Personal alarm for the elderly

UK’s best personal alarm
for the elderly

  • Get 24/7 emergency help, at home and outside
  • Discreet and easy to use personal alarm watch
  • Trusted by thousands of happy customers
hero-outer-contour hero-inner-contour lady-outdoors-gardening
lady-outdoors-gardening - empowered to live more confidently

As seen in...

UK’s leading personal alarm watch service

Peace of mind at the push of a button - for you and your family. The YourStride personal alarm watch gets you the help you need when you need it most. It works in your home, your garden or when you’re out and about.

Just click the button, speak directly through the watch and our dedicated 24/7 monitoring team will send the right help to your location - whether that's your named contacts, the emergency services, or both.

Reasons to choose the YourStride personal alarm for the elderly

Works anywhere in the UK

Whilst many personal alarms limit their support to your home or garden, YourStride works anywhere in the UK. No matter where you’re located, your watch will connect to the strongest network in the area, ensuring maximum coverage. Best of all, this is done completely in the background, and you won’t even realise that the watch has switched to a stronger network.

Hassle and stress free

Your watch is fully tested by our team and charged before despatch. It arrives in the post, set up with your details and ready to use. Easy.

It just works

Whilst many personal alarms are linked to mobile phones, YourStride is completely standalone - no smartphone, Wi-Fi or landline required. Just strap up and go.

More than just a personal alarm for the elderly

The YourStride personal alarm watch features a heart rate monitor, blood pressure monitor, and a daily step counter. It can, of course, also tell you the time! It’s discreet, lightweight and designed to be as comfortable as possible.

Order now

How the YourStride personal alarm for the elderly works

We partner with an experienced, UK based, 24/7 alarm monitoring centre, trained to the highest possible standard in emergency situations. Our centre brings 30 years experience in monitoring alarms and handles over 17,000 calls a month.

background-image

1

Wear your personal alarm

Discreet and lightweight, your watch is designed to be as comfortable as possible.

2

Request emergency help

Use the watch’s SOS button to contact our friendly and experienced 24/7 monitoring team. Calls are typically answered within 30 seconds, and you can use the watch’s built-in speaker and microphone for a 2-way emergency call.

3

Get the help you need

When an emergency call is received, we will send the right help to your location - that could be to the emergency services, your selected contacts, or a combination of the two.

4

Contacts informed

We will keep your named contacts up to date and follow up with all developments, as required.

Order now
yourstride watch yourstride watch

Watch £59.99 one-off

Service £17.99 per month

There are no hidden fees or unexpected costs. We offer a full, 30 day money back guarantee and you can cancel at any time on our rolling monthly plan.

As well as making SOS calls the watch tells the date and time, counts your steps and measures heart rate and blood pressure.

UK based 24/7 monitoring team accredited to the highest possible standards. Our centre brings 30 years experience in handling over 17,000 calls a month.

Choose automatic fall detection to get extra peace of mind. When a hard fall is detected, the watch will vibrate, and "fall detected" audio will play, reassuring you that our 24/7 monitoring team are being alerted.

Add as many contacts to our system as you would like to. You can update or change them online or over the phone, any time.

You can make as many calls as you need to our emergency monitoring team. The YourStride watch can connect to any mobile network in the UK to maximise coverage.

Your watch arrives in the post, set up and ready to use. It is completely standalone so there's no landline, Wi-Fi or smartphone set up involved.

On the monthly plan, you can cancel at any time with 30 days notice. There's no minimum term and you are not locked in to give you the most flexibility.

Return your watch within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked.

Order now

All prices exclude VAT as 95% of our customers are eligible for VAT relief.

We are the UK's highest rated alarm service!

What people like you are saying about YourStride

YourStride personal alarm - frequently asked questions

Anyone can use the watch, for all sorts of different reasons. This covers everyone from those simply worried about accidents at work to those with rare diseases.

Yes, many of YourStride’s users also have a hearing aid.

Yes, many of our customers have pacemakers.

The YourStride personal alarm watch uses the same technology as a mobile phone and so the same guidelines should apply. In general, this means it is fine to use the watch and the advice is to maintain at least 6 inches between it and your pacemaker. We have many customers with pacemakers that comfortably use Personal Alarm Watch. However, if you are unsure, we would recommend asking your GP to double check and/or following the NHS guidance for mobile phones.

