Many of the calls we get aren’t from owners worried about burglary, but from sons and daughters who live far from their parents. Parents who are getting on, living alone in a villa in La Nucia or an apartment in Benidorm, and who their children want to give a simple way to call for help if something happens. The question is usually the same: “Is there something they can wear that will alert us if they need help?”
The answer is an SOS panic button, also called an emergency button. In this article we explain what it is, how it works as part of an alarm system, who it alerts, what it can and can’t do, and what to consider so it’s genuinely useful for an older person.
What is an SOS panic button?
It’s a small wireless device, the size of a key fob or slightly bigger, with a button that sends an emergency alert when pressed. It can be worn round the neck or on the wrist, carried in a pocket or fixed to the wall at key points, such as by the bed or in the bathroom.
As part of an alarm system, the button communicates with the alarm hub, which sends the alert to the people or services that have been set up.
How it works within an alarm system
- The person presses the button. Some models require a long press or double press to avoid accidental alerts.
- The alarm hub receives the signal, even if the system is disarmed, because the button works 24 hours a day.
- The alert is sent: a notification and call to family members’ phones via the app and, if the alarm is monitored, a signal to the receiving centre.
- Depending on the settings, the siren may or may not sound. For medical emergencies a silent alert is usually preferred, so as not to frighten the person.
Who gets alerted? Three options
Family only
The alert reaches one or more relatives’ apps, showing who pressed, when and from which house. It’s affordable and very useful if someone nearby can go round or call the emergency services. The limitation: it depends on someone seeing the alert in time.
An alarm receiving centre
If the alarm is monitored, the alert reaches operators working around the clock. They try to contact the person and family according to the agreed protocol and, if needed, alert the relevant services. We explain how this works in our article on alarm monitoring in Spain.
A telecare service
There are dedicated telecare services, public and private, with devices designed for older people and health or social support. They’re not the same as a security alarm and can be complementary. If your relative already has telecare, the alarm’s panic button doesn’t replace it.
What a panic button can and can’t do
- It can send an immediate alert when pressed, at any time, even with the alarm disarmed.
- It can show which house it came from and, with several buttons, which one was pressed.
- It doesn’t detect falls on its own: if the person falls and is unconscious, they can’t press it. There are specific devices for that.
- It isn’t a medical device and doesn’t replace healthcare.
- It works within the alarm’s range: at home and in the garden, depending on coverage. Not outside the property.
Where to place buttons around the house
- By the bed, within easy reach.
- In the bathroom, near the shower or toilet, where many falls happen.
- In the living room, by their usual chair.
- In the kitchen or hallway, depending on how the person moves around.
On villas with gardens, we check coverage reaches where the person spends time: the porch, vegetable patch or pool.
A typical case
Here’s a scenario we see often. A woman in her eighties lives alone in a single-storey house with a garden on an urbanisation in Alfàs del Pi. Her daughter lives in Valencia and her son abroad. She has a trusted neighbour two doors away. The solution is simple: a button she wears, another fixed in the bathroom, smoke and flood detectors, and the house alarm in night mode. Alerts go to both children’s apps and the neighbour’s, and optionally to a receiving centre. If she ever presses it, the neighbour can be there in a couple of minutes while the family calls her or the emergency services. She keeps her independence and the family sleeps better.
Choosing a panic button for an older person
Easy to use
A big button that’s easy to find by touch and doesn’t need complicated combinations. If the person has arthritis or weak hands, test it with them.
Comfortable to wear
If it isn’t worn, it’s no use. Pendant, wristband or clip: the best format is the one the person will happily wear all day. Often the key is that it doesn’t look like a “sick person’s” gadget.
No false alarms
Models that need a long or double press avoid accidental activation. This needs balancing against ease of use.
Long battery life
The battery should last a long time and the system should warn when it’s low. The app shows each device’s status.
Water resistance
If it’ll be worn in the bathroom or shower, it must cope with splashes. Check the manufacturer’s specifications.
Panic buttons and security against intruders
The same button can be used to call for help in a threatening situation: someone trying to get in, a suspicious visitor or someone posing as a technician. Sadly, older people living alone are sometimes targeted this way. Combined with a video intercom to see who’s calling before opening, and an alarm protecting the house at night, the panic button is part of a complete peace-of-mind set-up.
Other devices that help in an older person’s home
- Connected smoke detectors that also alert the family to a fire or a forgotten pan.
- Flood detectors in the bathroom and kitchen, in case a tap is left running.
- A simple keypad or fob for arming, or a relative managing the alarm from their phone.
- Night mode protecting doors and windows while they sleep, without triggering when they get up.
Independence and privacy
A security system in a parent’s home should help them live with more peace of mind, not feel watched. We don’t install indoor cameras in an older person’s home unless they ask for it and understand it; we explain each device to the person, not just their children; and we respect their routines. When they understand the system is there to help and that they decide when to call for help, they accept it and use it.
Family living far away
On the Costa Blanca it’s very common for parents to live here, often retired expats, while their children are in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands. The app lets them receive alerts wherever they are, see the system’s status and coordinate with a nearby neighbour or relative as first contact. We always recommend at least one person nearby on the contact list, with keys or a way into the house.
How to talk to your relative about it
Sometimes the hardest part isn’t technical: it’s persuading the person to wear the button. A few approaches that have worked for families we’ve helped:
- Present it as something for the whole family’s peace of mind, not a sign that they “can’t cope any more”.
- Choose the format together, so it feels comfortable and discreet.
- Do a real test so they see it works and that someone answers.
- Remind them it also helps with suspicious visitors, not just health problems.
- Agree on a simple routine: wearing it in the morning with their watch or glasses makes it a habit.
How much does it cost?
If the home already has a compatible alarm, adding one or more panic buttons is a simple, affordable upgrade. If there’s no alarm, the button can be the starting point for a basic system that detectors are added to later. If you want alerts to go to a receiving centre, the corresponding monthly fee needs to be added. We’ll give you a specific quote after seeing the house, with no tie-in contract.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the button in a drawer.
- Contacts who can’t get there, all hundreds of miles away.
- Never testing it. Test it now and then, warning contacts first.
- Thinking it detects falls when it doesn’t.
- A loud siren on medical alerts, which frightens rather than helps.
How we install it at SystemDe
- We talk to the family and, above all, the person who’ll use it.
- We choose the format and the fixed points around the house.
- We set up the alerts: who gets them, whether they’re silent, whether they go to a receiving centre.
- We do a real test with the person and family.
We work with AJAX systems, where panic buttons are part of the same app as the alarm. See what’s included on our alarm systems page.
Frequently asked questions about SOS panic buttons
Does the button work when the alarm is disarmed?
Yes. Panic buttons work 24 hours a day, whether or not the system is armed.
Can it alert several relatives at once?
Yes, via the app, plus the receiving centre if monitored.
Does it work away from home?
No. It works within the alarm’s range at the property.
Does it detect falls?
Not on its own. The person has to press it.
Can it be worn in the shower?
It depends on the model’s water resistance. We check before recommending it for that use.
Does it replace telecare?
No. They’re different services and can complement each other.
Peace of mind for them and for you
If an older relative lives alone on the Costa Blanca and you’d like them to have a simple way to call for help, we’ll advise you with no obligation and adapt the solution to their home and routine. Request your quote and we’ll look at it together.
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