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City Wide Care Alarms
Helping give safety, security and independence in your home
Our service
If you’re elderly, live alone, or feel vulnerable because of disability, a medical condition, or harassment, City Wide Care Alarms could help you remain safe, secure and independent in your home.
We offer you a simple to operate personal care alarm, that puts you in touch with specially trained staff at our emergency call monitoring centre. They’ll help you to resolve any problems you may have.
Unlike some other schemes, we also provide mobile wardens, who respond in an emergency at any time of the day or night, 365 days a year. Our wardens are specially trained and equipped, so they can provide professional emergency personal care and falls assistance.
This means you know you’ll be in safe hands, but also you don’t have to rely on family, friends or neighbours being available to come to your assistance.
New automated alarms now available
From 1 May 2009 a range of additional alarms is now available from City Wide Care Alarms. They monitor certain situations and automatically raise an alarm in the property and the call monitoring centre.
Alarms currently available include:
Bed occupancy sensor
This fits under a mattress and can be set to operate for a certain period. If the person is out of bed for longer than a pre-set length of time, the alarm will be triggered.
This can help monitor situations where people may have fallen in the night.
This can also be set up to turn on a light as soon as the person gets out of bed, to minimise falling during the night.
Chair occupancy sensor
This is fitted under a cushion and works in a similar way to the bed occupancy sensor, as it sets off an alarm if the person leaves a chair and does not return within a specified time.
Smoke detector
Alarm is raised when smoke is detected. If more than one alarm is fitted, the call centre staff will know the room where the alarm has been activated.
Note: South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue can offer a free Home Safety Check whether or not you have a smoke detector from City Wide Care Alarms. They will also fit free standard smoke alarms. Phone (0114) 253 2314 for more details.
Carbon monoxide detector
Alarm is raised when carbon monoxide is detected.
Note: Carbon monoxide detectors that only alarm within a property can be bought from various shops.
Natural gas detector
Alarm is raised when a pre set concentration of natural gas is detected. This helps to check for gas appliances left on but not lit, including cookers and fires etc.
Extreme temperature sensor
This detects for excessively high or low temperatures.
This can be used in the kitchen where a smoke detector would be too sensitive and can help monitor situations where a cooker is likely to be left on.
Flood detector
Used in the kitchen or bathroom to detect for overflowing sinks or baths, due to taps being left turned on with the plug in. If the detector senses water it emits an audible alarm and automatically activates a call to the call monitoring centre.
Note: an alternative special type of plug can be bought at DIY stores. This releases the plug when the water pressure gets too high and so prevents flooding, however this will not raise an alarm and will simply continue to empty the water down the drain.
Fixed alarm button
An alarm button can be fixed anywhere in a property. For example, by the front door to contact the call monitoring staff for help with potential bogus callers, or in the bathroom in case of falls at night.
Note: if the main Lifeline unit is near the door this, or the mobile alarm button can be used instead.
The fixed button can also be used as a Panic Alarm. In this case a verbal response is not made by the call centre but any conversation is recorded and monitored. Assistance will be dispatched as necessary. This can be used in cases of potential domestic violence etc.
Fall detector
This is worn on the waistband or around the waist at the side of the body. When the impact of a fall is detected, or the unit is tipped over to one side or the other, an alarm is raised.
Property exit sensor
This checks for people leaving a building. It can be set to operate at certain times of the day and night, (within certain limits). A delay can also be set, so that the alarm is only raised if someone does not return within a set period. (Allowing people to go out and empty a bin etc.) It can also detect if a main exit door has been left open.
How do you use the service?
When you join our service we’ll provide you with a portable alarm button (either as a pendant or wrist strap), any additional alarms and we’ll adapt your ordinary telephone to provide a link to our call monitoring centre.
We also ask for some information about you, such as details of friends, relatives, neighbours and your doctor, so they can be contacted if needed. We’ll keep this information strictly confidential.
If you have an accident, emergency or need some assistance, simply press the alarm button, or if one of your automated alarms raises an alarm, a member of our trained staff will contact you. At the same time they’ll have access to your information and will quickly arrange the most appropriate help for you. This could be your doctor, family, friends, our mobile wardens or the emergency services.
Even if you’re unable to reach the telephone, you can hear and speak through it, thanks to its powerful microphone and loudspeaker.
The portable alarm button will activate the alarm within about 80 feet of the main unit, meaning that even if you have a fall away from the telephone, help is still at hand.
If our call centre staff can’t hear you, they’ll treat your call as an emergency and immediately dispatch our mobile wardens.
Who can use our service?
Our service is there for anyone who feels a need for the security, safety or increased independence it can bring, either for them or their family.
Although many of our current users are elderly, some of whom live alone, the service is for anyone over 18 who may feel vulnerable because of disability, a medical condition, or harassment.
We already support thousands of people in Sheffield. Many people have the service for the security it brings, knowing that if something does happen they’ll have someone they can contact straight away, to provide the help and support they need.
What is the cost?
The City Wide Care Alarms monitoring and response service, including our mobile warden response, is just £3.95 per week.
The prices for the additional alarms are:
- Bed Occupancy sensor - £1.20 per week
- Bed Occupancy sensor with light - £1.50 per week
- Fall Detector - £1.20 per week
- Property Exit Sensor - £1.20 per week
- Natural Gas Detector - £1.50 per week
- Chair Occupancy Sensor - £1.00 per week
- Smoke Detector - 50p per week
- Carbon Monoxide Detector - 50p per week
- Extreme temperature Sensor - 50p per week
- Flood Detector - 50p per week
- Fixed Alarm/Panic Button - 50p per week
These prices are set until the end of March 2010.
All prices exclude VAT. Customers will not have to pay VAT if they are chronically sick or disabled, for example if they have diabetes. Please contact the City Wide Care Alarms office for further information.
How to pay
You can pay for this service in the following ways:
- By cash, cheque, debit card or postal order
At First Point in Howden House on Union Street anytime from 8.30 am till 5.30 pm Monday to Friday. Please bring your account reference with you.
- By monthly standing order via your bank
Contact us for an application form.
- By debit card
Over the telephone using the ATP (Automated Telephone Payments) system on (0114) 273 5249 and by following the instructions, or by phoning (0114) 273 4313 and speaking to an adviser.
- By Transcash at the Post Office
You’ll need something with your reference number on it (such as your account contract) and the payment in cash.
Joining the service
If you’d like to join or to know more about our service, please get in touch.
Call us free on 0800 013 0980 or fill out an online application form. We’ll be happy to arrange a visit and show you our system working.
How to contact us:
We’re a 24 hour service, you can contact us at:
- City Wide Care Alarms, Priory Office, Station Road, Darnall, Sheffield, S9 4JT
- or by telephone on 0800 013 0980
- or fax (0114) 203 7541
There's wheelchair access to our offices and disabled toilets on our floor.
Where can I get further information?
You can get more information by visiting Ricability. Ricability is an independent research charity which provides information on community alarms.
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