Yes, it’s fine with splashes whilst washing up, in the rain, etc. With that said, due to the holes needed for the speaker and microphone, we recommend against using your personal alarm watch in the bath or shower.

Of course! You will be asked whether you are buying for yourself or for someone else when you are placing your order.

If you have a long term condition, you are eligible for VAT relief. This means you are charged VAT at 0%. This applies for any long term condition including arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure. To get VAT relief, simply complete your details during checkout.

We offer a 30-day money back guarantee. If for any reason you are unhappy, simply return your personal alarm watch within this period and receive a full refund. Beyond that, we offer a year’s guarantee against any manufacturing defects.

This is dependent on which plan you are on. With our flexible monthly rolling plan, you can cancel at any time with one months notice given.

As our annual service plan is booked ahead of time and includes 2 months free of charge, we are unable to refund these orders once the 30 day guarantee period has passed.

Please note: The 30 day money back guarantee applies to both the monthly and annual payment plan.

YourStride is supported by many organisations and individuals across the country including; The National Lottery Community Fund, UnLtd (The Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs), Design Council, Centre for Ageing Better, South West AHSN and Resonance.

We partner with a 24/7, UK based, personal alarm monitoring centre which has over 30 years of experience. They are used to handling a high volume of calls and are trained to the fullest in dealing with emergency situations.

Once your order has been placed, you’ll be taken to an initial profile page. From here, you’ll be able to add your emergency contacts. You can visit this section as many times as you like to update details.

You can add as many, or as few as you like! We would recommend 2 or 3 that are nearby and have a key.

That’s okay, though we would recommend having a keysafe installed. This is a safe box that is used for storing your keys in, accessible by a code.

To ensure you get your watch as soon as possible, all orders are posted first class with Royal Mail. Your watch should arrive within 2 to 3 days.

The YourStride personal alarm watch is small and lightweight. The main body is 55mmx32mmx15mm and it weighs just 49 grams. We’ve worked hard to make the watch as small, light and comfortable as possible. We use a specialist soft silicon strap so it’s also vegan!

Around 2 hours to go from 0 to 100%. A full charge lasts a minimum of 2 days. The charge can last up to 5 days

The watch makes a call to our personal alarm monitoring team whilst also sending an estimate of your location. Our monitoring team is on hand 24/7 to help.

Absolutely not. All calls are completely covered by your simple monthly payment plan. This is also true if you opt for the annual plan.

Not directly. Experience has shown us that a care team that is available at all times to help is preferable to directly transferring a call to the family. We can’t guarantee that your family or friends will always be available, so your call will be connected to our monitoring team who are experienced in handling emergency situations.

A Once the SOS button has been activated, 99% of calls are answered within 30 seconds.

Order now

A brief history of personal alarms for the elderly, and why YourStride is different

Personal alarms were first used in the early 1980’s. These were the red pull cords you see in hospitals and care homes. These days, personal alarms are usually found in people’s houses as a way of keeping them safe and independent at home. Unfortunately, these stop working as soon as you’re outside of the (very limited) working range, and from a design standpoint, they are a hangover from red pull cord alarms that you see in hospitals.

For over 35 years, personal alarms for the elderly have been pretty much the same, and we believe elderly people deserve better! Sadly, the existing providers of carelines, lifelines, community alarms and personal alarms have not changed their designs in years. And that's why we decided to make a better personal alarm.

At YourStride, we wanted to design a personal alarm that older people would actually like and would help them be more active and more independent. That's why we designed a personal alarm that not only makes 24/7 emergency calls but also works anywhere in the UK and even tracks your steps, heart rate and blood pressure.

It's why we are the highest rated alarm service in the UK (By customers on trustpilot). It's also why we were featured in Design Week for our work.

Best of all, we know it's important to keep costs down for pensioners so we offer our improved personal alarm for the same price as a traditional pendant. Simply put, it’s our mission to offer the best personal alarm at the best price, and we will never stop striving to achieve that goal.

Another part of our mission is to keep on innovating the personal alarm, finding features and additions that can improve the life of the elderly. We are always open to feedback on this front, so if you would like us to customise your alarm in any way please do get in touch.

A guide to personal alarms for the elderly

Which is the best personal alarm for the elderly?

The award winning YourStride watch is the UK’s best personal alarm for the elderly according to reviews. It’s currently the UK’s top rated personal alarm on Trustpilot, providing unlimited, 24/7 emergency help at the best value for money.

