Welcome to our May newsletter.
This month we remind you of how the responder alert process works and offer up some ideas to help around the home.
We hope you are enjoying the warmer weather and, if you are able, getting out and about a bit more. Don’t forget, when you’re away from home and your base unit, you can still be covered by Acticheck when you connect your wristband to our free app on your smartphone (see Smartphone apps – Acticheck for more information, or give us a call).
As ever, if you have any suggestions as to what you might like us to feature in future newsletters, please email karl@acticheck.com.We’d especially like to hear how your Acticheck wristband helps you do things you otherwise wouldn’t feel comfortable doing!
The Responder Alert Process
Your responders are key when it comes to helping you in an emergency, so we thought it was worth reiterating how it all works and give you a checklist to ensure everything’s set up correctly so that you and your responders can get the most out of your Acticheck life-saving wristband.
How many responders should you have?
Every wearer should have at least one responder (in addition to our optional Fallback Response Service).
Responders are usually family and friends, or a professional carer if you have one. If no family members are close enough to actually attend should an alert be raised, it would be good to see if there’s a neighbour or nearby friend who could be a responder too, just in case.
There’s no limit to the amount of responders you can have, but we would suggest a maximum of 5 or 6, as the more there are, the longer the alert call sequence would be if no-one answers on the first attempt.
How does the responder alert process work?
Once an alert has been triggered (either from a wearer pressing both buttons, a fall or a missed I’m OK check), and the pre-alert checks1 have gone unanswered, the Acticheck system starts to call your responders, in your chosen order, until one of them answers.
Each call which is answered will receive an automated message telling them you may need help and asking them to press ‘1’ on their telephone keypad, or say ‘yes’, if they are willing to take responsibility. We will cycle through the list of responders twice to try and get a positive response (we will not call the responders who have noted they are away or have not verified their phone number). To listen to an example of a call to a responder, visit How it works – Acticheck
Once someone accepts responsibility, the system will read them the wearer’s address, access instructions and ‘in case of emergency’ information2. We will also text and email this information to them.
The alert sequence can be cancelled at any time by pressing a single button on the wristband.
NOTE: In order to avoid call blocking, wearers and responders should add our number, 0161 850 4480 to their phone book, or whitelisted numbers, and ideally give it a name such as ‘Acticheck’ or ‘Susan’s alarm’ (see www.acticheck.com/call for more information).
Are you responder ready?
It may have been a while since you set up your system, so it’s worth checking everything’s correct in your My Acticheck profile (the wearer or an Administrator can do this). Here’s a checklist:
- Have all of your responders confirmed they’re willing to be a responder?
- Have they verified their phone number?
- Have they added an email address (not compulsory, but advisable)?
- Are your responders in your preferred order? If not, you can drag and rearrange them.
- Do you have at least one responder (in addition to our optional Fallback Response Centre)?
- Have you set the correct ‘minimum on-call responders’ (top right in the MY RESPONDERS page)? Responders can set their own availability times (e.g. if they’re at work or on holiday), so the number of available responders may change. If this happens, you and your responders will receive a notification.
- Have you entered access instructions (e.g. key location) and any medical details emergency services may need to know, in your public profile and base location areas in My Acticheck?
What happens if none of my responders are able to accept an alert?
The Acticheck system is designed to put you in touch with your personal network of responders – family, friends and neighbours.
If you are not totally confident that one of your responders will always be available you should consider subscribing to the Fallback Call Response Service which ensures that if there is a time when none of your responders can help a professional response centre will make sure the emergency services are instructed. This service costs just £35 a year / £3 a month.
The Response Centre is available 24 hours a day, each and every day.
To find out more, watch our video guide on adding responders: https://youtu.be/Jfqjb7gfHU4
1 Pre-alert checks: The Acticheck system gives you two opportunities to cancel an alert – if you do not respond to either, a full alert is raised.
- Band buzz: Whenever the wristband buzzes, this is confirmation that an alert is about to start and an invitation for you to confirm you do not need help. If you don’t confirm within 10 seconds there will be an automated phone call (see point 2). If it is programmed to do so, the base will also sound as another indicator that an alert sequence is in progress. You can always confirm you are OK by pressing a single button. This will always stop the base sounding an alarm.
- Automated check call: The wearer’s phone number(s) will be called (NB: Please check they have been verified) and a voice message will prompt you to press ‘1’ on your telephone keypad or to say ‘cancel’ if you DO NOT need help. When the wristband is linked via the smartphone app, we will only call that phone.
You can still cancel the automated check by pressing a single button on your wristband.
2 Managing access information
If you are only going to contact responders who all have intimate knowledge of the wearer and how to get into their home you might not need to complete this information. However, if you are using people who are less intimate, who you don’t want to share personal information with unless it is absolutely necessary, then these sections should be filled in.
N.B. If you have taken the Fallback Call Response service there will be a ‘nag box’ pop up every time you log in to the wearer’s account until all these sections have something written in them.
At myacticheck.com, your Profile has spaces for “In Case of Emergency Information” to be given to a first responder, and for “Public Profile” which anyone can read by scanning your band with an NFC reader such as a smartphone.
Both of these places should be for information about the wearer. Access instructions for a responder to be able to get into your home (such as a keysafe number) should be stored by going to MY BASE and clicking the green Edit box to see a panel that includes a box for Access Instructions. For security, what you enter cannot subsequently be viewed there, but you can overwrite it if there are any changes you need to make.
Making life easier
No one likes to admit getting older, and most of us want to remain as independent as possible for as long as possible, which is the reason why the majority of our customers purchase the Acticheck life-saving wristband in the first place.
So we’ve put together a list of six handy items that might assist with day-to-day living (please note, we are not affiliated to any brands and do not make any actual recommendations).
A temperature activated flow reducer for the shower
Also called an anti-scald device, these are attached to a tap or shower head to ensure the water stays at a safe temperature. They are easy to install and come in valves too. No more worries about scalding and burns due to extremely hot water.
A swivel tray with stand support
Make your favourite armchair safe and secure by adding a swivel tray with stand support. Their strong handles let you get up and down with minimal effort, and the swivel feature means you get the right angle to grab onto every time.
A portable step stool
A lightweight portable step stool with handle can increase the ability to perform daily living activities such as cooking, cleaning, shopping and traveling. With its non-slip pads, this simple yet effective tool ensures a small step for the elderly yet a giant leap for mobility and independence.
A portable smart-assist seat lift
These seat lifts are a great aid for getting out of a chair. They’re available in a variety of colours and are more affordable than many of those tilt and lift armchairs. And the fact that you can take them with you when visiting friends and relatives is a great help.
An auto-assist car door handle
These affordable handles provide stabilising support to help safely exit most vehicles safely and independently. Designed to simply slot into the vehicle’s u-shape door latch, they can generally support up to 300 pounds, and can be tidied away in the glove box when not in use.
Glow-in-the-dark silica door handle adaptors
These doorknob adaptors are easy to install and enable people with arthritis or similar conditions to safely and easily open doors with existing round door handles. Soft to grip and glow-in-the dark, they’re an affordable alternative to replacing handles throughout the home.