microphone system, which allows our Care Team to communicate with the alarm user during an emergency call. The loudspeaker is powerful enough for the alarm user to hear even if they are in a different room of the house. To the right of the loudspeaker, there are three buttons, the biggest of which is the red help button. The user can press this button in an emergency to call for help. There’s also a green cancel button, which can be used to cancel a false alarm call.
Another great feature of the Careline Alarm’s base unit is its back-up battery, which will boot-up should there be a power cut. This support battery has a charge of 40 hours. Once power is restored, it will begin to recharge itself so that it is ready for any future power cuts. It’s this feature that makes our alarm users feel even safer.
MyAmie Pendant
As we’ve mentioned, the pendant is the second part of many Careline alarm systems. A standard Careline alarm package comes with the MyAmie pendant. This sleek and stylish device comes with two comfortable wearing attachments. Alarm users can choose to wear their pendant around their neck with a comfortable cord or around their wrist with an elasticated strap.
The pendant itself is compact and lightweight, making it easy to conceal under a long sleeve or tucked under a top if desired. However, its stylish look means that many alarm users choose to keep it on and visible at all times – even when they leave their home.
Careline Pendant: Key Features
- A Great Battery Life: The pendant has an impressive seven-year battery life. Once the battery begins running low, we will receive a warning message and send the user a free replacement before the battery runs out. This means the user will never have to worry about charging the device.
- Waterproof: Our pendant is waterproof, which means it will still work in the bathroom. This is one of the most important features of our Careline alarms. The bathroom is often the site of slips and falls in the home, especially when getting in or out of the bath or shower. Being able to wear the pendant here gives the alarm user and their loved ones peace of mind.
- Medical Frequency: Many of our alarm users may already have medical equipment in their home. Therefore, the MyAmie pendant uses the 869MHz European Social Alarm Frequency. This means that it will not interfere with any other medical equipment around the home.
- Impressive Range: Alarm users can use their pendants anywhere within their home and garden. This is because the Careline pendant has a range of 100 metres from the base unit. During the set-up of the alarm, our Care Team will ask the user to test the pendant at the bottom of their garden. This way, they know that they are protected throughout their whole home.
Of course, the key feature of the pendant is the red help button. Like the red button on the base unit, the alarm user can press this button to call for help in an emergency. Our Care Team will quickly respond, offering reassurance and arranging help as soon as possible. Despite pendant’s compact design (around the size of a watch fact), the button itself is a third larger than that of the previous model.
Fall Detector Pendant
If you are looking for some extra peace of mind, we’d recommend our clever Careline Fall Detector. This pendant offers extra security to the alarm user, as it will automatically raise the alarm when it detects that the user has had a fall. Fall detector alarms are especially useful for people who are prone to fainting or seizures, who may be unable to press a standard pendant button in an emergency. Of course, the Fall Detector pendant also features an emergency button which you can press to call for help at any time.
The lightweight Fall Detector pendant, weighing just 35g, uses an LED light and vibration to confirm that the alarm has been raised. Just like our standard pendant, the Fall Detector is waterproof and has a 100-metre range. It has a powerful battery, lasting up to 3 years. If the battery starts running low, we’ll receive an automatic alert and send the user a replacement.
For maximum peace of mind, if you have a fall while wearing your Fall Detector, we’d always recommend pressing the pendant button if you’re able. To cancel an accidental alarm call, the user simply needs to cover the face of the pendant with their hands for 10 seconds. Alternatively, stand up within the 20-second period after the fall.
Every Careline Fall Detector comes with our standard Vi base unit, as described above.
The fall detector package is available now.
Careline GPS Alarms
The latest addition to our range of Careline alarms for elderly and disabled people is the Careline GPS Alarm. These cutting-edge devices are perfect for people who enjoy getting out and about. Choose from four stylish colours and a variety of wearing options. You can attach the GPS alarm to a keychain or wear it around your neck with the comfortable cord provided. Please note that, if you wear a pacemaker, you should keep the alarm at least 25cm away from it. Therefore, we’d recommend wearing it on a keychain in this case.
Unlike other Careline alarms, the GPS alarm does not require a base unit or landline connection. Instead, it has an internal SIM card which connects to the mobile phone network using the strongest signal available. As a result, our GPS alarms give you total freedom to live an active life with peace of mind. You’ll be protected wherever you go. Each alarm also features a built-in GPS locator, which allows our Care Team to send help to your precise location in an emergency. The alarm’s powerful battery only needs recharging around once a month. When you order a Careline GPS alarm, you’ll also receive a sleek, wireless charging station.
The GPS alarm features a built-in speaker and microphone. This allows the user to communicate with our Care Team directly through the pendant itself.
Careline GSM Alarms
To complete our range of Careline alarms, we have the GSM Alarm system. This is ideal as an alternative to our standard Vi Alarm if you do not have an active landline connection in your home. Instead, the alarm base unit uses a SIM card to connect to the mobile phone network. This allows the user to raise an alert call without a landline.
Just like our standard alarm base unit, the GSM alarm is also easy to install. Just take it out of the box and plug it into the mains power. To get the best signal, we’d recommend placing the base unit on a windowsill, away from any other electronics. This just means there will be less interference during emergency calls, so you’ll be able to hear our Care Team loud and clear.
