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Troubleshooting Your Digital Pendant Alarm

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on troubleshooting and installing your pendant alarm system

Two women, one older and one younger, smiling and embracing outdoors on a sunny day, surrounded by greenery—enjoying the peace of mind that comes from troubleshooting GPS alarm features together.

Pendant alarms are vital tools in preventing injuries and providing timely assistance in the event of a fall. However, like any technology, they may encounter confusion on its installation or functionality. That’s where this guide comes in handy.

In the following pages we’ll walk you through the process of troubleshooting common problems that may arise with your pendant alarm system, ensuring it remains reliable and effective. Additionally, we’ll provide clear and detailed instructions on how to install your pendant alarm correctly, maximising its functionality and ensuring it integrates seamlessly into your daily life.

Whether you’re a new or an experienced user, our aim is to equip you with the knowledge and confidence needed to tackle any challenges and fully utilise your pendant alarm system.

Pendant alarms are designed to keep you safe at home and give peace of mind to you and your loved ones. If you suddenly start to feel unwell or have an accident and you’re wearing a pendant alarm, you can get immediate assistance at the push of a button.

Keep reading to learn more about pendant alarms from one of the UK’s leading monitored pendant alarm service providers.

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Common Self-Install Issues and Solutions

Our Digital Pendant Alarm is really easy to set-up and use.

Most common personal alarm faults can be quickly and easily resolved by following the advice to the alarm announcements below.

Questions & Resolutions

More answers to some of the commonly asked questions about pendant alarms.

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  • Ensure that the power connection is properly inserted into a functional electrical socket and switched on at the wall.
  • Attempt plugging the device into a different power outlet to verify whether the current outlet is faulty.
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  • In the event of a power cut, the base unit features a backup battery that will last up to 48 hours dependent on use, ensuring your careline service remains intact while your mains power is restored. Keep in mind that if the backup power has run out, the wearable alarm will not do anything when activated.
  • If you have broadband in your home and your base unit is connected directly to your broadband router, your alarm will only work if the broadband router is still powered on.
  • To ensure your protection in situations like this, upgrade to our new Digital Pendant alarm plan which uses SIM technology, keeping you connected when your broadband fails.

The pendant has a battery life of 18-24 months, dependent on use. Our team will automatically be notified when the battery on your pendant runs low. When this happens, we’ll reach out to arrange a free replacement.

While it is perfectly normal to wear a pendant alarm while you are in bed, most people like to take them off overnight. The important thing to remember is that they should be kept close by at all times, in case of an emergency.

The fall sensor is rated as IP67 water resistant so that you can comfortably wear your alarm whenever you take a bath or shower.

The IP67 rating means that the alarm can be dropped into a body of water up to a meter deep for as long as half an hour.

You should test your fall alarm every 4-6 weeks.

1. To test press the button on the front of your pendant.
2. The base unit will show a flashing red light while it connects through to our 24/7 monitoring centre.
3. Moments later, you’ll be connected to a member of our emergency response team. Simply tell our team that you are making a test call to check that your alarm is working correctly.
4. Our team will tell you everything is okay and they will end the call. Your alarm is now set up and ready to use, should you ever need it.

If you have trouble hearing us when we speak to you through your alarm base unit, the volume on the speaker can be turned up remotely by the care team.

If you still can’t hear us, we will call your mobile phone to ensure everything is okay.

If we still can’t talk to you, we’ll call one of your emergency contacts to check that you are okay.

As a last resort or if the situation requires, we’ll call the emergency services.

Installing your pendant alarm

Upon receiving your order, you will find a comprehensive package designed to simplify the installation process and ensure optimal functionality of your pendant alarm system.

Getting started with a digital pendant alarm is so easy. What’s more, we fully test your equipment before sending it out to you!

What's in the box?

A medical alert system with a speaker unit, wearable help button, grey wrist strap, clip, Ethernet cable, and power adaptor on a white background—perfect for those who value easy troubleshooting of their pendant alarm.

Inside the box, you will discover essential components including a base unit, a pendant, an ethernet cable, and a power lead.

To streamline installation, we have pre-connected one end of the power lead to your base unit. The Ethernet cable is included for those who wish to connect their base unit to a broadband router, facilitating seamless integration into your home network.

With these components at your disposal, setting up your fall alarm system is made convenient and efficient, allowing you to prioritise safety and peace of mind with ease.

Pendant

Two women sit at a wooden kitchen table, engaged in conversation. A white electronic device with buttons and a speaker—similar to those used with pendant alarms for the elderly—is on the table between them. The kitchen is bright and modern.
A person wearing a light blue jumper sits at a wooden table, with a pendant alarm for the elderly on a grey lanyard around their neck.
  • Communicates with the base unit from a distance of up to 200 meters.
  • Water resistant. But it should not be submerged for long periods.

Wearing your pendant

The wrist-worn pendant should be worn on your non-dominant hand (the opposite hand to the one you write with).

The neck-worn pendant should be worn outside clothing.

Person pressing on the 'Smile' personal alarm pendant button

How to call for help using the pendant?

1. Press the pendant until it flashes red.

2. When the alarm is activated, you can speak to our control centre using the microphone and loudspeaker on the base unit.
(Please note, the pendant does not have a microphone, we’ll speak to you via the loudspeaker on your base unit.)

Battery life

The pendant has a battery life of 18-24 months, dependent on use. Our team will automatically be notified when the battery runs low and will reach out to arrange a free replacement.

The base unit

A white wireless charging pad sits on a wooden table next to stacked books and a pink vase with flowers, in front of a bright window showing greenery outside—an inviting spot to read up on troubleshooting pendant alarm issues or simply relax.
  • Has an integrated SOS button if your pendant is out of reach
  • Has the two-way loudspeaker
  • Uses mobile phone technology to connect to the strongest signal available in your area

The base unit should be situated on a flat surface close to an available mains power socket.

