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Social care professionals at Devon County Council are predicting a three fold rise this year in the numbers of people using telecare equipment at home.
Telecare equipment is technology that monitors or senses a person's movements, or the environment within the home, and triggers calls to a 24 hour a day call centre if help is required.
Common examples include fall detectors, smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, while more specialist equipment includes pressure mats, property exit sensors, medication reminder dispensers or bed occupancy sensors.
Following a Council pilot in North Devon last year and subsequent training sessions and awareness raising among social workers countywide, the numbers of people using telecare equipment is rising by around 10 people every week, according to the Council.
By the end of the year, they expect around 750 people to be using the equipment, helping them to maintain their independence at home.
Devon County Council's Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services, Cllr Stuart Barker, said:
"Telecare technology is improving every year, with new inventions and development of existing products helping people to live at home, on their own or with a partner.
"The numbers of older people living in Devon is growing significantly, bringing greater need for services that helps them live independently.
"Telecare technology is part of the answer and although the numbers of people currently using it at home are relatively small, it is going to play an increasingly important role in supporting and caring for older people in the future.
"We are investing in telecare technology to improve the level of support and service we can offer to residents in Devon.
"We want to ensure that Devon will be at the forefront of improving services and providing value for money."
The majority of telecare users live on their own, but for people living with a partner or relative, remote paging systems can be used to alert the other to a problem. If a person falls in their home while their partner is in the garden for example, the pager will alert them immediately.
Flood detectors in bathrooms and kitchens, heat and smoke detectors, can all monitor the home environment. Detectors can also monitor whether a person has left their home and not returned.
"We are looking at how the technology could also provide a way of looking after the safety of people with dementia," said Cllr Barker.
Call Centre staff, contracted by the County Council, handle around 200 calls per week from telecare users across Devon.
"The calls are triggered by various telecare sensors installed in the home such as a fall detector or a smoke alarm," said Call Centre Manager Richard Burge.
"We then call the person back to check that everything is okay, if not, we would contact the agreed responder, typically a relative or neighbour, or in some cases, the Emergency Services".
If a person has no agreed responder, the Call Centre will mobilise Devon's Rapid Response Service, developed by the County Council, NHS Devon and the South West Ambulance Trust, to support people at home.
Occupational Therapist, Kevin Wheeler, said:
"Telecare equipment is not a replacement for the role of a nurse or home carer.
"It does however provide comfort for the resident and peace of mind for their relatives, knowing that should assistance be needed, help is at hand 24 hours every day.
"In particular, the automatic detectors and sensors can raise an alert where a person is unable to use a telephone and it is possible to tailor the items of telecare equipment provided to meet the specific needs of each individual."
To find out more about telecare equipment visit www.devon.gov.uk/telecare-equipment. Or for a care assessment contact Devon County Council's Care Direct on 0845 155 1007.
Devon County Council Press Releases
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