Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Telecare Services

Stockton Council's Telecare can help people to live more independently and safely in their own homes, for longer. As part of an agreed package of care, Telecare can help people to avoid a hospital stay or put off moving into a residential care home.

The Telecare system works alongside Stockton Council's Care Call infrastructure to monitor calls and react to any calls that come through. The response given depends on the type of assistance required i.e. contacting a relative/neighbour or contacting a key holder, attendance by Care Call staff or the emergency services.

How Telecare works

Telecare uses a series of sensors to monitor for potentially dangerous situations such as floods, fire, gas leaks, falls, and intruders.

It also provides a security solution to protect the individual, their belongings and the premises. When a sensor is activated, by smoke for example, it sends a radio signal to the Lifeline monitoring unit, which then calls the 24-hour Care Call Centre where trained operators can take the appropriate action. Telecare enables assistance to be raised, no matter what time of day or night.

The home unit allows two-way speech between the centre and the client, and also picks up radio signals sent by sensors placed unobtrusively around the home, which will raise an alert should they, sense a potentially dangerous situation.

Who benefit from the Telecare service?

Telecare has been proven to help a wide range of groups, including:

• Older people living with specific long terms conditions, such as those with dementia, heart failure or who have had a stroke.
• People at risk of falling at home, or at risk from other household dangers such as fire or flood.
• People requiring rehabilitation and/or intermediate care services to enable them to return home successfully.
• People with learning difficulties or cognitive impairment.
• People with sensory or physical impairments.
• Other groups of vulnerable people of all ages, including lone workers, victims of crime, domestic abuse, racial abuse, even witness protection.
• Carers, both formal and informal.

A range of the equipment used by the Telecare service

Bed and chair occupancy sensor - provides an early warning by alerting that the user has   left their bed or chair and not returned within a preset time period, indicating a potential fall. The sensor can also be programmed to switch on lights, helping people find their way to and from bed easily.

Epilepsy sensor - this state of the art sensor monitors the user's vital signs including heart rate and breathing patterns to detect a range of epileptic seizures. The sensor eliminates the need for carers to make physical checks, promoting independence and dignity.

Flood detector - provides an early warning of flood situations, such as taps being left on.

Carbon monoxide detector (wireless) - warns of dangerous CO levels providing unrivalled levels of accuracy and reliability.

Natural gas detector - provides an early warning of dangerous levels of gas. Can be linked to the gas 'shut-off' valve to automatically cut the gas supply off, if a leak is detected.

Temperature extremes sensor - monitors for low and high temperature extremes in addition to the rate of rise in temperature. This sensor helps to minimise the risks associated with changes in temperature, including the build up of heat in a kitchen and the risk of sustained periods of cold weather.

Fall detector - It is estimated that around 8000 older people fall every day in the UK. The fall detector can provide valuable peace of mind by automatically detecting falls and raising an alert to the monitoring centre or designated carer.

Property exit sensor - Approximately 40% of people with dementia are prone to walking about, this sensor specifically monitors for people leaving a building at unusual times of day or night. It can also detect if a main exit door has been left open and can be linked to external lighting to provide added protection.

Working with other agencies

Stockton Council's Care Call and Telecare services have a proven track record in providing a first class community alarm monitoring and response service, working closely in partnership with the emergency services, NHS, the Independent Living team and other Stockton Council departments.

Web Links

Stockton Council is not responsible for the content of external websites.

• Telecare Services Association