Here are some frequently asked questions about Medequip Connect Services. If your query is not covered, please get in touch.
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A Care Technology Alarm can also be known by the name of Careline Alarm, Personal Alarm, Telecare Service, Community Alarm, and Pendant Alarm System. The standard systems are similar, a ‘home unit’ plugged in by your telephone and an ’emergency button’ worn around the neck (hence Pendant Alarm) or on the wrist. The emergency button activates the unit and makes a call to the Emergency Response Centre where the Call Handler responds to you. Additional sensors or’ Assistive Technology’ can be linked to the Care Technology Alarm.
An analogue alarm uses a traditional telephone line in order to make an emergency call to the Emergency Response Centre whereas a digital alarm uses an internet connection either plugged in to your router or has its own mobile SIM card to send these calls.
We always advise you to press your pendant or alarm button every month to test the unit. A good way to remember is to test it on the date of your birthday each month.
The size of the alarm unit will depend on which product you choose, however an alarm unit is approx: 20cm x 14cm x 8cm (about the size of half an A4 sheet of paper) and a pendant is slightly bigger than a £2 coin.
Yes, you have both options upon install/connection so you can make your choice then.
We recommend that you always wear your Alarm Call Button. However, it is your choice if you wear your Alarm Call Button in bed as it may activate whilst you are sleeping. This will result in you being woken by the phone if it is nearby, or a visit from your Contact or Responder, if you do not hear the phone ringing.
You can keep the Alarm Call Button within easy reach when you are in bed and take it with you when you get up.
Anyone who lives nearby and has one of your keys, or knows the code to your keysafe. This may be neighbours, friends or members of your family. We ask for a minimum of two contacts, in case one is on holiday for example, but there is no maximum number. For each contact we can take home, work and mobile phone numbers. If you have chosen our Responder Team services, they will respond in emergency situations.
We aim to answer emergency calls triggered from your Alarm Call Button within 60 seconds. To remain accredited by the Technology Enabled Care Services Association (TSA) we must answer 97.5 per cent of emergency calls within 60 seconds.
Depending on the level of service you have with us; you will have your own contacts for us to call and we will ask them to attend in an emergency. If you have chosen our Responder Team to respond, we will always aim to get to you within 45 mins. It all depends on where the Responder comes from and their last call-out destination. Response times can also be affected by heavy traffic or bad weather, such as snow.
No, your alarm unit must be left plugged in and switched on 24 hours a day.
Yes, please let us know if you’re going away and when you return home. You need to press your Alarm Call Button to let us know.
When you press your emergency button we will speak from the unit. If we get no reply, perhaps you are out of speech range in the garden or garage, we will firstly call your telephone. When there is no reply to that we will phone the first contact on your list and ask them to go round to your house. If they are unavailable, we will try your second contact, or may even call the emergency services. Even without speaking to the unit we know you have pressed your button and will get somebody to come round and see what the situation is.
Please don’t worry if your alarm goes off accidentally.
We do not mind receiving accidentally activated calls and they test your alarm at the same time.
The Alarm Call Button on the pendant is shower-proof and can be worn in the shower. Or can be left on the edge of the bath and if it falls in, just fish it back out again and it will continue working. However, it should not be immersed in water for long periods.
Yes, normally the range of the Alarm Call Button (50 metres plus) will cover the whole of your property. We will test the range when the Care Technology Alarm is supplied and establish the range from your house.
No, the Alarm Call Button will only work in your home and garden. If you need a service to reassure you when away from your house, it is worth looking at a different device, which uses mobile network technology.
Before telephone providers make the change to digital we will contact you to arrange upgrade your equipment to ensure that it is compatible following the digital switchover.
If there are any problems with your telephone line, an analogue alarm will not be able to send calls to the Emergency Response Centre. Should this happen, the Alarm will identify the fault to you by an audible alert or flashing light to let you know that there is a fault. New digital alarms can use your broadband internet connection or mobile network technology to connect to the monitoring centre.
Yes, there is a battery in the emergency button you wear that lasts for approximately 5 years or 50’000 presses. When the battery power gets low the button sends a signal to the Alarm unit which is picked up by our computer and we arrange to replace the button before it runs out.
Your Care Technology Alarm will continue to work. It automatically switches over to its back-up battery inside the unit, which will last between 36-48 hours and will indicate this to alert you. When the power comes back on the Alarm reverts to using the mains power.
No, a call is made through to us only when you activate the unit by pressing your button. At the end of the conversation the unit is closed down.
Yes, there is a ringer on the alarm unit, it rings when your phone rings to aid the hard-of-hearing to know when their telephone is ringing. If you do not require this feature, it is simply turned off by a switch on the back.
Upon starting the service, you will be asked to pay a one-off connection/installation charge and 4 weeks service payment. We will then set up a Direct Debit mandate with you to make payment every quarter (3 months).
We can provide additional call buttons that can be linked to the same Alarm Unit, making it ideal for couples. We can also provide call buttons for particularly vulnerable users who may require a ‘bogus caller button’ to be installed near the front door for extra security. There is however a small additional charge for these services.
There is a charge for the replacement of a lost alarm call button, but if you find it within 2 weeks of the new one being issued, we will refund this charge upon return of the replacement.