Test reminders for pendant users (UK)

Steve Hards

For safety, as well as for monitoring centres’ compliance with the TSA code of practice (in the UK), users of pendant alarms should make a test button press at least once a month. How do you get them to remember to do that? (Unless you spend expensive operator time calling them…or use a low cost automated reminder system, that is?) A residents’ focus group for HomeCall, the telecare division of Coast & Country Housing, has come up with a fridge magnet scheme. The press release does not say if it also reminds them to wear their pendants at all times…[UPDATE after viewing in high res – it doesn’t.]

fridge magnets
Shirley Lowder from the Homecall residents’
focus group demonstrates the fridge magnets

3 thoughts on “Test reminders for pendant users (UK)”

  1. A great idea, shortly to be followed a ‘Remember to look at your fridge door magnets at least once a month’ campaign… 😉

  2. The bigger issue is that a majority of people don’t wear their pendants. You can use our automated reminder service to prompt your pendant alarm customers to put their pendants on every day and/or to perform equipment tests against any routine you like.

    You can also give your customers our ‘I am okay’ telephone and ask customers when they get up in the morning to put their pendant on and press the I am okay button to confirm they have done so.

    If they do not push the I am okay button by an agreed time e.g. 9am contact can be made with the customer (which can initially be automated if you wish) to prompt them to put their pendant on.

    This fixes 2 problems; it reminds and encourages customers to wear their pendants and it confirms your customers are actually safe each day.

    Further details on our site: http://www.alertacall.com

  3. I think the problem is building in the habit and becomeing proactive. With older adults this could be tied to another regular occurance to enhance that habit.

    Habits and learning new things tend to occur when people see a value in the activity. So we need to find a way to make testing the pendant alaram ‘valuable’.

    A good example of this would be to encourage them to test their pendant alarm every time they get their bank statement:
    ‘The bank statement shows your money is safe, now show that YOU are safe.’

    Granted not everyone has a bank account, but most of us get regular letters?

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