Personal alarms help to alleviate elderly people’s concerns about living alone, new survey finds

A recent survey from Taking Care sheds light on why older people choose to invest in a personal alarm, and it’s clear that one key factor stands out: living alone.

The survey, which was completed by nearly 2,000 personal alarm customers, found that living alone was the primary reason for choosing an alarm.

The survey found that:

• 82% of personal alarm users live alone

• 58% of personal alarm users said that ‘Living alone’ was their main reason for choosing a personal alarm. 

• 88% said having a personal alarm reduced their concerns about living alone and feeling vulnerable.

According to Age UK, 3.6 million elderly people in the UK live alone and 270,000 people aged 65+ in England can go a full week without speaking to a friend or family member, while information from the NHS suggests this could be as long as a month.

“We speak to a lot of older people who live alone, and many quietly admit they feel lonely or vulnerable, especially at night or when family aren’t nearby. Sometimes just being able to talk about that makes a difference”. - Lauren Frake, Taking Care Customer Services Manager.

Loneliness is a huge issue for elderly people in the UK and this research by Taking Care confirms that having quick, easy access to an Emergency Response Team can help to alleviate concerns related with living alone.