When choosing a personal alarm, users can opt to have alerts escalate either to a 24/7 response centre or directly to Nominated Contacts such as family members or friends. However, understanding the differences between Professional Monitoring and Family Monitoring services can be challenging. At Umps, we provide both options and aim to deliver the right solution based on what works best for the user. This article explains each service clearly, helping older adults, their families, and health professionals select the most appropriate option for their needs.
Personal Alarms: An Introduction
Personal alarms are wearable devices designed to connect older adults with assistance during emergencies such as falls, sudden illnesses, or accidents. These devices can be activated manually by pressing a button or automatically through features like fall detection. Once an alarm is triggered, it sends alerts either to family members or to a professional 24/7 response centre, ensuring help is always within reach. There are multiple types of personal alarms that suit people with different needs. For more information, read our comprehensive guide to personal alarms.
What is Professional Monitoring?
Professional monitoring connects a personal alarm to a dedicated, Australian-based emergency response centre staffed by trained operators. At Umps, our operators are qualified in first aid and emergency triaging, providing 24/7 support to assess situations and coordinate the appropriate response, whether that’s contacting emergency services, caregivers, or family members.
A key advantage of professional monitoring is that the response centre has all the essential information to facilitate a timely and effective response, even if a user is unable to communicate through their alarm. This includes:
- Your home address and details on how to access your property in an emergency.
- Keysafe location and code, if applicable.
- Emergency contacts, including their names, phone numbers, and proximity to your location.
- Relevant medical information, such as conditions or allergies that could affect emergency care.
What Happens When a Professionally Monitored Alarm is Activated?
When a professionally monitored personal alarm is activated, the user is connected to an operator via the alarm — usually within 30 to 60 seconds. The operator can access the user’s emergency contact details, medical history and real-time location. If the user is able to speak, the operator will assess the situation and determine the best course of action, which could involve contacting family members, neighbours, a village manager, or emergency services to dispatch an ambulance.
What happens if a user can’t speak to an operator?
If the operator cannot hear the user, for example, if they are unconscious, professional monitoring will ensure an emergency response is still initiated. Operators will contact nearby family members and emergency services, and use the user’s location and information to coordinate an emergency response.
What is Family Monitoring?
Family monitoring sends alerts to Nominated Contacts—such as family members, friends, or neighbours—when a personal alarm is triggered. With this type of monitoring, the responsibility for responding to an emergency lies with the Nominated Contacts rather than a professional response centre.
What happens when a family monitored personal alarm is activated?
When a family monitored personal alarm is triggered, an alert is typically sent to Nominated Contacts via text message. Some devices, like the Umps Watch and Umps Mobile Alarm, can also initiate calls to Nominated Contacts in a pre-programmed sequence.
The alarm will call the first contact in the sequence. If the call is not answered, it will automatically move to the next contact, repeating the process until all listed contacts have been attempted. This ensures multiple people have the opportunity to respond to the emergency.
Key Considerations Between Professional and Family Monitoring
Choosing between Professional Monitoring and Family Monitoring involves weighing factors such as cost, availability of support, and the impact on family members. Here are the key factors to consider when selecting a monitoring option.
Price of Professional Monitoring
Professional Monitoring is a subscription-based 24/7 service. At Umps, this service costs $22 per month, or approximately $5 per week. By contrast, Family Monitoring incurs an annual mobile connectivity fee of $70, making it a lower-cost option for those prioritising affordability. Some people are eligible for government funding to cover the cost of professional monitoring.
24/7 Support
Emergencies can happen at any time, including during work hours or late at night. With a Family Monitored alarm, there’s a risk that Nominated Contacts may be unavailable or miss the alert. Professional Monitoring ensures a trained operator is always available to respond, no matter the time of day.
Voicemail Can Delay Escalation
Family Monitored alarms contact Nominated Contacts in a set sequence. However, if a voicemail system picks up a call, the alarm may interact with the voicemail, delaying escalation to the next contact. This could compromise the timeliness of an emergency response.
Stress on Family and Friends
Family Monitoring places responsibility on Nominated Contacts to remain highly vigilant. Some people report increased stress associated with being Nominated Contact of a personal alarm, worrying about missing an alert. One of our users recently noted that every phone notification made them anxious, fearing it was related to the alarm. This stress is heightened if a family member becomes the primary responder or a "single point of failure."
Questions to Consider Before Choosing a Family Monitored Option
If you’re considering Family Monitoring for a personal alarm, it’s important to assess whether this option aligns with the needs of both the user and their Nominated Contacts. Here are some key questions to guide your decision:
Are Nominated Contacts available 24 / 7 to respond to alerts?
Family Monitoring relies on Nominated Contacts being able to respond to emergency alerts at any time, including overnight. This is crucial even if the alarm is programmed to call Triple Zero (000), as emergency services may not receive accurate location data from personal alarms. In situations where the user cannot communicate their location, the availability of Nominated Contacts becomes even more critical.
Are Nominated Contacts comfortable with the responsibility?
Responding to emergencies can be distressing, particularly in high-pressure situations. It’s important that Nominated Contacts are willing and prepared to act as first responders. Users should seek consent from their Nominated Contacts, ensuring they understand the nature of the role and the possibility of needing to investigate or respond to emergencies.
Have Nominated Contacts configured their phones appropriately?
To ensure alerts are not missed, Nominated Contacts should adjust their phone settings. This includes disabling “Do Not Disturb” or silent modes overnight and during the day, as well as turning off voicemail features that could prevent calls from escalating to another contact if one is missed. These simple adjustments help ensure a reliable response to alerts.
Conclusion: Making an Informed Decision
While Umps offers both Professional and Family Monitored options, we believe that Professionally Monitored personal alarms provide a safer and more reliable alternative.
With 24/7 access to trained operators, Professional Monitoring ensures timely responses to emergencies, even if the user cannot communicate or if family members are unavailable. It eliminates risks such as missed calls, voicemail delays, or the stress placed on family members acting as responders. This is why Umps provides one of the most affordable Professional Monitoring services on the market, at just $22 per month.
Funding Options for a Personal Alarm
Umps personal alarms, including our Home Alarm, Mobile Alarm and Watch are accessible through various government funding programs, making them more affordable for eligible individuals. These include the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Support at Home, and the geat2GO program, which provides fast-tracked funding for assistive technologies.
If you qualify for one of these programs, the cost of an Umps personal alarm and associated services, like Professional Monitoring, may be fully or partially covered. Speak with your service provider or contact Umps directly to learn more about accessing funding and ensuring your personal alarm fits within your plan.