A personal alarm for elderly parents is usually a small button worn on the wrist or around the neck. Press it and it connects, through a base unit or a mobile signal, to a 24-hour response centre or to family, so help can be sent after a fall or a sudden illness. Some also detect a fall automatically.
In Worthing and Adur the councils run their own community alarm service, and West Sussex County Council funds telecare for people who need it after a professional assessment. Private providers cover everyone else. This guide explains how the options work, what they cost, where the local falls service fits in, and how pill dispensers can help with medication.
In short: for most people living alone, a monitored alarm with a fall detector, plus a key safe so responders can get in, is the most useful starting point. Expect to pay roughly £15–£30 a month.
How does a personal alarm for elderly people work?
Most monitored alarms have two parts: a wearable button and a base unit (or a single mobile device with a SIM card). Pressing the button opens a loudspeaker call to a trained operator, who can talk to the person from anywhere in the home.
The operator then decides what is needed. That might be calling a named keyholder such as a son or neighbour, calling an ambulance, or simply reassuring someone who feels unwell or anxious. Some services also send their own responder to the house.
There are four main types:
- Basic alarms that make a loud noise to alert people nearby. Cheap, with no monthly fee, but no use if nobody is in earshot.
- Family-alert alarms that phone or text a list of contacts in turn. No monitoring fee, but they rely on someone answering.
- Monitored pendant alarms connected to a 24-hour response centre. This is what most councils and “careline” or “lifeline” services provide.
- GPS alarms that work outside the home and show the wearer’s location. Useful for someone who still walks to the shops alone.
What is telecare?
Telecare is the wider family of sensors that link to the same alarm system. Examples include smoke and heat detectors, flood sensors, bed and chair sensors that notice when someone gets up in the night and does not return, and door sensors for someone with dementia who may go out at night. The NHS guide to personal alarms, telecare and key safes describes the main options.
Do fall detectors work?
A fall detector uses a motion sensor to recognise a sudden fall and raises the alarm automatically, even if the person cannot press the button. That matters, because people who fall often cannot or do not press it: they are shocked, hurt, or embarrassed.
They are not perfect. A slow slide out of a chair may not register, and the occasional false alarm is normal. They still close a real gap for anyone who has fallen before or who lives alone. Make sure the wearer understands the device and actually keeps it on, including in the bathroom.
What does a personal alarm cost?
Prices vary by provider and by whether the alarm is monitored. The ranges below come from Which?’s consumer research and are indicative only.
| Type | Set-up fee | Ongoing cost |
|---|---|---|
| Basic alarm (no monitoring) | None | One-off £5–£20 |
| Monitored pendant alarm | £30–£50 | £15–£20 a month |
| Monitored alarm with fall detector | £30–£50 | About £19–£27 a month |
| GPS alarm | £30–£50 | £21–£30 a month |
| Council lifeline services | Often none | Around £14 a month (varies by council) |
Before you sign up, check the contract length, whether there is a cancellation fee, who replaces batteries, and what happens if the operator cannot reach any keyholders. A key safe by the front door is almost always worth adding so an ambulance crew does not have to break in.
If the person is chronically sick or disabled, the supplier may be able to remove VAT from the equipment. Our guide to free equipment and VAT relief explains the rules.
Local lifeline and careline services in Worthing, Adur and West Sussex
Adur & Worthing Councils Community Alarm
Adur & Worthing Councils run a Community Alarm and Telecare Service, answered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is open to anyone who needs an emergency link to live at home more independently, not only council tenants.
The package includes the wearable button (neck or wrist), the base unit, installation, a demonstration, battery changes and yearly maintenance. There is also an optional mobile response service, where the team aims to visit within 45 minutes if the operators cannot reach anyone else. You can refer yourself or a relative online or by phoning 01273 263390. Ask for the current weekly charge when you call, as it is not always published.
West Sussex County Council telecare
West Sussex County Council funds technology-enabled care for people assessed as needing it. Since August 2025 the service has been delivered by Livity Life. According to West Sussex Connect to Support, installation is free and the service is free for six weeks for short-term needs, such as after a hospital stay, and longer-term support may be free depending on circumstances.
This route goes through a health or social care professional. If your relative does not have one, phone Adults’ CarePoint on 01243 642121 and ask for a care needs assessment. Telecare is often arranged alongside hospital discharge, so raise it with the ward if your parent is in Worthing Hospital.
