New emergency care system for elederly (From Harrow Times)

New emergency care system for elederly

2:34pm Monday 4th June 2007 in News By Alex Ali

HARROW Council has introduced a new Telecare scheme for older residents.

For years older residents have been benefiting from the Community Alarm System, which has allowed them to call and talk to the contact centre by pushing a panic alarm which they wear around their necks. Now Harrow has improved the service and launched Telecare.

Instead vulnerable residents will now have a wireless-connected hotline to a 24-hour contact centre so they can continue living in their own homes but get emergency help if they need it.

Cllr Eric Silver, Harrow Council's Portfolio Holder for Adult Services, said: "The new Telecare service is not only free for older people in Harrow and helping them live independent lives, it is also providing value for money for local council tax payers."

New features will include bed sensors which spot if a person has been out of bed for a long time during the night, a fall sensor which can tell if a person is not in an upright position, a flood detector which spots if water is gathering on the floor, a property exit sensor which can tell if the person has been out of their home for an unusually long time during the night.

Paul Marinko, a spokesman for Harrow Council, explained that everyone using the bed and exit sensor would receive an assessment asking questions like how long it takes them to go to the toilet at night. This information is then programmed into the alarm system and if a customer exceeds the time limit then the alarm is triggered.

Mr Marinko added that the fall sensor would still be attached to the person's body and if they fell the alrm would go off immediately.

The technology has been implemented thanks to a £357,000 government grant and is expected to make year-on-year savings of tens of thousands of pounds by helping people to remain out of hospital or residential or nursing homes for longer.

Cllr Silver said: "Many older people are keen to avoid or delay going into residential care, a move which can also be very expensive for the council.

"Our first priority is to help older people live independent and fulfilling lives and if we can marry this up with providing a cost-efficient service all the better."

Harrow Council has even set up a show flat at Milman's Resource Centre, Grove Avenue, Pinner, so residents can go and see how the technology works.