How does an emergency call system for seniors work?

An example: let's assume you fall in the bathroom and can no longer get up on your own. No one else is at home, and no neighbors hear your calls. Fortunately, however, you are wearing an emergency transmitter around your neck on a cord. You feel for and press the emergency call button, whereupon the emergency control center immediately contacts you through the base unit's speakers. Since a false alarm is also possible, your status is checked first.

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, if the control center hears nothing from you,  contact persons and, if necessary, emergency services are alerted.

You may have lost consciousness after pressing the emergency button. The exact measures are taken by the staff member currently on duty at the emergency call center based on the situation at hand.

Depending on the situation, the control center can of course also notify the fire department or police - the home emergency call system for seniors is not only for medical purposes.

We also recommend our article on the risks associated with an increased risk of falls and how to address them Blog post on the topic of “falls in old age”.

What emergency call systems for seniors are available?

Emergency transmitters for seniors are often radio 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, those affected must know exactly how a home emergency call system works - operation is therefore kept very simple.

The casing features a single large button that is easy to press to trigger the emergency call. The button should still be operable with one’s last remaining strength - occasional false alarms caused by accidental activation should therefore be expected with a home emergency call system for seniors. The button for the home emergency call system is brightly colored - usually red.

An emergency button can also be worn on the wrist

To ensure that the emergency button for seniors is also within reach when needed, it should be worn on the body consistently, 24 hours a day. Ideally, such transmitters have a waterproof casing, so they can also be worn while bathing and showering.

The base station of a home emergency call system for seniors is equipped with a speaker and an intercom . The intercom connection remains open when the control center responds. People seeking help then do not need to press any buttons or pick up a handset to speak to the control center.

It is advisable to use a home emergency call system operated by a professional provider. However, “private” use is theoretically also possible, as any phone numbers can be stored in the base station of an emergency call system for seniors.

For example, pressing the emergency button could also notify a family member. However, family, friends, and 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 app, is a good solution for all seniors who want to be  out and about a lot. These bracelets use GPS so that rescue workers can determine your location in an emergency by locating the emergency transmitter.

In the case of dementia patients,  GPS bracelets are used that the people wearing the emergency transmitter 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 so that rescue workers can quickly reach them.

The classic home emergency call system is generally not suitable 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 homes of those affected 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 nursing homes.

So-called call bells are also used in retirement and nursing homes. When the emergency button is pressed, a call bell sends an audible emergency signal to alert nearby nursing 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 called immediately with a home emergency call system

Emergency response system providers operate their own control centers, where alerts from all connected home or care emergency call systems are received. The control center staff ask what 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 need a care emergency call system can apply for  coverage of the costs by the long-term care insurance fund . Health insurance funds generally cover the monthly cost of the basic tariff without any problems starting at care grade 1. Additional services booked on top are not covered by the insurance fund.

During installation, the base station of the emergency call system is  connected to the customer's telephone connection. 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, make sure that the base unit is positioned so that the intercom can also be used from adjacent rooms if possible. The wireless transmitter's signal usually reaches about 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 immediately alert the emergency services

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

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

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

• Employees 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 are 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 put the customer service team to the test as well. Are there flat-rate charges, or are emergency calls billed individually, meaning that even accidentally pressing the emergency call button would incur costs?

A provider of mobile emergency call services 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 - you must either press a button yourself every day or use a wireless motion detector that records when, for example, you walk through the hallway.

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

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

• Safety mats are suitable for helping locate 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 detects when people in need of care get out of bed

The same applies to additional services: be sure to check in advance which provider best meets your needs.

Home emergency call services - which providers are considered reliable?

With a portable home emergency call system, medical help is never far away

Alongside various private providers , home emergency call services for seniors are also offered by nonprofit organizations. In a Stiftung Warentest assessment from 2018 , the latter performed best. The first four places in the “Emergency call processing” test category went, in this order, to the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB), the German Red Cross (DRK), Malteser Hilfsdienst, and Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe.

• 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 center understand each other clearly? Can they still hear well enough when the person moves away from the base station - for example, into an adjoining room?

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

• Is the emergency call service tailored to the  needs of seniors ? Older people often have hearing difficulties. Their conversation partners therefore sometimes need to speak louder 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.

• As a general rule, 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 center's staff should therefore have  patience and empathy  in order to assess situations correctly.

• Read your emergency call service contract and general terms and conditions very carefully before signing. Reputable providers require  no minimum contract term and offer short cancellation periods .

As a general rule, you should compare all eligible  providers of home emergency call systems  yourself and carefully consider which services best suit your individual situation. The requirements of a mobile emergency call system for seniors differ, for example, 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 if 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.