Care call system and elderly relative

mrochester

mrochester

mrochester

Soldato
Joined
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Newcastle upon Tyne
Hi all

My grandma has a care call system where she has one of those pendants you can press if you need help. The system is hooked up to her phone. On her latest phone bill, it appears the system makes frequent calls to a phone number at the local council who installed the system. My understanding is this is to check to ensure the system is still working.

My grandma is on a call package that gives her inclusive phone calls all day at any time of day but my thought is, if she didn't have this package, this system would be costing a fortune in phone calls. The system can easily make at least 6 calls a day, but sometimes up to 18.

Does anyone know if this is normal?

Many thanks.

M.
 
Think it's pretty normal. It's basically a safety feature so that someone/something knows the system is working ok. It shouldn't really have any duration to it and should basically just be a little 'ping'.
 
koolpc said:
Why have a forum if nobody is allowed to ask a question?
Click to expand...

Nobody knows the model of the unit installed, whether the OP has asked the people who operate it yet etc. So anything people say will be a guess.

The call charges are more likely to come from connection charges than actual call minutes used - voice call charges on landlines are insane because people don't use them much any more.

https://www.productsandservices.bt.com/products/lib/pdf/BT_PhoneTariff_Residential.pdf

If your relative only uses the phone line for calls then this might be a good option https://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/55814/~/learn-about-home-phone-saver-2019
 
Caged said:
Nobody knows the model of the unit installed, whether the OP has asked the people who operate it yet etc. So anything people say will be a guess.

The call charges are more likely to come from connection charges than actual call minutes used - voice call charges on landlines are insane because people don't use them much any more.

https://www.productsandservices.bt.com/products/lib/pdf/BT_PhoneTariff_Residential.pdf

If your relative only uses the phone line for calls then this might be a good option https://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/55814/~/learn-about-home-phone-saver-2019
Click to expand...

Spot who didn't read the OP...
 
I read the OP, it wasn't clear whether the relative has a "normal" line rental and calling package, or the discounted "no broadband" one.
 
You've described a situation which nobody here can realistically know about and then asked if it's normal.

I'm not sure what sort of answers you were expecting!

Your gran has a telephone package which means she isn't paying for these calls. So if it really bothers you to find out if this is normal or not, the best thing to do it talk to the supplier.

However, you've already said "My understanding is this is to check to ensure the system is still working". You've effectively already answered your own question.

If she were paying for the calls, I can understand your concerns but she's not. So what's the issue here again?
 
I've fitted these in the past. We'd to a bunch of bungalows (usually) where they'd either have no warden call system, or the housing association didn't want to pay for the warden call system to be replaced.

You'd be amazed at the amount of people who would complain that when they press the pendant, they're making a paid phone call. Like you can put a price on your life! We even ended up fitting GSM converters with PAYG sims in some properties because they kicked off so much.

The ones I fitted were Tynetec Sayphones. I can't remember the units phoning home or not. We'd just fit them, ring the central control, they'd dial the unit and program it all up from their end via DTMF tones.

Press the pendant and speak to the answering service. They'll probably know one way or the other.
 
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