About
About Helpline
Helpline was born out of a desire to empower older people to be safe in the place they hold closest to their hearts, a place filled with memories, family photos and familiar comforts — their own homes.
As a nurse, Helpline founder Maureen Cable became concerned about how quickly an unforeseen incident such as a fall or other medical emergency could have a lasting negative impact on an older person living alone. She also saw how that same incident, handled quickly, could become merely a minor interruption to an independent life.
A growing realisation
As a student nurse working in A&E in the 1970s, Maureen was horrified to see an elderly lady being admitted who had previously been a neighbour to her grandparents. She had fallen in her home, been on the floor for a prolonged period of time and was, as a result, unrecognisable from the independent older lady Maureen knew so well. Some years later, while raising her own family, Maureen managed care for patients in the community and saw time and again the benefits of ‘home care’. When she met her second husband, Hamish, who owned a security company, they had a ‘lightbulb’ moment together. They realised they could marry the principles of a simple alarm system with the need for summoning immediate help in the event of an emergency — and Helpline was born.
A dedication to service
Hamish and Maureen both come from Armed Forces’ backgrounds. As a result, Helpline is a proud signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. Many ex-service men and women are customers and form part of the Helpline family. We’re pleased to protect those who have protected all of us.
Looking ahead
There have been challenging times through the years, notably losing Hamish to cancer in 2015. But Maureen continues to steer Helpline forward through technological changes and most recently the global pandemic, ensuring customers continue to receive the protection they need to live well and independently at home.
It’s the stories from our Helpline family that fuel Maureen’s unwavering commitment to the cause — countless stories of how Helpline ensured they got help in the early stages of an emergency and consequently could return to an excellent quality of life afterwards.