Other districts and private providers
Other district councils in West Sussex have their own schemes, and national charities and private companies sell monitored alarms anywhere in the county. The service itself matters more than the brand: 24-hour UK-based monitoring, a clear process when keyholders cannot be reached, and a short or rolling contract.
Falls clinic in West Sussex: getting a falls assessment
An alarm gets help after a fall. A falls assessment tries to stop the next one. In West Sussex this is provided by the Falls and Fracture Prevention Service run by Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, which has a base in Worthing.
The team offers a one-to-one specialist assessment, checks muscle strength and balance, sets a tailored exercise programme, provides walking aids and equipment, and can refer on to other services. Appointments can be in clinic or at home. Referrals come from health and social care professionals and some voluntary organisations, so the usual route is to ask the GP.
Tell the GP about every fall, even ones that seemed minor. Falls often have treatable causes: medication side effects, low blood pressure on standing, poor eyesight, or foot problems. Our guide to falls prevention at home covers the practical changes around the house.
Pill dispensers for elderly people
Missed or doubled doses are common when someone takes several medicines a day, and alarms and dispensers can help. The main options are:
- Simple pill organisers: a weekly box with compartments for morning, lunch, evening and bedtime. Cheap and effective for someone who just needs a visual check.
- Automatic pill dispensers: a locked carousel that beeps or flashes when a dose is due and only opens the correct compartment. Some connect to a monitoring centre or send a text to family if a dose is not taken. Someone still has to fill it correctly each week.
- Pharmacy blister packs: multi-compartment compliance aids filled by the pharmacy.
Blister packs are not automatically the best answer. The Care Quality Commission notes that NICE guidance prefers medicines in their original packaging, and that compliance aids should be considered only after a health professional has assessed the person and found a specific need. Some medicines are not stable outside their packaging. Alternatives include reminder charts, large-print labels, easy-open caps and phone alarms.
A good first step is to ask the GP or community pharmacist for a medication review. Fewer medicines, or fewer dose times, can solve the problem better than any gadget. If memory is the main issue, visiting carers can prompt or give medication; see our guide to medication management at home.
When an alarm is not enough
An alarm works best for someone who can recognise a problem and wants help. It is less effective for a person with moderate dementia who forgets what the button is for, or for someone falling repeatedly. If you are relying on the alarm several times a week, that is a sign more support is needed, such as short daily visits from a carer or overnight care. Our guide to signs an elderly parent needs care may help you judge.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I get a free personal alarm for an elderly parent?
Sometimes. West Sussex County Council can fund telecare for people assessed as needing it, including free short-term support after a hospital stay. Most people who arrange an alarm themselves pay a monthly fee. Attendance Allowance, which is not means-tested, can help cover the cost.
Does a personal alarm work without a landline?
Yes, many now use a mobile SIM rather than a landline, which matters as phone lines move to digital. If the alarm uses the home phone line, ask the provider whether it has been tested on a digital line and what happens in a power cut.
What happens if nobody answers when the alarm goes off?
The response centre works through the list of keyholders. If none can be reached and the person needs help, the operator can call an ambulance. The Adur & Worthing service also offers an optional mobile responder for this situation.
Should my mum wear the alarm in the shower?
Most pendants and fall detectors are waterproof, and the bathroom is a common place to fall, so yes. Check the manufacturer’s rating before assuming a device can get wet.
Can a personal alarm help someone with dementia?
It can, but a button relies on the person remembering to press it. Sensors that raise an alert automatically, such as bed, door or fall sensors, often work better. Speak to the GP or council about a telecare assessment.
The Care Panel is an independent publication. We are not a care provider and are not regulated by the Care Quality Commission, because we do not deliver care. Always check a provider’s own CQC registration and inspection report before you commit.
Written and fact-checked by The Care Panel. Last updated September 2026. Sources: NHS guide to personal alarms, telecare and key safes; Adur & Worthing Councils Community Alarm and Telecare Service; West Sussex Connect to Support; Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust Falls and Fracture Prevention Service; Which? personal alarm buying guide; Care Quality Commission guidance on multi-compartment compliance aids. General information, not financial, legal or medical advice — figures are indicative and subject to change.