A personal alarm is an important part of staying safe at home – but the council community alarm has real limitations. It works indoors only, has no GPS, and goes to a monitoring centre, not your family. A private personal alarm can be ordered without a needs assessment, delivered in days, and works wherever you go.
Council community alarm in the UK – how it works
Home care services in the UK often include a community alarm (also called telecare or a lifeline alarm) as part of the support package for older people and those with disabilities. In England, community alarm services fall under adult social care and are arranged via the local council. Some councils provide them free; others charge a small weekly fee [1].
A standard council community alarm consists of a base unit plugged into your home and a pendant or wristband with a button. When pressed, it connects to a 24-hour monitoring centre, which assesses the situation and contacts a carer, the home care team or emergency services as needed.
Key limitations of the council community alarm:
- Works indoors only – via a base unit connected to a phone line or broadband
- Requires a care needs assessment and council approval
- No GPS tracking – family cannot see where you are
- No automatic fall detection – you must be able to press the button yourself
- Connects to a monitoring centre – not directly to your family
- Digital switchover: analogue PSTN-based community alarms will stop working when the UK’s telephone network completes its switch to digital (expected by January 2027). If your community alarm uses a phone line, check with your council or provider whether it is digital-ready [1]
Private personal alarm – an alternative without a needs assessment
A private personal alarm can be ordered by anyone, without an application, without a waiting list and without council involvement. It is particularly well suited to those who:
- Do not meet the council’s eligibility criteria for a community alarm
- Want an alarm that works outdoors – on walks, in the garden or on holiday
- Want alerts to go directly to family in an app rather than to a call centre
- Have dementia and need GPS tracking and a geo-fence
Comparison: council community alarm vs. private personal alarm
|
Council community alarm |
Private alarm (Sensorem) |
| Requires assessment |
Yes |
No |
| Works outdoors |
No |
Yes |
| GPS tracking |
No |
Yes |
| Automatic fall detection |
No (some enhanced: yes) |
Yes |
| Alerts |
Monitoring centre |
Family directly |
| Two-way communication |
Sometimes |
Always |
| Medication reminders |
No |
Yes |
| Digital switchover-ready |
Not always |
Yes – 4G, no landline needed |
| Cost |
Free–£8/week (council-funded) |
From €21.25/month, all included |
Can you have both – council and private?
Yes. Many people keep the council community alarm at home and add a private alarm for outdoor use and direct family notification. The council alarm covers the home and the link to a monitoring centre – the private alarm covers GPS, the family app and all situations outside the home.
This is especially valuable for people with dementia, a high fall risk, COPD or Parkinson’s who are still active and move around outdoors.
Personal alarm with automatic fall detection and GPS
Sensorem’s personal alarm is a technical aid developed specifically for people with dementia and increased fall risk. It works outdoors, includes GPS tracking and a geo-fence, can detect falls automatically, and calls family directly with two-way voice communication. Price from €21.25/month – everything included, no binding period.