Unlike most personal alarms for the elderly, the YourStride watch works anywhere in the UK. You can use it in your home, your garden, anywhere. This is because whilst many traditional alarms require some kind of connection, the YourStride personal alarm watch does not. And with no need to connect it to a box, wifi or smartphone, the working range is unlimited within the UK. It’s freedom and peace of mind without compromise.

What is a personal alarm?

A personal alarm allows you to call for help whenever you need it. A simple device with a button raises the alarm to a 24/7 monitoring team. The team will understand what is wrong and arrange help accordingly. This quick access to emergency help allows many wearers to feel more independent, and provides increased peace of mind for both the wearer and their loved ones.

A personal alarm is an ideal tool for many people, providing a solution for a number of difficult scenarios. You may be unsteady on your feet, worried about living alone, or against the idea of moving into a carehome. A personal alarm can help in these, and many other, circumstances.

Personal alarms vary from big red neck-worn emergency buttons to discreet watches. There are even specialist ones that can detect seizures for people with epilepsy.

Benefits of a personal alarm

Emergency help at any time

The most obvious benefit of a personal alarm is access to emergency help at the push of a button. The type of help you will receive will depend on which personal alarm you opt for. Some personal alarms contact your family, friends, or other named contacts, whereas others (such as YourStride) have a trained and experienced, 24/7 monitoring team at hand to provide expert help.

Peace of mind for you and your family

Personal Alarms can be hugely beneficial to peace of mind; just knowing that access to emergency help is always available can have a significantly positive effect on a wearer’s life. This is also true for the wearer’s family, and in fact, it’s incredibly common for somebody to purchase a personal alarm for a loved one.

Increased independence and control

Along with the increased peace of mind discussed above, the majority of personal alarm wearers also feel an increase in independence. In a survey we conducted, 97% of those questioned said that they enjoyed an added sense of freedom due to the YourStride personal alarm watch.

Remain in your own home for as long as possible

For many elderly people, the idea of moving into a carehome can be distressing. A personal alarm offers a real alternative. The fact that emergency help is available 24/7 means that many elderly people can remain in their homes and still feel like they have suitable support if required.

What can a personal alarm help with?

Fall detection and support

Every year more than 3.4 Million people over 65 suffer a fall that can cause serious injury and even death [Age UK]. Whilst that figure is worrisome, the good news is that falls are actually simple to prevent. There is a wealth of research available on how to reduce the risk of having a fall. We recommend researching local exercise classes designed to help strengthen balance. Your GP can advise on the best ones in your area.

In the event of a fall, a personal alarm can access emergency help at the push of a button. Some alarms have fall detection technology built-in. This technology will automatically raise the SOS if it detects that a fall has occurred. Whilst this is a great idea on paper, the current technology is not yet 100% reliable, typically resulting in a number of false emergency calls and/or missing a fall altogether.

Speed of emergency response

Every hour, an older person dies as the result of a hip fracture. - Age UK

The severity of an injury often increases based on the length of the response time. This is particularly true with falls. We have heard a number of horror stories in which people have been left on the floor waiting for help for 12 hours or more. This kind of delay should be prevented if a personal alarm is available, with help being available at all times.

Loss of Independence

A loss in independence can trigger depression, mental health problems and also have a detrimental impact on physical health. For most of us, it is important to hold onto independence for as long as possible, and though what works best will vary by person, a personal alarm will often increase a wearer’s independence. Aside from that, making sure you keep active is incredibly important, and that’s why the YourStride personal alarm watch includes a step-counter, heart-rate monitor and other tools promoting activity.

Types of personal alarms for the elderly

There are two predominant types of personal alarms for the elderly. These are go-anywhere alarms, such as YourStride, and the traditional fixed alarm types. There are benefits and downsides to each style which we go into in detail about below.

Go anywhere personal alarms

As the name implies, these personal alarms allow you to get help wherever you are. As a result, they often lead to increased independence and a more active lifestyle. They use mobile networks to connect emergency calls to a professional 24/7 monitoring team or to family members. You can converse through the alarm so that the situation is understood as quickly as possible, leading to a quicker response time.

The majority of these personal alarms will also use GPS to identify the wearer’s location. If you are purchasing for somebody with dementia, or who regularly gets lost for whatever reason, you may want 24/7 GPS tracking. If you are more interested in protecting your privacy, you may instead prefer to choose a device which only sends your location information when the alarm has been raised.

