History Project: Early radio-based alarm (photo)

June 5, 2012 | by

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.

early 80s radio-based alarm

Crown copyright.

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

second view of early 80s radio-based alarm

Crown copyright.

 

History Project: Early pendant alarm (photo)

May 29, 2012 | by

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

Person with pendant alarm in early 1980s

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.

Who, What, When? The History Project

May 15, 2012 | by | 9 Comments

WhatWho Designed ItWho Did It FirstDateEvidence Source
First telephonic diagnosis(See comment below)1879The Lancet 29 Nov 1879, Page 819
Pendant alarm
Fridge monitor
GPS tracker for people with dementia
Device for asking health questions remotely

Founding of Association of Social Alarm Providers (ASAP) in the UK

1989?TA comment
‘Button and box’Andrew DibnerLifeline Inc in the StatesTA comment
opening of the first 24 hour call monitoring centreStockport?1979TA comment
Alarm protocols from security industry adopted into social alarm systemsTA comment
Publication of the ‘Three Generations of Telecare’ model1996Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare (JTT)
EXTRA (EXtended Telecare Remote Alarms)Technology in Healthcare (a spin-out from Bangor University)Licensed to Tunstall1997- 2001 Products granted Millennium Product status in 2000TA comment
FRED, a smart fall detectorGareth Williams(See EXTRA entry)TA comment
Successful telecare trials for frail older people and for people with dementiaAnglesey, Cheshire, County Durham, Northern Ireland and Northamptonshir e1998 -2001TA comment
Large scale Opening Doors for Older People trial and roll-outTunstall-led consortium including Technology in Healthcare, Possum and Motion MediaWest Lothian2001-2004TA comment
Activity monitoring that could be used to detect dangerous behaviour or patterns of activity for assessment purposeTechnology in Healthcare’s MIDAS system (subsequently redeveloped by Tunstall as ADLife)Cheshire, County Durham and Londonderry2001TA comment
Remote vital signs monitoring (telehealth)RGB systems by TunstallCarlisle, West Yorkshire and Medway?TA comment
Mobile-phoned based telecare medical alarmVodafone 2001TA comment
Safety Confirmation ‘I’m OK Button’ and Pellonia monitoring software.James BatchelorAlertacall2005 Waybackmachine website sceenshot
ASAP becomes TSA
Telecare Code of Practice publishedTelecare Services Association (TSA)
Wire-free sleep monitor University College Dublin Omron, Japan May 2012 Press release