Help&I
In development, not yet available

Help when the power and phones are down.

Press a button and reach people who know you, even in a power cut, with no internet and no mobile signal.

Help&I does not replace 999. In an emergency, call 999 first if you can. Help&I adds to your telecare alarm and phone. It does not replace them.

Three buttons

Red: come now A volunteer is alerted straight away.
Amber: come when you can For things that can wait a little while.
Green: I'm OK now Lets everyone know you are fine.

If a message cannot get through, the unit shows a cross so you know to try again or use another way. A volunteer will always reply by hand to tell you help is coming.

Why now

Landlines are moving to digital. Many telecare alarms now need mains power and broadband, so they can stop working in a power cut. Mobile masts often lose power within hours.

How it gets through

  1. Over the internet, while it works.
  2. Over the mobile network, while that works.
  3. Over a local radio mesh that runs on batteries and solar power, and needs no licence.

The unit has a battery, tells volunteers when the power goes off, and warns them before its battery runs low.

Your privacy

Messages carry a unit number, never your name, address or health details.

Open source

Help&I is free and open-source software. The code and design are on GitHub.