In short
A panic button for an elderly person is a small button worn on the wrist or around the neck. One press and an alert goes straight to the phones of every family member you have added, together with the button’s name. Your parent doesn’t need to use a phone or an app. The hub sends the alert over its own SIM card, and its battery keeps it working during a power cut. The Panic Button package costs 189 € to buy or 12,40 €/month to rent, plus 18,60 € setup.
- Wrist strap and neck cord included
- The alert reaches all family members at once
- No home internet needed
When Mum lives alone in Võru and the children live in Tallinn, the biggest worry is that if something happens, nobody will know. The phone gets left in another room, the buttons are tiny, and in a crisis you can’t remember the numbers. A panic button does just one thing: your parent gives a signal with one press, and the family knows about it straight away.
The button doesn’t replace the daily call or a visit. But it does mean nobody has to wait until someone happens to ring. Below we explain how the panic button works, who gets the alert, what it costs and what the family should agree on first.
How does a panic button for the elderly work?
- Your parent presses the button. The button sits on a wrist strap or a neck cord, and both are in the box. Nothing else to do: no numbers, no screen, no password.
- The hub picks up the signal. The hub is plugged into a socket and the button talks to it by radio (868 MHz), so the button works all over the flat or house: kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.
- The alert goes to phones. The hub sends the alarm over the mobile network to all added users at the same time. The alert shows the button’s name, for example “Mum’s panic button”, and the time.
- A family member reacts. They call Mum, ask a neighbour to check on her or, if needed, call 112.
The alarm is silent. No siren goes off at home, and the alert only goes to the family’s phones.
Who gets the panic button alert?
Everyone who has been added as a user: children, grandchildren, a neighbour, a carer. Each person gets the alert on their own phone at the same moment, so nobody has to ring round the others. If there are two buttons at home, say one on the wrist and one on the bathroom wall, they have different names and the alert tells you right away which one was pressed.
The app also keeps a history: every alarm with its time, plus the button’s battery level. When the battery starts running low, the family sees it in good time and swaps it on the next visit.
Does an elderly person need to know how to use a smartphone?
No. For your parent, the system is just one button. The app is on the family’s phones. The hub is plugged into a socket and after that nobody needs to touch it. The hub has its own SIM card, so you don’t need home internet or Wi-Fi. Its battery keeps the hub running during a power cut, so the alert still gets through when a storm knocks out the electricity.
Tip. Put the button on the wrist on day one and do a test press together, so the whole family sees what the alert looks like. A button left in a drawer helps no one. If the neck cord feels more comfortable than the wrist strap, use that: what matters is that the button is always within reach.
How much does a panic button for the elderly cost?
The Panic Button package is a hub and a panic button. No technician is needed: the hub goes into a socket and the button goes on the wrist. Setup costs 18,60 €. All prices include VAT.
| Panic Button package | Buy | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Up front | 189 € + setup 18,60 € | setup 18,60 € |
| Every month | 9,18 € (app, connection, customer support) | 12,40 € (devices, app, connection, customer support) |
| Over 1 year | 318 € | 167 € |
| Over 3 years | 538 € | 465 € |
| Over 5 years | 758 € | 763 € |
| Faulty device | 2-year right to claim, then call-out from 35,20 € | by the price list |
Renting works out cheaper for about five years. The minimum rental period is 3 months, and you give 3 months’ notice to end it. If things change, for example Mum moves in with the children, you are not left with devices in a cupboard that you have paid for.
Which extra devices are worth adding to a panic button?
The same hub handles up to 96 devices, so you can expand the Panic Button package later. In an elderly person’s home, three are useful:
- A second panic button for the bathroom (17 € or 0,62 €/month). If the wrist button comes off for a wash, a second button on the bathroom wall is within arm’s reach.
- Smoke detector (56 € or 2,48 €/month). The detector has an 85 dB siren and the alert also goes to the family’s phones. In Estonia, a smoke detector is mandatory for the owner of a house or flat (Fire Safety Act § 32(3)).
- Door sensor (30 € or 1,24 €/month). When Mum is away visiting for a few days, the family arms the home from their phones and the door sensor lets them know if the front door opens.
When you buy, extra devices don’t raise the monthly fee: it stays at 9,18 €/month. When you rent, each device’s monthly price is added. If you want several extra devices at once, leave your number: we call within 1 working day and it does not commit you to anything.
Does the panic button call for help by itself?
No. GSMvalve is not a security company or an alarm monitoring centre. The alert goes to the family’s phones and they decide what happens next. The panic button also doesn’t detect falls on its own: your parent has to press the button. If the family lives far away and there is no neighbour, you can add a patrol through a partner. That is a separate service and the price depends on the area.
The most important thing isn’t the button but the plan: who answers first, who has the key and who calls 112.
Agree on three things with the family and the neighbour in advance. Who responds during the day and who at night. Who has the spare key and how quickly they can get there. What to do if Mum doesn’t answer her phone.
Frequently asked questions
How does a panic button for the elderly work?
The elderly person presses the button on their wrist or neck, and the GSMvalve hub immediately sends a silent alarm to the phones of all added family members, with the button’s name and the time. Your parent doesn’t need to use a phone or an app.
Does the panic button work without the internet?
Yes. The hub has a SIM card that sends the alarm over the mobile network, and a battery that keeps it running during a power cut. You don’t need home internet or Wi-Fi.
How much does the Panic Button package cost?
The GSMvalve Panic Button package (hub and panic button) costs 189 € to buy, plus a monthly fee of 9,18 €, or 12,40 €/month to rent. Setup is 18,60 €. Prices include VAT.
Does the panic button call an ambulance?
No. The alert goes to the family’s phones and they call 112 if needed. If the family is far away, you can add a patrol through a partner for a separate fee.
Read also: Panic Button package · the panic button on the devices page · how a wireless alarm system works
Written by the GSMvalve team
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