How Does a Personal Alarm Contact Family?
A monitored personal alarm gives an older person a simple way to call for help while keeping family, friends and other trusted contacts part of the response.
If you are looking for a personal alarm for an elderly parent or relative that can contact family when help is needed, TASK Connect provides 24-hour monitored alarms with nominated contacts recorded as part of the user's response plan.
The four steps below explain the monitored response. For a broader comparison of alerts sent to relatives and monitoring services, read the independent NHS guide to personal alarms and telecare.
How does a personal alarm contact family?
With a TASK Connect monitored alarm, the alarm does not simply dial one family member and hope they answer. The activation is received by our 24-hour monitoring team, who can then follow the response plan held for the user.
The alarm is activated
The user presses their pendant or wrist alarm button when they feel unwell, have a fall or need assistance.
TASK Connect receives the alarm
The activation is sent to the 24-hour monitoring centre together with the relevant account information.
We assess what is needed
Where two-way speech is available, the operator can speak with the alarm user and establish what has happened.
Family or other help is contacted
The operator follows the agreed response plan, which can include contacting nominated family, friends, neighbours or other appropriate assistance.
Choosing the right reassurance for your family
The most suitable option depends on whether protection is mainly needed at home, whether automatic alerts would be useful, or whether support is also needed when the person is away from home.
Home Personal Alarm
A pendant or wrist alarm provides a straightforward way to call the monitoring centre when help is needed.
- Nominated family or friends recorded as contacts
- 24-hour professional monitoring
- Wearable SOS button
- Digital broadband and GSM options
- Suitable for use around the home and garden
Automatic Safety Alerts
Some families want an additional safeguard in case the person is unable to press their alarm button.
- Wearable fall-detection options
- Inactivity monitoring
- Bed-exit alerts
- Alerts handled by the monitoring team
- Response plan agreed in advance
GPS Personal Alarm
PIP and Go Watch can provide monitored support when the person is away from the range of a home alarm system.
- GPS location capability
- 24-hour monitored SOS
- UK & Ireland use
- Optional family location access
- Optional fall-detection features
Frequently asked questions about family-connected alarms
Some of the most common questions from families choosing a personal alarm for an older parent or relative.
Does the personal alarm call family directly?
TASK Connect personal alarms are professionally monitored. When the alarm is activated, the alert is received by our 24-hour monitoring centre rather than simply dialling one family member.
The monitoring operator then follows the agreed response plan, which can include contacting nominated family members, friends, neighbours or other keyholders.
Can more than one family member be listed as a contact?
Yes. Appropriate nominated contacts can be recorded on the user's account so the monitoring team has the response information available when an alarm is received.
What happens if the first family member does not answer?
The operator follows the response arrangements held on the account rather than relying on a single telephone number. This is one of the advantages of a monitored personal alarm service.
Can family see where the person is with a GPS alarm?
Optional family location access is available with TASK Connect's PIP and Go Watch GPS personal alarms. This is separate from the 24-hour monitoring service, which remains in place whether or not family location access is used.
What if my parent cannot press the alarm button?
Automatic options may provide an additional layer of reassurance. These can include wearable fall detection, inactivity monitoring or other compatible telecare sensors.
No automatic system can identify every possible emergency, so these features should complement rather than completely replace a manual alarm button where the user is able to operate one.
Do we need a landline for a personal alarm?
No. TASK Connect offers Digital personal alarms for homes with suitable broadband and GSM personal alarms with their own mobile-network connection for homes where broadband or a traditional landline is not suitable.
Find the right personal alarm for your family
Compare home alarms, fall-detection options and GPS personal alarms, or contact TASK Connect if you would like help deciding which type of protection is most suitable.
Alarms that call family directly or a monitored service?
Some personal alarms call saved telephone numbers, send a text or notify an app. A monitored alarm sends the activation to a monitoring service. Check the exact model and agree who will manage each alert.
| Question | Family contact alarm | Professionally monitored alarm |
|---|---|---|
| Who receives the first alert? | The saved contacts or app users, depending on the product. | The monitoring service. |
| Who decides what to do? | The person who receives and responds to the alert. | The monitoring team assesses the activation and follows its response procedures. |
| What needs checking? | Missed calls, voicemail, notification settings and backup contacts. | Contact records, access arrangements and what the service includes. |
| What costs should you compare? | Equipment, SIM, app and any subscription charges. | Equipment or rental, setup and monitoring subscription. |
What if a relative misses the call?
A family member may be driving, asleep, at work or somewhere without reception. Before buying a direct-to-family alarm, ask what happens if nobody answers. Does it try another number? Can voicemail be mistaken for an answered call? Must the recipient press a key to acknowledge the alert? Can the family test the complete sequence?
Agree who covers evenings, holidays and periods when the main contact is unavailable. Consider how far away each person lives and whether they could actually attend. A long contact list is less useful if everyone assumes somebody else will respond.
The NHS guide to personal alarms and telecare explains these different response arrangements. An alarm cannot guarantee an emergency-service response time.