BT has announced that by 2027 all analogue phone lines will be replaced with digital ones and many households have already been upgraded. BT is calling its new digital service "Digital Voice".
After you have been upgraded, you can still have a landline telephone, however, the phone will connect to a new digital network instead of the analogue network.
Your telephone provider will send you a digital hub that you will need to connect your phone to, and any other equipment that connects to the phone line will also need to be connected to the digital hub.
Many personal alarms have traditionally relied on analogue telephone landlines and may need an adapter to be connected to the new digital hub. Newer devices including the Digital Personal Alarm, Digital Fall Alarm and Taking Care Anywhere are unaffected because they do not use a telephone landline.
You can find out more about the Digital Switchover here and on the Ofcom website.
No. The Digital Personal Alarm has two multi-network SIM cards for extra reliability and does not use a telephone landline. It works at home and in the garden.
The Digital Personal Alarm uses two multi-network SIM cards and will connect to the strongest mobile network available. The Digital Personal Alarm is not limited to mobile coverage from a single mobile network. The alarm base unit also has a large internal antennae to improve reception.
Customers in areas that cannot get a mobile signal can still use the personal alarm service with the Classic Personal Alarm. The Classic Personal Alarm connects to a telephone landline and has been tested in Openreach's laboratory with the leading telephone providers' digital telephone networks to ensure maximum longevity. However, you may need to pay an upgrade fee if you choose the Classic Personal Alarm and your telephone provider makes a change in the future that affects your alarm.
No, the Digital Personal Alarm does not detect falls. If you would like a personal alarm that includes fall detection and works in the home and garden, please choose the Digital Fall Alarm. The Taking Care Anywhere also detects falls and works at home and when you are out-and-about.
Your order includes the Digital Personal Alarm pendant with your choice of neck or wrist strap, the alarm base unit and a power adapter. Also included is an easy-to-follow user guide that shows you how to set up and test the personal alarm service.
No, you do not own the personal alarm equipment, it is rented to you for the duration of your subscription. When you no longer need the service, Taking Care will provide you with a freepost Royal Mail return collection bag.
Yes, you can add another pendant for anyone living at the same address, or for use as a spare, for just £4 per month (£4.80 including VAT) when you place your order. If ordering online, you can select this option when you choose your subscription plan and package options.
Yes, the Digital Personal Alarm pendant is waterproof up to 1.5 metres / 4.9ft for 30 minutes (IP68 standard). You can wear the pendant in the bath and shower, where slips are common.
Yes, the Digital Personal Alarm pendant will work up to 300 metres / 948 ft from the alarm base unit. As part of the voice-guided set up, you will be asked to test the range from different locations so you are confident of getting help around the home and garden.
The Digital Personal Alarm pendant has a long five-year battery life, depending on use. It performs a daily self-test and has a low battery reporting function, so Taking Care will know if the battery needs replacing. Taking Care will replace the battery free of charge.
Yes. The battery backup in your Digital Personal Alarm base unit will work for approximately 40 hours. This means that during a power cut, you will still be able to make an alarm call and speak with Taking Care's Emergency Resolution team.
No, your Digital Personal Alarm cannot be triggered by another alarm pendant from a different system.
The set-up cost includes setting up your account with Taking Care and registering you as a customer. You will need to set up the personal alarm yourself. The set-up cost does not include any in-person installation assistance.
If you order online or by telephone and provide an email address, you will receive an order confirmation email with a link to an online account setup form. If you do not have an email address, you can complete and return the form included in your welcome pack with your personal alarm.
Please complete either form so that Taking Care has the following details available in case an emergency alarm call is made:
Emergency contacts – so Taking Care knows whom to contact in an emergency, please provide the names, addresses and phone numbers of family, friends or neighbours. Taking Care will also ask if your contacts have keys to access your home in an emergency.
Medical details – so Taking Care can arrange the most appropriate help in an emergency, please provide details of any medical conditions.
Key safe – if you have a key safe, let Taking Care know the code and location so they can get help to you in an emergency.
If you prefer, you can provide this information by calling Taking Care's Customer Services on 0800 023 4301, Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm.
The subscription is paid by Direct Debit and for convenience Taking Care recommends you set this up when you order online. If ordering by telephone then the Direct Debit Instruction will be setup over the phone with you by Taking Care's sales advisors. Your Direct Debit will be confirmed in writing by Taking Care no later than 10 working days before the first collection.
When you place your order online, you will have two payment options to choose from. You can choose to pay the setup cost as part of your first Direct Debit payment, in which case you will need to complete the Direct Debit Instruction shown when you have completed your order.
Or you may prefer to pay the one-off setup cost and first subscription payment by debit or credit card and setup the Direct Debit later. Some customers prefer this option if someone else is paying for the subscription. For example, customers may order the personal alarm service for family members who wish to pay the subscription themselves.
Your order confirmation email will include a link to the Direct Debit Instruction in case someone else needs to set it up or you wish to do it later. If you have any problems setting up the Direct Debit, please call the Taking Care Customer Services team on 0800 085 8032, 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday or email enquiries@ppptakingcare.co.uk.
The subscription can be set up by monthly or annual Direct Debit. The subscription includes 24-hour monitoring by the Emergency Resolution team, unlimited alarm calls, and a free lifetime warranty.
The lifetime warranty covers your equipment if it develops a fault or stops working. Taking Care will either repair or replace the equipment for you for free. If the pendant alarm battery needs replacing, then they will change that for you too - at no extra charge.
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