Television’s Embarrassing Bodies host Dr Dawn Harper and This Morning and Loose Women presenter Ruth Langsford have teamed up with a Sussex care provider to get older and vulnerable people in the country the right care and support to remain at home.
Television’s Embarrassing Bodies host Dr Dawn Harper and This Morning and Loose Women presenter Ruth Langsford have teamed up with a Sussex care provider to get older and vulnerable people the right care and support to remain at home. The announcement follows research that more than 100,000 over 65s in East Sussex have a long-term health problem or disability and of these, a third live alone*.
Centra Prime Care has enlisted the television personalities to raise awareness of care that could support Sussex residents to live independently, such as home care. The Seaford-based provider offers its customers and their families trusted and personalised in-home care that helps them live independently for longer, such as domestic help with every day tasks, medication management or telecare support.
Dr Dawn Harper said: “As a practicing GP, many concerned relatives come to me because they don’t know what to do about their parents’ care. I’ve found that many are more likely to turn to a care home when it comes to looking for support. This is a drastic move which can often be costly and not the right solution for someone who can live more independently. People don’t know enough about more appropriate solutions which can protect safety and independence in and out of the home, like telecare.”
Ruth Langsford is also backing the campaign after signing up to Centra Prime Care’s telecare service Centra Pulse for her 84-year-old-mother Joan.
She said: “It became clear that my mum found it difficult to ask for help when my father developed Alzheimer’s disease. There was nothing we could do or say to get her to admit she might need more support.
“Thanks to Centra Prime Care my mum can now remain safe and independent in her own home as she has the help she needs at the touch of a button. It’s heartening to discover that Centra offers a wide range of care and support services to help older and vulnerable people stay safe, independent and in control, with their dignity intact.”
New research by Centra Prime Care and YouGov found that while 14 per cent of people with a parent aged 65 or over in Sussex and the south east had asked them whether they would be happy to go into a care home, just one per cent have spoken to their parent about getting telecare at home*. Telecare technology includes personal alarms, fall detector sensors and GPS devices which support vulnerable people, including more than 100,000 Centra customers, to live more independently in and out of the home.
Allyson Kay, Managing Director at Centra Prime Care, said: “With Ruth and Dawn’s help, we’re urging families in Sussex to explore the wide range of care and support out there which can suit a variety of different needs, such as home care and telecare.”
Visit centragroup.org.uk/primecare for more information.
* All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from the Office of National Statistics.
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