I need emergency help, what do I do?

Depending on the type of pendant that you have, there are a few ways that you can get help. All pendants have a main button which can be pressed. This will then connect to the call monitoring centre who will try and speak to you through the unit. If the call centre is unable to get a response or get unclear response from you, which is what we call a ‘no response’, they will start to contact the list of responders we have for you.

If you need help or fall when you are away from the unit, for example upstairs and the unit is downstairs, then this would also be treated as a ‘no response’.

If you are on the Safe and Sound package then our officers will attend your property within 45 minutes.

We also provide a Falls Detector which is a wrist worn pendant and activated upon the impact of a fall. This is often used for customers who are unable to press a button and therefore need it to activate automatically. Again, the above ‘no response’ process would begin.

 

I have fallen over and activated my alarm, what will happen?

It depends on whether you are able to tell the call centre that you have fallen. If you can tell them they will contact paramedics immediately and also inform your next of kin or responders, if required. Due to health and safety measures, we are unable to lift customers who many have fallen because of the risk of causing more damage or injuring staff in the process. If you cannot tell them that you have fallen, or have for example ‘blacked out’, this would be treated as a ‘no response’ and we would begin to contact your list of emergency responders.

 

How often do I have to test my alarm, and how do I do this?

We recommend you test your alarm monthly, and this is done by simply pressing the button on your pendant. It will connect to the call monitoring centre and you simply need to tell them you are carrying out a test call.

 

What if I press my pendant by accident?

Please do not worry! This happens all the time and we would rather a false alarm than a real activation. The call will simply go through to the call monitoring centre who will come through and check you are ok. Simply tell them you have pressed the button by accident and they will close the call down.

 

Can I wear my pendant in the bathroom, or in the shower and bath?

Whilst the pendant is water resistant and splash proof, it is not fully waterproof. We do recommend it is worn in the bathroom and can be worn in the shower, however would not recommend putting it under water while you are the bath.

 

Can I wear my pendant in the garden or outside the front of my house?

As a general rule, the DORO pendants have an approximate range of 70-100-foot from the base unit which would allow you to use it in the front or back garden. This can however, at times, it can be dependent upon the location and surroundings of the property. Sometimes trees and bushes, or dense built up areas, may affect the range covered. We are able to offer a range extender in these occasions which can extend and strengthen the range of the pendant. The pendant does not however work beyond the 100-foot range.

 

What if I have a power cut or the electric runs out?

Each unit has a back up battery which kicks in if the power fails by the main electric point. This means that the alarm will still work for a period of time after the power cut or electric failure. This battery pack lasts at least 48 hours providing that before the power failure the electric had been supplying power to the unit.

When the main electric power is cut or removed from the unit this will register on the unit, and with the call centre, as a ‘mains failure’. The DORO unit will sound a beep warning noise, prompting you to check if the unit is plugged in. After the alert is sent to the call centre, they will check for a power failure within the area. If there isn’t one they will try and get in contact with you or your responders.

This notification is first sent to the monitoring centre within the first hour of the unit being unplugged, and will then be sent again after 40 hours if the unit has still not been plugged back in- this alert is then to tell the call monitoring centre that the battery is about to fail.

If we receive a ‘mains failure’ notification, we will try to contact you to find out the cause and solve the problem. This includes attending the property during day time hours if we cannot get a response from you or your responders. If there is a key safe, we will use it to gain entry. However, if there is no key safe, we would not complete a forced entry for a ‘mains failure’. We would pass this onto the police to ask them to complete a welfare check if we were unable to contact anyone.

 

I’m going away on holiday, do I need to do anything?

If you are planning to go away on holiday, or be away from your property for a period of time, please let us know. You can press the pendant so it connects to the call monitoring centre to share the details with them, or call us on 0121 717 1515. By sharing this information with us we are able to make sure that any activations or notifications in this time are not acted on or responded to unnecessarily.

 

What do I do if I want to change my responders, key safe code, or I am moving house?

You must inform us of any changes to responders, key safe codes or if you are moving house. Without these updated details it may delay or impact on emergency help getting to you. You can contact us on 0121 717 1515 (option 3) or you can press your pendant to connect to the monitoring centre. Due to GDPR data regulations we will not be able to discuss your information with others without your consent.

 

I’ve lost my pendant, what do I do?

No, problem! Contact us on 0121 717 1515 (Option 3) during office hours and we will be able to arrange a replacement pendant. There is a charge for the new pendant but we will wait a couple of weeks before we send you the invoice to you in case you find it at home!

 

Does the battery run low in my pendant and how will you know?

We receive automatic alerts from the pendant through to the call monitoring centre when the battery starts to run low. These often come through up to a week in advance so we have plenty of time to contact you, or your responders, to get this replaced.

 

I’m currently on the Lite service, but my responders are going away on holiday- what can I do?

Not a problem! We do offer the option of stepping up to the Safe and Sound level at a cost of £8.06 per week for the time that responders may be away for. This then gives access to our unique 24/7 responder service. This can be done by simply contacting us on 0121 717 1515.