The world turns. Time goes on. It’s an inevitability of life that we – and our loved ones – grow older and more vulnerable. More prone to falling in the home, or more prone to health scares that render people incapacitated.
It can be stressful and worrying when a parent or grandparent collapses in their home without immediate help, which is why the world is seeing a huge increase in the use of something called telecare.
What is telecare?
Telecare is technology-assisted care for the elderly and vulnerable in their own homes. It generally consists of environmental sensors that detect specifically designated conditions then raise an alarm or trigger some sort of designated response.
For example, let’s say an older relative is living with dementia, and is prone to leaving the house at night to walk in the road. A property exit sensor can be installed on the back door and then linked to a carer or loved one’s mobile phone. When the door is opened an alert is sent to the phone, allowing people to keep an eye on their relative’s movements.
Telecare comes in all shapes, and can also consist of things like GPS bands to track exact whereabouts and fall sensors that alert people when the wearer trips or collapses.
Telecare gives relatives and carers peace of mind knowing that their older and more vulnerable loved ones are safe, monitored, and most importantly able to live independently for as long as possible. People living with dementia, disability or just in their old age can continue their daily routines and living their lives to the fullest, safe in the knowledge that help is always just a call away.
How does telecare work?
Although telecare products can include things like smoke detectors, light alarms for the deaf and sound alarms, the telecare home unit is the intelligent centre at the heart of the home that is the key to allowing people to live independently. Both landline and mobile-enabled versions are available and link to a monitoring centre. All the user has to do is push a big red button to call for assistance down the line. This then summons the relevant or designated carer, paramedic, relative or friend.
If you’re not in the room to reach the home unit, smaller pendants can be worn around the neck or the wrist which connect wirelessly to the same system. If the user falls or is in some sort of distress, all they have to do is push the button.
How can I install telecare?
Welbeing Lifeline is a private company originally set up as a joint initiative by Wealden District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council in 2005. It’s one of several growing telecare service companies, and they provide a huge range of telecare products for all types of people who might need them.
A Welbeing pendant and home unit can be purchased for £15.96 per month, with a one off set up fee of £37. This covers the installation and the 24-hour monitoring service available literally at the push of a button.
Telecare is widely available, and it’s an invaluable asset to people who want to live independently for as long as possible, as well as their friends and family looking for peace of mind knowing support and monitoring is available at a moment’s notice.
So now the word ‘telecare’ means something to you, what are you waiting for?
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