Manchester Community Alarm Service

Community alarm is the continuous, automatic and remote monitoring of real time emergencies and lifestyle changes over time in order to manage the risks associated with independent living. The Community system ensures that a minor event does not turn into a crisis by making sure that when an alarm is raised, an appropriate response is provided promptly.

There are four key elements to a Community Alarm:

• A Community Alarm unit is installed in a property or in sheltered housing a hard wired system is used.
• The control based in Gorton Manchester receives alarm activations and the Response Officer will speak to the service user. In some cases a local paging system to alert a carer / or next of kin locally is also applicable
• Appropriate responses to the alarm, may be provided by Community Alarm Response Officers, family and friends, emergency services.
• Community Alarm sensors that raise an alarm when required. These are generally battery powered and signal wirelessly

There are four key elements to a Telecare service:

• Maintain/enhance independence
• Delay/avoid admission to residential care
• Reduce hospital admissions
• Reduce the duration of hospital admission
• Support carers by contributing to reducing anxiety and stress
• Safeguarding by minimising risks associated with living independently at home
• Help support and protect victims of crime

Look at the solutions page and the packages page or contact the team

A Community alarm will help to prevent, delay or reduce the costs associated with more expensive social care services

Yes - we offer 2 levels of service

Monitoring Service

The cost for this service will be £2.83 per week.

When the customer presses their alarm or a sensor triggers, a member of staff from Community Alarm will call you to offer advice and reassurance. If necessary, Community Alarm will contact a nominated person, your next of kin or the emergency services.

Monitor & Response Service

The cost for this service will be £4.68 per week.

When the customer presses their alarm or a sensor triggers, a member of staff from Community Alarm will call you to offer advice and reassurance. Where necessary, Community Alarm will contact a nominated person, your next of kin or the emergency services. Where appropriate and if you are a Manchester resident, Community Alarm will send out a fully trained Response Officer to assist the customer.

The community alarm equipment remains the property of Manchester City Council and it is our responsibility to maintain this equipment and to ensure that an appropriate 24/7 response is made to every activation made by the customer.

It is the responsibility of the customer to check their pendant on a monthly basis to ensure that their unit is working properly.

These levels of service consist of a base unit and pendant which can be worn on a wrist strap or around the customer’s neck. It is aimed at service users who may feel vulnerable for example as a result of an accident or due to the fact that they live alone. Visit the "Solutions" part of our store to read more. We also offer different Assistive technology sensors, which can viewed on the "Packages" part of our store.

If you are receiving our Monitor and Response service you will also be provided with a Key Safe (Police approved) free of charge, this will enable us to access your property in the event of an emergency situation. Your unique access code will only be used by us and shared with emergency services.

Once a unit and pendant are installed and providing you are paying for the full service £4.68 any ‘add on’ equipment such as additional sensors will be installed and monitored at no further cost.

All that is required is a telephone line which is able to both take incoming and outgoing calls and an electrical power point. If the alarm or a sensor is activated, a message is sent to the control where trained response officers take the most appropriate action, whether it be contacting a family member, neighbor, doctor, or the emergency service or dispatching Response Officers to the customer’s property.

Yes - Details of some of the potential assistive technology sensors can be viewed in the "Solutions" part of our store. Alternatively, you can submit us with a request for more information, detailing what it is you are concerned about and we will advise you on the potential solutions.