Age Concern Personal Alarm Services

Age Concern Personal Alarm Services at the Occupational Therapist conference 22-25 June

Age Concern Personal Alarms, the emergency response system from the charity Age UK, will be at this year's Occupational Therapist Conference. This market leading product provides 24 hour support to those in later life or with health vulnerabilities enabling them to live independently, for longer. The service does not exist to make a profit and where any surplus is made, it is gift aided back to Age UK to fund its charitable work, nationally and locally.

Increasingly, Occupational Therapists are recognising the benefits of Age Concern Personal Alarms. Over 900 Occupational Therapists have signed up to receive regular information on the service so as to keep their patients informed, contributing to an 85% increase in sales enquiries to Age Concern Personal Alarms from last year.

As National Falls Awareness Week gets under way (20-25 June), the impact falling has on the independence of those in later life has never been more under the spotlight. Age Concern Personal Alarms attribute 1,018 calls to falls each year and figures from Age UK show that falls remain one of the largest causes of death amongst people aged over 75. This demonstrates the importance of the issue and the need to raise awareness of it.

Chris Last of Age Concern Personal Alarm Services says, "We are delighted to be at this year's conference demonstrating our support of the Occupational Therapist sector. Our service makes a definite difference to our customers and increasingly is another tool that Occupational Therapists can use to help their patients stay independent."

This summer, Age Concern Personal Alarms celebrates 30 years of providing help and independence to those in later life or with health vulnerabilities. In that time, the service has helped more than 250,000 people of all ages across the UK and handled over 22,500,000 calls, an average of 750,000 calls annually.

The Personal Alarms Service provides assistance at the touch of a button by connecting a customer who, for whatever reason, needs to speak to someone from a dedicated Response Centre staffed round the clock. The service makes a difference to the lives of people across the UK who feel reassured about their safety and security at home. Most importantly, it gives family and friends peace of mind about their loved ones who remain at home.

Age Concern's Personal Alarm is lightweight and can be worn around the neck as a pendant or as a wristband. It is water resistant, so can be worn at all times around the home or in the garden, and will operate up to a range of 50 metres. At the touch of a button the user is connected to a dedicated Response Centre open 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

A key benefit of the service is that should a user of the alarm not have a nominated key holder, or that person is unavailable, the Keysafe facility (a secure storage unit) ensures the Personal Alarm team can provide emergency access. This provides further reassurance to users and their friends and family.

Age Concern Personal Alarm Services is exhibiting on stand 78 at Occupational Therapist Conference, 22-25 June 2010, Brighton Centre, Brighton, Sussex. Age Concern Personal Alarms are part of the Age UK family of products and services designed to enhance the lives of those in later life. 

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Notes to editors

For further information or interviews please contact Natalie Orringe or Imogen Dunn at Teamspirit Public Relations on 0207 360 7877 or ageuk@teamspiritpr.com or visit http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/personal_alarms.asp.

Personal Alarm Service

Age Concern's Personal Alarm system summons help at the touch of a button. Over 40,000 people throughout the UK rely on the emergency alarm service. Users are not exclusively older people; some have a physical disability, or a chronic condition such as epilepsy or diabetes, some are recovering from illness, while others are more concerned for their security than their health.

Age UK is inspired by the belief that it can improve the lives of people in later life. It celebrates ageing and believes it presents unprecedented opportunities and challenges at home and abroad. The charity will challenge ageist prejudice in society, provide services that address market failures and support the public and private sectors to design age-friendly products and services. It will support people to remain in their own homes through campaigning and practical services and its Information and Advice service will offer millions of people support on a range of issues from claiming benefits to staying fit and healthy.

Age UK will fund biomedical research that helps tackle the ill health and poor quality of life that are too common as people age. Working with over 350 partners across the country the Charity will help influence local decisions and deliver the most appropriate services. Its network of over 500 shops will act as a focal point for the local community, providing information and help with local services. Age UK works across the globe as well as in the UK, championing older people's rights and needs.

The new organisations will have a turnover of more than £150 million, nearly £400m with its brand partners. In addition to campaigning and influencing, their work will include providing information and advice to over five million people, commercial services for over one million customers and reaching 14 million customers through nearly 500 retail shops. Internationally, they will support a global network for older people in more than 70 countries and will fund pioneering research into all aspects of ageing.