A guide to the Birmingham Telecare Service. Supporting you 24 hours a day

Transcription

1 A guide to the Birmingham Telecare Service Supporting you 24 hours a day

2 Introduction We are committed to improving the quality of life of adults and carers who live in Birmingham. This includes helping you to manage any risks so you can stay in your own home. The Birmingham telecare service is a FREE service offered from a joint partnership between Birmingham City Council and Tunstall Healthcare. 2

3 What is the Birmingham Telecare Service? The Birmingham Telecare Service is a 24-hour service that provides and monitors a range of equipment and sensors that you would either wear or keep in your home to help you stay independent. What types of telecare sensors and equipment are available? The service provides a range of sensors and equipment that suit your needs and help you stay in your own home. Examples include equipment that monitors: your movement in and out of a room, a chair or your bed; if you fall; if temperatures fall or rise quickly in your home; if there is a flood in your bathroom; and if you have an epileptic seizure in bed. Equipment also available includes: personal alarms that you can wear so you can call for help from anywhere in your home; a bogus-caller button so you can call for help if you re frightened by a stranger at your door; and 3

4 What is the response centre? The Birmingham Telecare Service response centre is open 24 hours a day, all year round. When activated, any sensors or equipment will connect to the response centre and trained operators will take the most appropriate action, such as contacting a family member, carer, neighbour, doctor or the emergency services. To get the telecare service you need two people that can be your responders if you get telecare equipment installed. Who can be a responder? A relative, carer, neighbour or friend that is willing to respond in an emergency. To be a responder they need to be able to get to your home if the response centre contacts them, be able to take appropriate action, and live within 30 minutes drive of your home. The responder must be a property key holder. Am I eligible for this service? You may be eligible if you are 18 or over, live at home and need help, or have a physical disability, a learning disability or a mental-health difficulty. What if I want to buy telecare services directly? If you want to buy telecare services that are not provided by the Birmingham Telecare Service we will tell you how you can buy telecare equipment directly. How can I get referred to the Birmingham Telecare Service? You can t refer yourself to the service. To find out if you are eligible, you will need to have a Birmingham Telecare Service referral form filled in for you. You can do this by: asking your social care worker, if you have one, to fill in a referral form; or phoning the Adults & Communities Access Point (ACAP) on If you phone ACAP you will be asked some questions to see if you are eligible to apply for the service. If you are eligible, an operator will take your details and fill in the referral form for you over the phone. What happens once my referral form is sent to you? Once we receive your referral form we will contact you within three working days to arrange your assessment. We keep to the Data Protection Act 1988 and will only use the information you give us to help you to get the service you need. 4

5 What happens during my assessment? We will usually carry out the assessment in your home. A trained assessor from the Birmingham Telecare Service will ask you some questions about your circumstances and find out what help you need. The assessor will then agree with you what equipment you will need. If you are eligible to receive equipment or sensors we will contact you within three working days of your assessment to arrange to install the equipment. Wherever possible, the assessment and installation will take place at the same visit, however it could take up to 3 working days from the assessment. We will install a Lifeline Vi+ home unit and provide a press-button personal alarm. 5

6 Will I have to pay for the service? You won t have to pay for an assessment or for equipment to be delivered or installed. Calls made with telecare equipment cost 9p a minute (based on BT charges). Each alert call lasts on average four minutes and so each call will cost about 36p. Call charges from other providers may be different. Who delivers and installs my equipment? Trained installers from the Birmingham Telecare Service will deliver and install your equipment. You will be given an information leaflet about your new equipment. What if I am not happy with the service? If you have any questions about the service or you have any problems with the service, you can contact us at any time. De-install If you or your family no longer require the Telecare Service due to changing circumstances you must contact the service on to arrange collection. Under no circumstances should the equipment be passed to anyone else nor disposed of as it is property of Birmingham City Council. We will arrange a convenient time with you for our engineer to collect the equipment from your property. Useful information websites My Care in Birmingham Information, advice and help about adult social care in Birmingham Tunstall Features news and information about services and products Direct.gov Equipment for using at home YourHome/DG_

7 The Birmingham Telecare Service is an extremely valuable lifeline for vulnerable people, enabling them to be supported 24 hours a day in their own homes. For carers it is also that extra peace of mind that the person you care for is going to get support if anything out of the ordinary happens to them at home, at any time of day. Maureen Parker Chair of the Birmingham Carers' Association 7

8 More information about the service If you have any questions about the Birmingham Telecare Service, please contact us. Phone: Write to: Birmingham Telehealthcare Service Level 2 Grosvenor House 14 Bennetts Hill Birmingham B2 5RS If you want a copy of this leaflet in another language, in large print, in Braille or on audio tape, MP3 or CD, please phone us on or telecare.birmingham@tunstall.com Reg No. 110 Our policy of continuing to develop means that we may change the actual product without giving you notice. We at Tunstall do not accept responsibility for any mistakes in this document or for missing information Tunstall Group Ltd. TUNSTALL and LIFELINE are registered trade marks. 276/1/16