Digital-ready personal alarm
“A simple personal alarm from a trusted provider that just works!”
Hi, I’m Ben and I test all the products we’re sent here at Age Space. I’ve tried and tested countless personal alarms with the people who personal alarms are designed for. Several members of my family have personal alarms too and I think they provide a simple and effective method of safety for the wearer and reassurance to their family members.
I have put the SureSafe Digital Connect 24/7 personal alarm through it’s paces and below you can read about the alarm and my thoughts.
The SureSafe Digital Connect 24/7 is a simple pendant personal alarm system. “Digital” because it doesn’t us a landline connection and is therefore ready and safe from the digital switchover. Instead, the base unit (that plugs into the mains) it plugs directly into your broadband router.
“24/7” because the connection the base unit makes is to a 24/7 available, trained monitoring response team. If you press the button on the base unit or wearable pendant an alert is sent to this response team who will call the base unit and talk to you, determining what is wrong and taking the most suitable action (calling a neighbour, family member, emergency services).
The alarm was delivered super quick, the next day in fact. I opted for the option with fall detection, so in the box I found the large base unit and all the various wires for it, the simple red button pendant alarm (and different wearing options), a basic instruction booklet and the fall watch.
Setting up looks like the following:
Unlike mobile alarms (like the SureSafeGO) that work independently of a base unit, the Digital Connect requires a base unit to be plugged into the mains and broadband. My broadband router is pretty central in my house and as the wearable pendant works up to 100m from the base unit I could set off the alarm from anywhere in my house or garden. If you can move your broadband router to an area of higher fall risk (outside a bathroom or near the stairs) we would suggest doing so as you talk to the response team through the main unit and it'll be easier to communicate.
I plugged it all in and in a couple of minutes the light indicated it was good to go!
It's recommended that you test the various ways to activate (and cancel) the alarm when your first get a personal alarm. There is no cost, penalty, or even inconveniencing, in testing the alarm as many times as you like.
I tested both watches and the button in the centre of the base unit, as well as the smaller "s" button to cancel the alarm. In each case, after a few seconds, I was connected to a helpful voice from the response team. All I did was let them know I was okay and testing the alarm and they ended the call when it was finished.
Pros
Cons
Having tested the Digital Connect, and comparing it to other alarms I’ve tested, this is a very capable, simple, in-home alarm.
If it is only at home that you are on your own then this alarm will be a good option to provide you some safety and your reassurance that you are never too far from being able to get help for yourself. The only thing to do is to remember to wear it!
I couldn’t test the automatic fall detection (it is very hard to simulate a real fall!) but the additional reassurance that it will send off an alert without the wearer needing to do anything is probably worth what works out to around £3 extra a month.
If you do think that you’d like the security of protection wherever you are (at the shops, garden centre etc) and be able to talk to the monitoring team directly through the worn pendant, SureSafe do a mobile alarm that we’ve also reviewed with the lovely Kay, 88.
You can either pay for the Digital Connect 24/7 Annually or quarterly. Paying annually makes the equivalent monthly cost £18.99 (with fall detection) with an initial set-up cost of £49.
That means that the option with the Fall Detector works out to £276.88, without is £240.88, in the first year.
We talked to the folks at SureSafe and they were kind enough to offer Age Space customers X off when buying through our links (your discount will be automatically applied).
The fall watch included when you opt for automatic fall detection
