Choosing the Best Home Alarm for Elderly People

It’s well known that the vast majority of older people prefer to live independently in their own homes whenever possible. However, when elderly people are living alone, their safety can be a concern. That’s why it’s often helpful for seniors and families to look to technology for extra help and security.

In previous posts, we’ve discussed how technologies such as home cameras can help older people feel safer in their homes. We’ve also explored how numerous types of alarms, such as personal alarms, can protect seniors at home and elsewhere.

In this article, we’ll home in on the topic of home alarms for the elderly. We’ll discuss some of the top elderly home alarm options and explore how home alarms can work together with other devices to keep older people safe in a variety of different ways.

Decisions to make when it comes to your elderly home alarm

When you’re considering purchasing a home alarm for elderly people, there are many questions you’ll face as you start. Some of the main ones are:

• What functionalities do you need?
• How sophisticated do you want and need the technology to be?
• Do you want to monitor your alarm’s notifications yourself, or just pay a subscription for a service to do that for you?

The answers will vary depending on each individual’s preferences. Below, we’ve run down a range of highly reviewed alarms to suit a variety of different answers to these questions.

The best elderly home alarm options

1. Amazon Ring Alarm

Many people have heard of Ring doorbells, but Amazon’s Ring system’s capabilities go far beyond seeing who’s at the door. There are a range of different Ring alarm systems that include different components such as sensors and cameras, so you can choose one that suits you best.

One highly popular option is the five-piece Ring security kit, which includes a motion sensor, a contact sensor and a keypad to arm them. It also has a smart pet detection function so that roaming cats won’t set off an alert!

This could be a great option for older people who are more tech-savvy and who already rely on Amazon systems like Alexa for help around the home. On the other hand, some older people may want to rely on a more traditional home alarm system – and our next option might be better for them.

2. Yale HSA Essentials Alarm Kit

The HSA Essentials Alarm Kit from Yale is a simpler product for self-installed home security. It doesn’t send any alerts or notifications to you, just rings an auditory alarm when its system is triggered.

The Yale and Ring options are similar in that they both have a core component onto which you can add additional pieces to suit your needs. This basic Yale product includes motion detectors and sensors to detect when a door or window is opened.

For older people who are less keen on fancy smart systems, this might be a better option, as you disarm the alarm simply by pressing the code on the keypad. However, it doesn’t include any of the more sophisticated monitoring that some smart home systems allow. For some older people with less dexterity in their fingers, pressing the numbers on the keypad could be an issue, too.

3. The ERA Protect Range

ERA Protect offers a several home alarm system kits designed for homes of differing sizes – for example, some include components to protect a driveway or front garden, while others are better suited for a flat. One appealing feature of ERA’s products is that they can work together with Amazon’s Alexa device and the Google assistant – so if an elderly person’s home tends to rely on Google smart products rather than Amazon, you’re not out of luck.

You could go for the simplest option, the five piece bundle, which includes a motion sensor, a door and window sensor, and two remote controls. The seven piece bundle adds a replica siren and a real siren to deter burglars.

4. ADT Home Security

So far, the options we’ve discussed all require self-installation. But if price is no concern, and you just want experts to take care of installation and everything else, you could try an ADT burglar alarm. In this case, you’ll receive a tailored solution based on what you decide on when a representative visits your home.

This could be a great option for the home of an older person who is in poorer health and is really not able to manage any of the security details personally.

5. Just Checking

Lastly, here’s an option that’s somewhat different from the others we’ve mentioned – Just Checking. This is not a burglar alarm system, but a monitoring system designed for the homes of people living independently with conditions like early dementia. It relies on sensors placed around an older person’s home that can send alert notifications if the sensors detect signs of trouble. For example, if an older person accidentally leaves their front door open, the sensors can detect that and will send an alert to a designated contact.

How to use an elderly home alarm in a plan for an older person’s safety

A home alarm for elderly people can help to keep an older person’s physical environment safe. Their complement is an elderly personal alarm, which protects elderly people themselves.

For example, many older people are at greater risk of falling, whether that’s due to stiffness from conditions like arthritis, poorer vision, or simply increased weakness and poorer balance that come with age. An automatic fall detection alarm is designed to ensure that if seniors do fall, they never have to lie on the floor for a long time, unable to call for help. A fall detection alarm senses when its wearer has fallen and calls for help independently, even if the wearer is unconscious.

Similarly, a one-touch alarm lets older people press a single button to tell someone else that something is wrong and they need help. That’s great in a vast variety of situations. It could help an older person with high blood pressure or epilepsy if they’re concerned a heart attack or seizure is coming. It could also help an older person with dementia who finds themself confused or in a troubling situation, or an elderly person who’s just worried their hands aren’t nimble enough to use a phone if an emergency arises.

Learn more about how SureSafe alarms can help protect the elderly

With the combination of an elderly home alarm and an elderly personal alarm, an older person can feel greater peace of mind, knowing that help will be on the way if trouble occurs.

At SureSafe, we’re dedicated to offering quality, easy-to-use and affordable personal alarms that are designed to protect older people with a range of safety needs and preferences. If you’re curious about how one of our personal alarms could help protect you or an elderly person you know, we’d love to chat with you to explore what option could be best. Just give us a call on 0800 112 3201, use our live chat or request a call back.