Telecare

There are an estimated 1.6 million people using some form of social alarm in the UK, representing about 15% of those aged 65 years or older ^[1]. With all the government statistics clearly illustrating the rapidly ageing UK population, the demand for safety services for the elderly is likely to increase.

Telecare and Telehealth has an increasing role to play in providing support for these individuals enabling them to stay in their own home and reducing cost pressures on public services.

The use of certain devices and solutions can also help older and vulnerable people live more independently, safe in the knowledge that, if an incident occurs, help can be summoned quickly. They can also:

• enable people to leave hospital sooner
• support people to maintain themselves independently at home
• prevent people being unnecessarily admitted to hospital or a care home
• support relatives so that they may continue to care for family members.

By combining the right technology with the requirements of the individual, based on an assessment of their needs and their environment, real benefits can be gained not just for the individual concerned but also to the wider carer network.

Telecare: Telecare describes any service that brings health and social care directly to a user, generally in their own homes, supported by information and communication technology (Audit Commission 2004). In most cases, data is collected through sensors, fed into a home hub and sent electronically to a call or monitoring centre. Existing basic Telecare units include fall alarms, safety sensors for risks such as gas leaks and bath floods, and ‘wander’ monitors for people with dementia.

Telehealth: Telehealth can be defined as the remote monitoring of vital signs such as temperature and blood pressure that can be used by medical professionals for diagnosis, assessment and prevention. It is typically used to support the proactive monitoring of long term health conditions such as Diabetes, COPD and Hypertension. It can help to empower patients by enabling them to take control of vital aspects of their health, and it can also help to reduce pressure on acute services.

Cirrus also offers the latest in telecare technology and has a number of innovative solutions, including the only dispersed alarm in the UK that does not require mains power and our warden call Private Branch Exchange (PBX) solution. The PBX combines telecommunications with social alarm/telecare solutions, creating a scalable and future proof system that meets EN 50134-3 standards. The system enables the streamlining of service provision. Many local authorities and housing associations have worked with us on introducing PBX systems.

 [1] Source: www.ict-ageing.eu