{"id":7857,"date":"2026-10-05T21:43:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T21:43:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visiting-angels.co.uk\/cheshire-east\/?p=7857"},"modified":"2026-10-05T21:53:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T21:53:56","slug":"do-fall-alarms-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visiting-angels.co.uk\/cheshire-east\/do-fall-alarms-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Do fall alarms actually work?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Quick summary<\/b><\/h3>

A pendant alarm will not stop a fall. What it does is stop a two-hour wait on the floor, and that is the part that does the damage. Expect a setup fee of around \u00a330 to \u00a350 and \u00a315 to \u00a327 a month, or less through your council. Check with adult social care before buying privately.<\/span><\/p>

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What the evidence actually says<\/b><\/h3>

An alarm is detection, not prevention. Getting that distinction right saves families money spent on the wrong problem, and our separate piece on <\/span>what to look for at home<\/span><\/a> covers the prevention side.<\/span><\/p>

The case for detection is strong. A Cambridge study following people aged over 90 for a year found that 82 per cent of falls happened when the person was alone, four in five could not get up after at least one fall, and 30 per cent had lain on the floor for an hour or more. Long periods on the floor were strongly associated with serious injury, hospital admission and later moves into long-term care (<\/span>Fleming and Brayne, BMJ, 2008<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>

The same study found something that should shape which device you choose.<\/b> People who had a call alarm frequently did not use it, even while on the floor and unable to get up. A pendant in a drawer, or worn but not pressed because pressing it feels like a fuss, protects nobody.<\/span><\/p>

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The options compared<\/b><\/h3>

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Type<\/b><\/p><\/th>

How it works<\/b><\/p><\/th>

Typical cost<\/b><\/p><\/th>

Best for<\/b><\/p><\/th>

Watch out for<\/b><\/p><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>

Basic personal alarm<\/b><\/p><\/td>

Makes a loud noise. No monitoring<\/span><\/p><\/td>

\u00a35 to \u00a320, one off<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Someone with family or neighbours within earshot<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Useless if nobody is nearby<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Monitored pendant<\/b><\/p><\/td>

Press the button, connects to a 24\/7 centre through a base unit<\/span><\/p><\/td>

\u00a330 to \u00a350 setup, then \u00a315 to \u00a320 a month<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Most people, if they will wear and press it<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Only works within range of the base unit, and requires the person to press it<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Fall detector<\/b><\/p><\/td>

Senses impact and raises the alarm automatically<\/span><\/p><\/td>

\u00a330 to \u00a350 setup, then around \u00a319 to \u00a327 a month<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Someone who may be unable or unwilling to press a button, including with dementia<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Can miss slow slides to the floor, and can trigger false alarms<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

GPS alarm or alarm watch<\/b><\/p><\/td>

Mobile SIM, works away from home, often with fall detection<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Higher monthly fee, typically the top of the range<\/span><\/p><\/td>

People who still go out, and anyone who dislikes looking frail<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Needs charging and a mobile signal<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Home sensors<\/b><\/p><\/td>

Movement, door and bed sensors that flag unusual patterns<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Varies widely, often the most expensive<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Dementia, night-time wandering<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Cost, and real questions about consent and privacy<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Council telecare<\/b><\/p><\/td>

Council-arranged equipment and monitoring<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Sometimes around \u00a314 a month, sometimes free after assessment<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Nearly everyone, as the first thing to check<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Needs an assessment, which takes time<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

Prices are indicative and drawn from <\/span>Which?<\/span><\/a> (correct as at July 2026) and homecare.co.uk. Always check current pricing directly.<\/span><\/p>

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Start with the council, not a website<\/b><\/h3>

Many councils run a telecare or community alarm service, sometimes at lower cost than private providers and sometimes free depending on need and finances.<\/span><\/p>

Ask adult social care: Cheshire East Council on 0300 123 5010, Call Derbyshire on 01629 533190 for Buxton and Whaley Bridge, Staffordshire Cares on 0300 111 8010 for Leek, Biddulph and Kidsgrove. If you are unsure which applies, our <\/span>guide to the council boundaries<\/span><\/a> sorts it out.<\/span><\/p>

An assessment takes time, so if the need is urgent it is reasonable to buy privately and ask the council in parallel.<\/span><\/p>

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The digital switchover, which almost nobody mentions<\/b><\/h3>

The UK’s phone network is moving from analogue to digital, with completion due in 2027. Older telecare units that rely on an analogue landline may stop working properly.<\/span><\/p>

Two practical steps. If you are buying now, choose a digital-ready service, ideally one using a mobile SIM rather than a landline. And if someone already has an alarm, tell their phone provider that they use telecare, because providers keep a register of vulnerable customers for exactly this reason.<\/span><\/p>

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Questions to ask before buying<\/b><\/h3>

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