The GSM alarm comes with its own special pendant. Just like the MyAmie pendant, it has a battery life of around 7 years and an impressive range of 100 metres from the base unit. For those who want peace of mind and reassurance at home, but don’t have a landline, the GSM Alarm is the perfect solution.
Delivery & Set-Up
We know that arranging an alarm for yourself or on behalf of a loved one is a very important decision. That’s why speed is key, especially if the alarm user suffers from a medical condition or has recently suffered a fall.
For that reason, we offer free next-day delivery on all of our Careline Alarms. This means that our alarm users can be set-up and ready to go within 24-hours of placing their order.
Our alarms are easy to use and simple to install. No matter which kind of alarm you choose, you’ll simply need to plug it in or charge it up. Then, you’ll be ready to start a test call by pressing the button on the base unit or pendant. A member of the Care Team will quickly respond over the loudspeaker. During the test call, our Care Team will ensure that everything is working correctly and that we have all the information we need from the alarm user.
After the set-up process is complete, the alarm user will be able to use their Careline Alarm to call for help in an emergency.
24-Hour Care Team
The Care Team is at the heart of the Careline alarm service. Every member of the team has gone through extensive training to provide our alarm users with a reliable and high-quality service.
The Care Team is available 24/7, 365 days a year, to ensure that alarm users can always find help when they need it. Whenever a user presses their alarm button, a member of the team will respond within a few seconds. They will speak with the alarm user, asking them what has happened and if they’re feeling okay, before taking the correct course of action.
If it’s a medical emergency, the Care Team will contact the emergency services. In addition, they’ll always contact one or more of the user’s emergency contacts. Once help is on the way, the Care Team member will keep checking in with the alarm user to reassure them.
If appropriate, we will also share the alarm user’s medical history (including any medication) with the paramedics. This knowledge will put the paramedics in the best possible position to help once they arrive.
On rare occasions, the alarm user may not be able to respond to the Care Team – for example, if they have fainted. Alternatively, a standard Vi Alarm user could have a fall outside in the garden, too far from the base unit to hear the Care Team’s questions. In these cases, we’ll initially try to call the user’s landline or mobile phone. If we don’t get a response, we will always treat the call as an emergency and contact the emergency services. Our team are very experienced professionals and know how to handle every situation.
Emergency Contacts
The alarm user’s emergency contacts play a key role in our service. During the set-up process, all alarm users can select several emergency contacts who they would like to help them during an emergency. These contacts usually include relatives, friends, neighbours, or carers.
Ideally, the alarm user would have at least two or three different people on their list of emergency contacts. However, if you only have one or don’t have any, we may still be able to help. Give us a call and we’ll see what we can arrange.
When selecting emergency contacts, there are a few key factors to consider. Perhaps the most important is location. It’s important to have at least one emergency contact who lives nearby. This way, they can get to the user’s house quickly in an emergency.
The list of emergency contacts can be updated or swapped out at any point by our customer services team, on 0800 101 3333.
Key Safes
Alongside our Careline Alarms, we also offer several different key safes. Key safes add extra security to the home, allowing you to store spare keys behind a secure combination lock. Therefore, with a key safe, there is no need to hide keys under doormats or in plant pots, where they pose a significant risk to home security.
Key safes are particularly useful for our alarm users. If they want to, alarm users can share their combination code with our Care Team. This means that we can pass this information onto the paramedics in an emergency situation. This ensures that the paramedics can always gain access to the alarm user’s home, even if the door is locked and no emergency contacts have arrived yet. The minutes and seconds saved here could make all the difference. Take a look at our key safes.
Testimonials
Careline Alarms have a life-changing and lasting effect on the user and their loved ones. Having a Careline Alarm can take away plenty of fear and worry about what could happen if a loved one suffers from a fall or faces a medical emergency.
Many of our alarm users and their families leave positive feedback about our service in their testimonial reviews. Here are some examples:
We ordered this and it was installed and working within 24 hours just as advertised. This was very important to us as it meant my mum could go back to her own home and not a rehabilitation ward which she felt strongly she did not want to go to. As a family we have peace of mind that help is there 24 hours for mum. Fantastic product and customer service. Thank you!” – Malcolm
“The Careline was easy for my daughter to set-up. When we were testing the Careline, the people on the other end of the phone were friendly. The people guided my daughter through the final set-up clearly. She followed the guide and my Careline was set-up.. me and my daughter can now relax knowing if I have another fall there is help with just a press of a button. I am very impressed.” – Ms. Mackay
More reviews can be found on the Trustpilot website.
VAT Exemption
Lots of alarm users are eligible for VAT Exemption. Alarm users will be exempt from any VAT charges if they have a long-term medical condition or disability. Common examples include diabetes, cancer, arthritis and osteoporosis.
During the set-up process, all of our alarm users are asked to declare any conditions which they feel would qualify them for VAT exemption. If you’re not sure whether you qualify, don’t worry. Just give us a call and we’ll be happy to help you find out more.
More Information
For more information about our Careline Alarms, call our customer services team on 0800 101 3333. We’ll do our best to help you find the right Careline alarm for you and answer any questions you may have. Alternatively, send an email to info@careline.co.uk, or use our ‘Contact Us‘ form to submit your queries. A member of the team will be in contact as soon as possible.
Note: we updated this article on 07/01/21 to include the latest information. Originally published 09/03/18.
