Our council has something called a "lifeline" which consists of an alarm that the wearer can press if they have fallen down or whatever. The alarm goes to the council and someone comes out. I don't believe it's free though.
�1 per week for a Community Alarm (the button on a string for round your neck to press in an emergency) where I live. Organised by Social Work Dept.
Very cheap for the peace of mind for the elderly and their relatives.
I think people are getting slightly confused. I believe that this relates to sheltered housing, whereby there is a sort of control centre which monitors the installed alarms, and should one activate, I think you'll find that the local Police are informed and attend. Should they then require access, they would force entry unless a keyholder can be contacted to attend asap.
Besides, where would you get anyone from the council to do it? Never in my experience.
My dad had one of these. It cost about �7 a month, there was a gadget he wore round his neck and a box that was plugged into the phone.
He pressed the button accidentally one Saturday afternoon when I was with him, and immediately a voice came out of the box asking if he was OK. They wouldn't take my word for it - quite right, I could have been beating the living daylights out of him - and were most concerned that he was all right. The microphone in the box was good enough to pick up his voice from anywhere in his living room.
What we had to do when he first got it was give the council the number of two neighbours who held keys. They would call them in the event that they couldn't get a reply, or to give access to emergency services.
Fortunately we never had to use it, but it gave us peace of mind and really meant that he could go on living in his own home.