Another photo from the 1984 report based on research between 1977 – 1983 by Professor Anthea Tinker Staying at home: Helping elderly people. This shows a radio-based (rather than phone-based) alarm system in a person’s home. For the full picture – and a fascinating photo caption which shows that the idea of using technology to reduce warden cover in housing schemes is not a recent phenomenon – download this PDF copy of a page.

As a side note, it is interesting that these photos come from Stockport council, which is mentioned as an early 24-hour call monitoring centre in Kevin Doughty’s comment on the main History Project page.

Crown copyright.

Better view of a radio alarm. When activated, the alarm just sent a code identifying its location – there was no voice communication.

Crown copyright.

Person with a pendant alarm in the early 1980s. The ‘hub’ is on the shelf.

Crown copyright.

Source: Staying at home: Helping elderly people HMSO 1984.
Author: Professor Anthea Tinker (To whom many thanks for the copy).

As far as we know this study was the first evaluation of housing options for older people that included costings and detailed information on various alarm systems. It was based on surveys for the Department of the Environment (DOE, as it was at the time) of all council housing departments in England and Wales in 1977. The research was undertaken between 1977 and1983 and the surveys had a 92% response rate and were followed by phone interviews.