More Details

Transmitter Unit
* Pearl (standard) - can be worn as either a pendant around the neck (stainless steel chain supplied) or on the wrist (polyurethane adjustable strap with stainless steel clasp supplied). The button is recessed and has a slightly raised point providing a texture similar to Braille.
* The pendant has a range of up to 300m (open range) from the receiver base (150m in a normal dwelling). Battery backup of 50 hours. The range in a normal dwelling is approx 100m.
* The Pearl pendant also has an activation light function. When an individual presses their Pearl help button and the medical alert is received by EVE the outer edge of Pearl flashes red to let the user know their alert for help has been received, providing reassurance that help is being summoned.

Waterproofing
The manufacturer states that the Pearl transmitter is waterproof (IP68), and therefore suitable to be worn in the shower and bath.

Receiver
Features two primary buttons
* A round, red LED lit 'HELP' button that can pressed to activate an emergency response. When the 'HELP' button is pressed it will illuminate with four lights moving in a clockwise direction to indicate the emergency response has been sent. 'HELP' is written in Braille below this button.
* A 'CANCEL' button which is available to cancel the emergency response during the pre-alarm period.

Backup Battery
* Up to 48 hours for unit, up to 5 years for the pendant

Testing
The 'Test Pendant' light on the receiver unit will flash blue to indicate when it is time to test the transmitter emergency button. Standard test time is set to 30 days but can be programmed to be 60 or 90 days. If the personal alarm has been activated in this time, the timer will be reset and begin the count of days again.

The system automatically performs a silent weekly test and advises the user of any issues with the unit. This test can be programmed to occur daily.

The monitoring company also notifies the user of any issues, including low battery or telephone line faults.

Method Of Use

The receiver unit features four status lights:
1. LED 'ON' light illuminates to indicate the system is receiving power. This light will flash to indicate faults, such as a problem with the power or telephone connection, or when the pendant is due to be tested.
2. LED 'Check Power' light will illuminate and flash red when there is a problem with the power connection. The LED 'ON' light will flash, and an audible message will also play three minutes after fault and repeat every three hours.
3. LED 'Check Phone' light will illuminate and flash red when there is a problem with the phone connection or a phone has been left off-hook for three hours. The LED 'ON' light will flash and an audible message will also play every three hours.
4. LED 'Test Pendant' light will illuminate and flash blue when the user is required to test the system to ensure it is working correctly. Audible messages will be silenced overnight. The flashing status lights will continue.

Activating the emergency response
This is initiated by holding down either the grey transmitter pendant button for two seconds or pressing the red LED button located on the receiver unit. This alerts the receiver unit which will start beeping while the red LED lights on the 'help' button and red lights around the pendant start flashing in a clockwise direction. This is to highlight a pre-alarm warning which lasts around 10 - 15 seconds. Following this the receiver commences contacting the monitoring centre and provides audible voice messages to update the user on progress. An inbuilt speaker and microphone enable voice contact between the user and monitoring station via two-way speaker phone.

Acknowledging an emergency response call
Once the monitoring station has been alerted, the emergency communications operator is then able to access the users specific information including details of where they live, who they are, their medical history and who they would like contacted in an emergency. The operator connects to the receiver unit, activating the two way talk back function.

Emergency response action
The operator calls out to the user several times via the speaker phone on the receiver. If no response is received, they will call contact people or an ambulance as requested. If requested, the operator will call an ambulance, before notifying contact people. The operator will remain on the call as long as required by the user or until assistance has arrived.

When the emergency call has finished, the operator in the monitoring station will automatically disconnect the call. The user is not required to reset their system.

Cancelling Emergency Response
Once activated the emergency response can be cancelled by pressing the yellow 'cancel' button located on the receiver unit during the 'pre alarm' stage. Once the emergency response has been acknowledged users are also able to cancel the response by letting the operators know via the two way talk back communication.

Place Of Manufacture

Chiptech (NZ)

Price Guide

VitalCall pricing
Agent assisted Installation Fee:$142 OR Self Installation (Vitalcall unit posted): $70
Monitoring Fee (monthly): $38.87

(The above prices are inclusive of GST and apply to people who have been referred by a health professional or with a written from a GP. The minimum service is $180.87 OR $108.87 depending on installation method. This will cover the establishment fee and the first 1 months monitoring and is subject to an annual price increase. DVA Gold Card holders are requested to contact their DVA office for more information)

The standard full retail price for people who have not been referred by a health professional is $250.25 for installation and $50.16 per month monitoring.

Models

Only one model available

Installation

The unit can be self-installed or installed by a technician for an additional cost. Country installation may be available on request. Please discuss installation requirements with the supplier to obtain advice about whether self-installation is recommended.

The receiver unit sits separately from the telephone and must be fitted with a mobile SIM card. It will not require a land line telephone connection. The receiver unit will need to be programmed by the supplier for connection

The unit can be placed onto a flat surface or wall mounted.

Standards

Standards
Some assistive technology needs to meet Australian or other standards. Standards may relate to materials, manufacturing and installation. Products that meet Australian or international standards will have written certification. To find out if a product meets Australian Standards ask the supplier to show you the certificate. For more information about standards also see
http://at-aust.org/home/assistive_technology/standards.html

TGA
Many of the items on the Assistive Technology Australia website are categorised as a Medical Device. Medical devices that are approved for use in Australia have been entered into a national database called the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), which is maintained by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). You can ask the supplier for the ARTG number for the device you wish to purchase and search the ARTG for the entry. To access information on the ARTG visit www.tga.gov.au

When buying a medical device it is advisable to only choose a medical device that is recommended by a healthcare professional and has been included on the ARTG.