Lastly, when it comes to a 'Go Anywhere' personal alarm you will need to know whether they are stand alone, like the YourStride watch, or whether they need to be used in connection with a mobile phone.

Fixed alarms

These are the more traditional types of personal alarms. They use two paired devices to make emergency calls. There is a red button pendant, usually worn around the neck or on an elastic around the wrist, that when activated sends an emergency signal to a box plugged into your landline.

The box has a speaker and microphone built-in, and will call a monitoring centre or chosen family members. If you are close to the box you will be able to speak to them and describe the emergency situation. The real downside with a device that is connected to your landline is that the button has a limited range. This means that you will not be able to get help if you are out and about or at the bottom of your garden.

Personal alarm comparison

Features Traditional alarm Go-anywhere alarm
Works at home Yes Yes
Power cut safe Yes Yes
Function when landline is down No Yes
Unlimited range No Yes
Rechargeable Yes Yes
Sends location in an emergency No Yes
Speaker and microphone in the worn device No Yes
Speaker and microphone in a separate box Yes No

Do I need a personal alarm?

For many, personal alarms offer the peace of mind and security to continue living alone. For others, a personal alarm is a vital component in remaining active. Whatever the reason, a personal alarm can be incredibly important, and particularly so for those more vulnerable to falling. You can click here to use our handy tool to measure whether or not you’re at a higher risk of falling.

As mentioned previously, there are different types of personal alarms, some that can help you exclusively at home, others that work all over the country and even alarms for specific conditions (such as epilepsy). An alarm that can work outside as well as at home can be particularly useful, especially if you’re keen to remain active and are regularly away from your home for any period of time.

In our experience, there are a few different reasons why a person may choose to get a personal alarm:

It’s common for a person to choose to get a personal alarm following a bad fall, or time spent in hospital. They want to ensure that, if it happens again, they will have emergency help on hand as quickly as possible. Whilst this order of events appears logical, we would recommend investing in a personal alarm early to prevent some of the horror stories we hear about, i.e, waiting on the floor for hours in need of help. Investing in a personal alarm early can give you and you and your family peace of mind from the start.

If you’re unsure whether or not you should get a personal alarm, then further guidance is available. You can speak to your local council or GP to get advice. Alternatively, you could request an assessment from an occupational therapist. They may have other suggestions in addition to a personal alarm that could help you stay independent at home.

Are personal alarms eligible for VAT exemption and relief?

Yes. In fact, most YourStride personal alarm users pay no VAT on their order. This is because personal alarm systems in the UK can have their VAT reduced to 0%. There are a number of ways to qualify, though the most often applied criteria for personal alarm VAT exemption is a long term condition. These long-term conditions can be as common as high blood pressure, asthma, or arthritis.

As well as a qualifying criteria for the wearer, the personal alarm provider must also ensure that their product is eligible for VAT exemption. To qualify for this reduction in cost there are three rules an alarm system must meet;

  1. The alarm must be for personal or domestic use, rather than use by a business. (Some charities are also eligible)
  2. The alarm must have been designed to be capable of operation by a disabled person
  3. The system must alert a specified person or a control centre. This control centre must hold information on the person using the alarm so they can help in an emergency.

As the YourStride personal alarm watch meets all the requirements, the majority of our customers get the watch with a reduction in VAT to £0.

Are you eligible for VAT relief or exemption for your personal alarm?

As mentioned previously, there are some criteria that you need to meet to be eligible for VAT relief. We’ll go into a little more detail on this criteria below, and by the end of it you should have a good idea as to whether or not you are eligible.

If any of the following three points are met, then you can order a personal alarm whilst paying no VAT.

The majority of those ordering a personal alarm qualify for VAT exemption as they will have one or more long term conditions. As previously noted, this could be a very common condition (arthritis, high blood pressure, etc), and you are eligible even if you currently manage this condition with medication.

Some of the long term conditions that will qualify you for VAT exemption when purchasing a personal alarm are listed below. Please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list, and if your condition does not appear below you may still qualify.

You do not need to be a blue badge holder or be registered disabled.

