Telecare
Telecare is a remote 24 hour a day monitoring system for
vulnerable adults (who need the support of care services) and their
carers to enable them to maintain their independence at home and to
provide support and reassurance.
The service is designed to give confidence and peace of mind to
both the person and carer in managing the risks of living at home
such as falling or fire hazards.
Kent County Council currently provide the Telecare service to
persons who need the support of care services free of charge,
although you can purchase similar services privately.
How it works
Following an assessment, key information provided is shared with
our 24 hour monitoring centre which helps them to deliver the best
course of action in an emergency. The sensors requested are
installed in and around the home and tested by Kent County Council
Technicians.
The sensors come under two headings:
Personal Triggers: These are dependent on
action from the user or Carer (a press of a button for
example)
Environmental sensors: These work automatically
by reacting to changes within the environment (smoke detection, or
activation from a fall for example)
If a sensor is alerted, it transmits via an outgoing and
operating phone line, a signal to a Monitoring Centre, where
trained staff ascertains the nature of the alert and takes the most
appropriate course of action.
Reports and findings
Telecare has been previously piloted in Kent, where 700+ users
were engaged and evaluated by the University of Kent in 2006.