Personal Safety Alarm for the Elderly: A Guide for Relatives
Which type fits best? Compare 4G alarms, smartwatches and Bluetooth buttons – and what research says about safety and falls.
One in three people over 65 falls every year, and falls are the single most common cause of hospital admission among older adults.[1] Being able to call for help in time is often what determines the outcome.
When searching for a personal safety alarm for an elderly parent, it is easy to get lost in brands and data sheets. But beneath the surface, there are really only three fundamental types on the market — and the difference between them determines battery life, monthly cost, and who actually receives the alert.
1. The 4G alarm with a monitoring centre
A dedicated alarm device (button or pendant) with a built-in SIM card. It calls a staffed monitoring centre that assesses the situation and dispatches help — relatives, home care, or an ambulance.
This is the most common solution on the market today. Most municipal safety alarms work this way, and most commercial alternatives follow the same pattern.
Typical: battery life 2–7 days, monthly subscription approx. £20–40 including SIM and monitoring centre, monitoring centre as intermediary.
2. Smartwatch-based alarms (Apple Watch etc.)
A standard smartwatch with a built-in SOS function or an alarm app. The watch uses either its own Cellular connection or a paired phone to send the alert.
The advantage is that the watch looks like a regular watch — discreet. The downside is that it needs to be charged virtually every night, and the alarm function is part of a general consumer product rather than a dedicated device.
Typical: battery life 18–24 hours, more expensive watch plus extra Cellular subscription, often complicated to set up for older users.
3. The Bluetooth button that calls relatives directly
A small physical button on a keyring, pendant, or wristband. It pairs with a smartphone that is either carried by the user or kept at home, and forwards the alert directly to relatives — without a monitoring centre.
This is the least well-known type. Because the button itself is only a transmitter (Bluetooth, no 4G or SIM), the battery lasts for years, and there is no monitoring centre subscription.
Typical: battery life up to 3 years (coin cell), no separate SIM subscription, alert goes directly to relatives.
The most important difference: who receives the alert?
4G models (types 1 and 2) are built around a monitoring centre. They work anywhere with mobile coverage, but cost a monthly subscription and need charging regularly. Help comes from a stranger who assesses the situation and alerts relatives or an ambulance.
The Bluetooth button (type 3) is built around relationships. It requires the phone to be nearby — but in return the battery lasts for years, there is no monitoring centre, and the call goes directly to the family who knows the user and can respond within seconds.
Research from physiotherapy shows that the feeling of safety itself — knowing that help is close — reduces the risk of falls in older adults.[2] And what creates the greatest sense of safety for older adults, according to a needs analysis by Danish municipalities, is precisely the relationship with family.[3]
Which type suits your situation?
- Lives alone without nearby family: a 4G alarm with a monitoring centre is usually the most robust choice.
- Active older adult, comfortable with technology: a smartwatch can work — but requires daily charging.
- Lives with or close to family: a Bluetooth button is simpler, cheaper and more personal — with no daily maintenance.
At Linucare, we have chosen the Bluetooth path. Not because it suits everyone, but because it solves what most families actually need: one press that calls directly to the people you know — no monitoring centre, no monthly SIM bill, and no daily charging.
See the Linucare button →Read more about safety for the elderly →
[1] World Health Organization, Falls fact sheet, who.int
[2] Fysio.dk, Research review: Fear of falling — the best predictor of falls in the elderly (2015) (Danish review based on international studies), fysio.dk
[3] Copenhagen, Aarhus and Aalborg Municipalities, Needs Analysis: Safety at Home (2022), kk.dk