As you go through the order process for a YourStride personal alarm watch, we guide you step by step through VAT exemption making it incredibly simple. More information about VAT exemption and relief is available from HMRC. We are also happy to talk through the requirements with you and help you decide whether you are eligible. Just send us a message or give us a call - we’ll be happy to help.

Before you get a personal alarm

The set-up work required before getting a personal alarm is highly dependent on which personal alarm you choose (you can find help with this choice below). A fixed alarm will require some type of connection to a landline, whereas a go-anywhere alarm (like YourStride) typically works straight out of the box.

Another thing you will want to consider prior to getting a personal is who to name as an emergency contact. These are often friends, family members or someone else who lives locally. If you don’t have an emergency contact, we would advise installing a key safe which will allow access to your keys when the correct code is inputted. For help installing and using a key safe, click here.

Click here for more information on what to consider before getting a personal alarm.

How does the YourStride personal alarm work?

Wherever you are in the UK, just click the button and you can speak directly through the watch to YourStride’s dedicated 24/7 monitoring team. They will then send the right help to your location.

And in addition to offering uninterrupted 24/7 emergency help, YourStride’s personal alarm watch also includes heart-rate and blood pressure monitors, as well as a handy step counter to help you stay active.

Who is the YourStride personal alarm for?

Anyone! YourStride’s personal alarm watch is used by people of all ages, from children to centenarians. It can also be used for any number of reasons, ranging from those living with rare illnesses to those who would simply enjoy some added peace of mind in their lives.

The YourStride personal alarm arrives fully set-up so it doesn't require any degree of technical skill or a home visit by a specialist to install. It is also fully tested beforehand, so you can rest assured that you will be receiving a perfect product on arrival.

Choosing the best personal alarm for you

With so many different personal alarms available, it’s important that you consider how you will be using your alarm. Will you require a fixed alarm for home-use only, or a go-anywhere alarm that works throughout the UK? If you’re an active person who is often outside, we would definitely recommend the latter.

It is also important to think about what kind of emergency support you would like. Would you prefer a personal alarm system that connects to family and friends, or one contacts a 24/7 emergency monitoring team?

Whilst these choices can seem a little daunting, they play a key role in finding the right personal alarm for you.

Click here for information on choosing the right personal alarm for you.

Further information on personal alarms:

Personal alarm guide

YourStride’s story, mission, and the journey to creating the UK’s best personal alarm for the elderly

YourStride was designed with you in mind. Our goal is to help you live a more independent, confident and free life.

That’s why we’re so proud that an incredible 97% of YourStride personal alarm wearers say they enjoy the freedom that their watch brings them and the peace of mind it gives their families.

Behind this vision are founders Adi and Ewan, who have been designing award winning technology for social good for over a decade. They were even awarded the coveted Forbes 30 under 30 award for their work building technology that older people love - even the Queen has used their products! And it’s through this experience that both Adi and Ewan learned how much people disliked their pendant alarms. Unfortunately, they were forced into choosing them for lack of a better alternative.

That’s when our founders knew what they had to do. Adi and Ewan were going to provide a better alternative themselves.

With this in mind, the process was afoot. Adi and Ewan worked tirelessly to understand why old personal alarms were so limiting and what needed to change. They ran design workshops, group sessions and interviews all over the UK with older people, their friends, families, carers and healthcare professionals. They even had work experience in monitoring centres where they sat in on calls and went out to install the old kit!

Through this research, one thing became immediately clear. People disliked the traditional red button alarms and likened them to a big sign screaming 'I'm old and vulnerable'. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, these alarms only worked at home so wearers would feel trapped and scared to go out. This wasn’t good enough. Not by a long shot. Adi and Ewan realised that people wanted an alarm that:

And that’s how YourStride was born. Well, the initial prototype anyway.

You see, after years of testing different designs, Adi and Ewan discovered that there was so much more detail to designing the perfect alarm than only meeting the above requirements.

For instance, they worked with an occupational therapist that told them the SOS button must be placed on the front so that a call could be activated even if a wearer lost function in the other arm during a stroke.

But whilst this is blatantly clear in retrospect, it was only discovered after years of dedicated research.

And it’s due to this methodical process of research, discovery and hard work that YourStride now proudly offers the highest rated alarm service in the UK - supporting people from Penzance to the Outer Hebrides.

And with thousands of happy customers already loving their YourStride personal alarm watch, we’d love for you to experience its benefits too. Order today, and start living a more independent, confident and free life.

Order now