George fits community alarms for the council as part of the A2D (Analogue to Digital) project, which is updating the technology before analogue telephone services in the UK are switched off.

He said: “We visit service-users to install the new digital alert alarms, either because we are replacing old analogue alarms or carrying out brand new installations, and we also resolve any faults or problems with existing alarms.

“This provides a more suitable environment that allows them to stay at home for longer, but an added bonus is that we bring a spot of company. There are cases where I could be the only person they speak to that day or even that week.

“When you give them a little of your time while installing an alarm, they often tell you a story of a time in their life that something happened – and it’s usually really funny.”

All of the service-users who have community alert alarms and telecare sensors to support them to live well and independently at home need to be transferred to a compatible digital product by the national deadline of December 2025.

Councillor Margaret Walker, the council’s Chair of Social Work Resources, said: “Community alarms have been a comfort and a reassurance to many people across South Lanarkshire.

“It is vital that the technology underpinning those resources is fit for the future and so I am delighted at the progress that the team is making.”

Professor Soumen Sengupta, Director of Health and Social Care for South Lanarkshire, said: “Extending greater use of digital technologies is vital to the transformation of health and social care services – and plays an increasingly important role in enabling more and more local people to thrive within our communities.

“Our commitment to A2D is a very timely example of this, and I am grateful to all of our service-users and their families for their continuing support for the important work in delivering these improvements locally.”

Community alarms are part of a range of assistive technology available to South Lanarkshire residents, and more information can be found on the council website.