Cheshire Council says telecare now mainstream

Cheshire County Council has said that it has made telecare services for older people a mainstream part of its service delivery, with the services valued by users for offering security and improved quality of life.

In a recent survey of 128 people using telecare 94% of respondents receiving Telecare services said they are pleased with the service and reported that they felt telecare helped them to feel safer and more secure in their own home.

The survey also revealed that 90% of carers said telecare helped them in their role by giving them confidence that people they are caring for are safe when alone in their home, which provided them with peace of mind and greater independence in their personal life.

In 2007 Cheshire County Council secured £1m government funding from the Preventative Technology Grant (PTG). As a result it is now able to offer telecare services across the county. By January 2008 it was providing tailored packages to a total of 600 service users with long-term care needs.

Vance Gallagher, telecare projects officer for Cheshire County Council said in a statement: “We wanted to evaluate how much of an impact telecare was having on service users and their carers, and the feedback we got back has been overwhelmingly positive.

Gallagher said: “Some of the most popular sensors include the bed sensor and property exit sensor, which are particularly useful for people with dementia, alerting their carers if they have fallen out of bed or left the house during the night. This reassures the carer that they will be notified if something happens and the user feels secure that help is on hand if needed.

“Being able to stay in their own home for longer has made such a difference to the quality of life for service users and their carers – providing this type of support is the way forward for assistive technology. Mainstreaming telecare is something that needs to be considered by health and social care services across the country.”

One service user who is benefiting from a telecare package is 74-year old Mrs Armstrong who has Parkinson’s Disease, she lives on her own and has had sensors – including fall sensors – in her home for over 18 months. She said of the service: “All the telecare sensors give me a lot of peace of mind because my main worry is falling. I’m very pleased with everything and it’s good to know someone is there in case there is a real emergency.”

The telecare services and equipment being used by Cheshire County Council are supplied by telecare provider Tunstall.