Home safety for older adults: reminders on using alarms and key safes
Based on overseas materials, personal alarms, monitoring systems and key safes can help older adults call for help and let family members know what is happening in time. Before purchasing, confirm the home telephone line type and have professionals verify the installation location and equipment performance.
Machine translation of our Chinese article, without human translation review. Suggestions concerning China remain specific to China.
Automatically reviewed, without human verification. Programmatic checks are not professional review. Seek professional advice where appropriate. Automatically reviewed on 10/4/2026, 7:14:25 AM
Chinese fact summaries and suggestions for China (not a full translation)
Original: Personal alarms, monitoring systems (telecare) and key safes - Social care and support guide - NHS · Original language: en
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Facts from the sources
A personal alarm can be used to call for help when an older adult has a problem at home, falls, or gets lost outdoors. View source
Monitoring systems are mainly of two types: one type connects to a monitoring centre; the other sends updates directly to family members or carers and is also called mobile health. View source
Some monitoring systems can automatically adjust or turn off certain electrical appliances after detecting a problem. View source
A key safe is fixed to an exterior wall and opened with a password set by the user. View source
If the home has an internet connection, or uses a digital landline rather than an analogue landline, an analogue remote care alarm system may not work properly. View source
More expensive key safes work in the same way as cheaper ones, but are sturdier and heavier. View source
For older people and families
Give older adults a personal alarm so that if they fall at home or get lost when out, they can press it to call for help from family members or people nearby.
If family members are not often with the older adult, they can find out about monitoring systems; some can send updates about the older adult directly to family members' phones.
Some monitoring systems can also remotely turn off electrical appliances, but functions vary by model; ask clearly before buying.
A key safe is mounted on an exterior wall and opened with a code, making it convenient for emergency responders or family members to get the key and enter.
If the home uses a digital landline or broadband internet, older analogue alarm systems may fail; confirm the line before purchasing.
More expensive key safes work the same way as cheaper ones, but may be sturdier and heavier; when choosing, look at anti-theft certification.
For alarms, monitoring systems and key safes, ask a professional to verify the installation position, load-bearing capacity and anti-theft rating.
These are only options that can be considered, not mandatory requirements; the actual products and instructions available in China shall prevail.
See what care and community teams can do
Before an organisation introduces personal alarms and monitoring systems, it should confirm whether the equipment's communication standard matches the local digital telephone or network environment.
Clarify the differences between the two types of monitoring systems: those connected to a monitoring centre or those that notify family members directly, and inform the older adult of the usage and costs of each.
For systems that can automatically adjust electrical appliances, establish safe operating procedures to prevent unintended operation.
Key safes should be products with anti-theft certification; the installation location should be sheltered from rain and sun and not easy to tamper with or break.
Overseas experience is for reference only; implementation in China should adapt to local communication protocols, product standards, and the physical condition of older adults.
Establish a regular equipment testing mechanism and practise the alarm procedure to ensure someone responds promptly after an alarm.
For equipment with health monitoring functions, consult medical staff to assess the need; it cannot replace medical diagnosis.
When organising training for family members, emphasise that the equipment is only an aid and daily care should not be neglected because of reliance on alarms.
What needs local assessment
The facts in this article come from the UK NHS page and are for reference only. China does not yet have a unified standard for remote care alarms. Product types and network environments differ, so be sure to consult local service providers and professionals before purchasing. Personal alarms, monitoring systems and key safes are assistive tools and cannot replace family care or medical services. If you have health problems, consult a doctor first. Where installation involves load-bearing structures, anti-theft, or rewiring, qualified personnel must verify on site. The overseas practices mentioned in this article do not equal current policy in China, nor do they represent the actual effectiveness of any product. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Information from the NHS website is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. This article is an independent Chinese translation and recommendation by this site, and is not an official NHS translation or content approved by it. Licence: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
Sources
National Health Service, United Kingdom (NHS)Was this article helpful?
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