Telecare. Keeping you safe at home. Adult Care Services

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1 Telecare Keeping you safe at home Adult Care Services

2 What is telecare? Telecare services help vulnerable people, particularly the elderly, to live in their own home with greater safety and independence. Telecare services use a range of technologies which raise alerts to get help for the user if they need it. They work 24 hours a day, every day of the year providing help, security and peace of mind. How does telecare work? Special equipment linked to your telephone system enables you to get help quickly if you need it, even if you are unable to speak. For telecare services you do not even have to press a button to call for help as they work on sensors that detect movements like falls, gas or carbon monoxide escapes, or floods. What are the different types of telecare? There are different types of telecare service depending on your level of need. In Hertfordshire, telecare is the automatic sensors that are added on to a basic social or community alarm, which you may know as lifeline or careline. In order to use telecare services in Hertfordshire you must be connected to an alarm service, for which there is a small weekly charge. People on certain benefits may not need to pay this charge.

3 Smoke detector an alarm is raised in the home and at a call centre if smoke is detected Movement sensor this can detect a lack of movement, which may show that someone has fallen and cannot get up Fall, fit or faint detector this is worn on a belt and it sends an alert if it detects signs of a fall Gas escape detector if a gas appliance is turned on but not lit this raises an alarm in the home and at a call centre Carbon monoxide detector an alarm is raised in the home and at a call centre if there is a build up of carbon monoxide Flood detector this can raise an alarm at a call centre if someone is stuck in the bath or has left the taps on

4 Bogus caller button this raises an alarm with a call centre if someone is unsure who is at the door, or whether they are genuine Property exit sensor this detects if the user is leaving the house at an unsafe time, for example in the middle of the night Bed sensor this detects if the user has not come to bed, or if they have got up in the middle of the night but not returned to bed Why use telecare? Telecare is discreet and can be a great reassurance if you are finding it hard to manage at home but still want to keep your independence. Telecare has been shown to help people manage in their own home for longer, when otherwise they may have needed to move into residential care. Other telecare systems Resident carer alerts are also available through health or social care staff. These alert a carer in the same house to let them know the person they care for is moving around. These systems are free as there is no connection to a community alarm service.

5 Will I have to pay? Telecare can be provided free if you have been assessed as eligible by Hertfordshire County Council s Adult Care Services. Contact details for Adult Care Services are at the bottom of this page. You can also get telecare free if you are eligible following a mental health assessment, which can be arranged by your GP. Even if you are not eligible for free telecare you may be able to buy or lease it. Your local district or borough council should be able to tell you more. If you have been assessed as needing support from Adult Care Services, you may be eligible for cash payments that will enable you to arrange your own care instead of receiving them directly from the county council. These cash payments are known as direct payments. You can use your direct payments to buy support that meets your assessed needs, which can include telecare. To find out more about direct payments, and to see if you are eligible, please contact Adult Care Services on the number below. How to find out more If you would like to find out more about telecare services, or would like to visit one of our sites where telecare services are demonstrated, please contact Adult Care Services on for callers from and 0208 area codes or from all other areas in Hertfordshire.

6 This information can be made available on request in other formats, including large print, Braille, audio and in other languages. Ethel got up in the night but forgot to put on her pendent alarm. She had a fall in the bathroom and was unable to move. Her bed occupancy sensor raised an alert when she did not come back to bed and the community alarm call centre was able to talk to her and arrange for an ambulance. George was becoming unsure of the time of day and left his house in the early hours of the morning. His property exit sensor raised an alert and his son was able to find him and bring him home. Peter was caring for his wife Dawn who had Alzheimer s disease. Dawn was unable to walk safely alone but didn t realise this, so Peter felt he had to stay with her all the time in case she got up and fell. With a resident carer alert system he is now able to enjoy gardening again knowing the pager will let him know if Dawn gets out of her chair or bed. Janice had learning difficulties but lived alone so her father fitted a smoke detector. One day Janice burned the toast, setting off the alarm. Unfortunately Janice did not understand what the alarm meant and it was only when a neighbour investigated that action was taken. A Telecare smoke detector has now been fitted so that an alert is raised at the community alarm call centre as well as in the flat. ACSLN 08J07 Issue 1 October 2007