We strongly recommend that the base unit power lead is plugged directly into a mains power socket and not a power extension cord.

A person’s hand opens the back of a white electronic device, revealing a QR code, serial numbers, and wiring inside. The device is labelled neat and NOVO IP/GSM. The telecare24 logo is visible, suggesting this could be part of troubleshooting fall alarm equipment.

To switch the base unit on, please follow steps below:

1. Switch the mains power supply on.
2. Power on the base unit by pressing the grey power button on the back of the unit for 3 seconds.
3. You will see the lights on the unit run through a cycle and then your alarm will be ready to use.
(Only the red ‘Alarm’ button should be illuminated.)

The base unit uses very little power. It must be left switched on at all times.

If it is necessary to switch the unit off, follow these steps:

1. At the back of the unit you will find a grey power button.
2. Press the button for 3 second and release.
(You will hear a beep and the base unit will power down)

How to install your pendant alarm?

Installation for homes with broadband

Diagram showing a device connected to a mains power socket with a power lead and to a broadband router with an Ethernet cable plugged into any available port. Labels identify each component and connection, providing clear guidance for troubleshooting fall alarm set-ups.

With this setup, your base unit will primarily connect to our 24/7 monitoring team using your home’s broadband service.

In the event that your broadband goes down, your base unit will instead use its SIM card (already fitted) which locks onto the strongest mobile network signal in your area. Those calls are free too, so they won’t show up on your phone bill.

We make sure that getting started with your equipment is as easy as possible, but we are always happy to help if you need us to – just give us a call free on 0800 180 85 40.

1. Start by placing your base unit near near your broadband router and an available mains power socket – an extension lead won’t be suitable. Ideally, this will be somewhere central in your home or in the room where you spend most of your time.

2. Take the power lead and plug it into the socket on the wall, then switch it on.

3. Now is the time to connect your base unit to an available port on your broadband router using the ethernet cable provided.

5. Finally, on the underside of the base unit, find the grey power button in the middle. Press and hold it for about 3 seconds and then let go.

You’ll see the lights on the front of the unit flash briefly, before going off. It may take several minutes for the green LED light to go off while your base unit connects to the remote monitoring centre.

When you speak to our care team, tell them it’s new and you’re testing it out. That’s it!

Alternative option

Diagram showing a power lead connecting an alarm base unit to a mains power socket, with labelled components including the power lead, socket, and alarm base unit—ideal for troubleshooting fall alarm setups and ensuring proper connectivity.

With this setup, your base unit will use its SIM card (already fitted) which locks onto the strongest mobile network signal in your area.

Those calls are free too, so they won’t show up on your phone bill

1. Start by placing your base unit near an available mains power socket – an extension lead won’t be suitable.

2. Take the power lead and plug it into the socket on the wall, then switch it on.

3. On the underside of the base unit, find the grey power button in the middle. Press and hold it for about 3 seconds and then let go.

You’ll see the lights on the front of the unit flash briefly, before going off. It may take several minutes for the green LED light to go off while your base unit connects to the remote monitoring centre.

Struggling to find a good signal? Call us free on 0800 180 82 20 for advice.

Installing your pendant alarm

Upon receiving your order, you will find a comprehensive package designed to simplify the installation process and ensure optimal functionality of your pendant alarm system.

A line drawing of a telecare device with a power button highlighted by a red dashed circle and an enlarged view above, illustrating its relevance for pendant alarms for the elderly. The logo telecare24 appears in the bottom right corner.

1. Turn over the careline alarm base unit. You will see a grey power button.

2. Press and hold the power button for 3 seconds. The device will switch off.

3. Wait a few seconds.

4. Press and hold the power button again for another 3 seconds.

The device will make a ping tone to indicate it has powered back on.

An illustration of a device with three buttons: green square, red circle, and yellow triangle. The green square is highlighted with a dashed red circle, suggesting activation—similar to how pendant alarms for the elderly are easily operated in an emergency. telecare24 is written in the bottom right corner.

5. Turn the device over
6. Wait for the LED light (bottom left on the front of the device) to stop flashing. Once the light goes out, the device is ready.
7. Place a test call by pressing the red button on your pendant

Installation guide

Booklet titled Getting Started with an image of a white personal alarm base unit, displaying the Telecare24 logo. The blue footer includes contact info and a note to keep the guide for reference, especially when troubleshooting fall alarm issues.

In addition to troubleshooting solution, we offer digital copy of our fall alarm user guides to further empower you in understanding and utilising your Telecare24 personal alarm device effectively.

This user guide serves as invaluable resources, offering detailed instructions and setup procedures to ensure smooth operation.

You can download a digital copy of our alarm user guides using the links below. Whether you’re a new user seeking setup guidance or a loyal customer troubleshooting an issue, our user guides are here to assist you every step of the way.

Download the user guide

Getting started with your new personal alarm (base unit)

How to use your fall sensor / how to test your alarm

Remember to test your personal alarm!

Split image: On the left, an elderly woman sits thoughtfully indoors. On the right, a smiling woman with curly hair wears scrubs and a headset, appearing to assist someone—likely in a healthcare or support setting—troubleshooting fall alarm concerns with care and expertise.

If you have a fall alarm – a life-saving device you rely on – you want to be assured that it will be there when you call for help.

That’s why we encourage all our customers to be proactive and test their alarm systems at least once a month, so we can identify any problems and fix them as quickly as possible.

To test, press the button on your pendant and then wait at the base unit for our team to start talking to you.

We have put together a handy testing sheet that you can download and print from the link below.

Download our testing sheet
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