How does an emergency call system for seniors work?

An example: let us assume that you fall in the bathroom and can no longer get up on your own. No one else is at home, and none of the neighbors hear your calls. Fortunately, however, you are wearing an emergency transmitter on a cord around your neck. You feel for and press the emergency button, whereupon the emergency control center immediately contacts you through the base unit’s speakers. Since false alarms can also occur, they will first ask about your condition.

You can now respond directly to the control center’s questions and draw attention to your situation. The base unit’s intercom makes this possible. Even, and especially, when the control center hears nothing from you,  emergency contacts and, if necessary, emergency services are alerted.

It could ultimately happen that you lose consciousness after pressing the emergency call button. The exact measures are taken by the staff member currently on duty at the monitoring center based on the situation at hand.

Depending on the situation, the monitoring center can of course also alert the fire department or police - the personal emergency response system for seniors is not only intended for medical purposes.

For information on the risks associated with the increased risk of falls and how to address them, we also recommend our Blog post on the topic of “Falls in old age”.

What personal emergency response systems for seniors are available?

Emergency transmitters for seniors are often  wireless 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, people affected must know exactly how a personal emergency response system works - its operation is therefore kept very simple.

The housing features a single large, easy-to-press button for triggering the emergency call. The button should still be operable with the last of one’s strength - occasional false alarms caused by accidental activation should therefore be factored in when using a personal emergency response system for seniors. The  button for the personal emergency response system is brightly colored  - usually red.

An emergency call button can also be worn on the wrist

For the emergency call button for seniors to be  within easy reach when needed, it should be worn on the body consistently, 24 hours a day. Ideally, such transmitters have a  waterproof housing, so they can also be worn while bathing and showering.

The base station of a personal emergency response system for seniors is equipped with a  speaker and intercom . The intercom line remains open when the monitoring center responds. People seeking help then neither have to press buttons nor pick up a receiver to speak with the monitoring center.

It is advisable to use a personal emergency response system with support from a professional provider. However, “private” use is theoretically also conceivable, since  any phone numbers can be stored in the base station of an emergency call system for seniors.

For example, pressing the emergency call button could also notify a family member. However, family, friends, or neighbors cannot always be reached around the clock and may sometimes be unable 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 in an emergency by locating the emergency transmitter.

In the case of dementia patients,  GPS bracelets  are used that the wearers cannot remove themselves. 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 to guide emergency responders to them quickly.

The classic home emergency call system is generally unsuitable for people with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. 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 the affected persons' homes to determine their location.

These home emergency call systems immediately report when someone steps on them. Some sensor mats are even so sensitive that they can detect and report falls or even epileptic seizures. Such emergency call systems are ideal for care homes.

So-called signal call bells are also used in nursing and care homes. When activated, a call bell emits an audible emergency signal to alert nearby care staff.

What do home emergency call services provide, and what are the costs of an emergency call button?

In the event of accidents at home, such as falls, help can be summoned immediately with a home emergency call system

Emergency call system providers operate their own control centers, where alarms from all connected home emergency call or care emergency call systems are received. The control center staff ask what has happened and, if necessary, notify the local emergency services and/or relatives or other contact persons.

There are  monthly costs for using home emergency call systems. The basic tariff currently costs around 25 euros per month. People with a care level who require an emergency care call can apply for  the costs to be covered by the long-term care insurance fund . Health insurance funds generally cover the monthly costs of the basic tariff without any problems starting at care grade 1. Additional services booked on top of this are not paid for by the insurance fund.

During installation, the base station of the emergency call system is  connected to the customer's telephone line. Connections to the mobile network are also possible. The  connection fees vary depending on the provider and amount to around 60 to 70 euros.

How is a home emergency call system installed? When  installing an emergency call system for seniors, it is important to ensure that the base unit is positioned so that the two-way intercom can also be used from adjacent rooms if possible. The wireless transmitter's signal usually reaches around 30 to 50 meters. Accordingly, the base unit of the emergency call transmitter should be placed in a central location in the house or apartment.

The emergency call center can alert the emergency services immediately

Which services are included in the basic home emergency call tariff?

• You will be provided with an emergency call system for seniors consisting of a base station and wireless transmitter.

• The system is connected to your provider's emergency call center.

• Staff are available 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 you are charged for, and do not hesitate to question customer service as well. Are there flat rates, or are emergency calls charged individually, meaning that even accidentally pressing the emergency button would incur costs?

The provider of a mobile emergency call system for seniors should definitely take the time to record your health data. What illnesses or limitations do you have? Which medications do you take? 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 walk through the hallway, for example.

• If the status of an emergency call customer cannot be determined in this way, the control center will first attempt to make contact by telephone. If the person still does not respond, emergency call service employees will be sent to the relevant address.

• Opening the home in an emergency - this may be necessary if no one responds from inside the home and an emergency is suspected.

• Safety mats are suitable for locating people with dementia or for automatically transmitting routine status updates. One example of such sensor mats is Behrend's CareMat wireless safety mat.

• Fall detectors record when a human body falls to the ground and immediately trigger an alarm.

• Smoke detectors can also be integrated into emergency call systems for seniors.

For example, a sensor mat registers when people requiring care get out of bed

The same applies to additional services: you should carefully check in advance 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 performed best. The first four places in the test category “Processing emergency calls” went to the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB), the German Red Cross (DRK), Malteser Hilfsdienst, and Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe, in that order.

• That is why we are giving you a few more  tips on home emergency call systems for seniors  here, based on Stiftung Warentest's reviews. You should definitely pay attention to these points when having a home or senior emergency call system set up:

• 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 call center understand each other clearly? Is there still enough to hear when the person moves away from the base station - for example, into an adjacent room?

• Has the person for whom the home emergency call system is being set up understood how  its use and all procedures  work?

• Is the emergency call service tailored to the  needs of seniors ? Older people often have hearing problems. Therefore, their conversation partners may sometimes need to speak more loudly and, above all, more slowly. It is important that seniors know what steps will be taken when they press the emergency call button and that help is on the way.

• In general, the emergency call center should always ask what exactly happened as soon as the emergency call transmitter for seniors has been activated. In some cases, it may only be necessary to notify relatives. If there is a medical emergency, every detail obtained may be important. The call center staff should therefore have  patience and empathy  in order to 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 .

You should always compare all eligible  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 because they know that someone will help when they activate the emergency call transmitter. It is therefore worthwhile to set up a home emergency call system as soon as the first physical weaknesses and age-related complaints appear.