Telecare and Telehealth

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What are Telecare and Telehealth?

Telecare and Telehealth are services aimed at people with disabilities and/or long-term health problems.

Both services:

• Promote long-term health and independence
• Improve quality of life for people and their carers
• Improve the management of long-term health conditions such as diabetes, heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

At present, Telehealth is in development in the Borough. However Telecare technology is widely available.

What is Telecare?

Telecare uses a combination of alarms, sensors and other equipment to help people live independently. This is done by monitoring activity changes over time and raising a call for help in emergency situations such as falls, fire, flood and/or lack of movement in the home. The call is made to Careline which is our local monitoring centre. In order to install the sensors, a Careline telephone and pendant will be needed.

Is Telecare used to replace human contact?

Telecare is designed to support carers and people living alone and cannot replace human contact. An example is a bed occupancy sensor which will monitor if people get out of bed at night and if they did not return within a certain time, it would raise an alarm. This would prevent a person, who may have fallen, being left for long periods without help and alert a carer they need assistance.

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth monitors people’s health in their home. Examples include equipment to monitor blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, weight and blood sugar levels. These measures are sent to a health care professional who can monitor daily readings and if your condition deteriorates, they will raise appropriate action. Telehealth prevents hospital admissions and improves quality of life.

What Telecare sensors are available?

There are a wide range of sensors available including personal alarms, epilepsy sensors, fall detectors, temperature detectors, gas and carbon dioxide detectors and sensors that detect if someone wanders from their home. For further information about the range of sensors available, please see the List of Careline/Telecare sensors.

Do I have to have a Careline base unit?

Most sensors need the Careline base unit so the call centre can monitor emergencies. However, some equipment can raise an alert straight to a relative or carer and do not need a Careline base unit. An example is a pressure pad on the floor next to the bed, which detects if a person has got out of bed and sends an alarm to the carer’s room allowing them to check if the person is safe. A pager is another Telecare sensor which a carer can carry so that they can be contacted in an emergency.

Common myths about Telecare and Telehealth

Telecare and Telehealth are an additional mechanism to support and complement care in the home. It does not replace emergency services. It is also not “Big Brother” – all service users and carers are aware of what is being fitted. It does not lead to greater isolation. Support is still available from the NHS and Social Care staff. It helps staff to spend more time on planned rather than unplanned reactive care and does not increase professionals’ workload.

Telecare and Telehealth also:

• Prevent hospital admissions
• Give great reassurance and peace of mind to carers and relatives
• Help people stay in their own home and avoid residential care
• Provide timely health information and intervention
• Help people manage their health condition better

How much will Telecare cost me?

Installation of Telecare sensors and the Careline base unit is free, but ongoing monitoring is chargeable. To purchase Careline including an alarm button there is a payment of £205 plus £6.50 per month for the 24-hour answering service. The Careline base unit costs £15.14 per month to rent.

If I can’t afford the services, how else could I pay for Careline/Telecare?

You may be able to get the ongoing charges paid for by charitable funding if you are on a low income. Careline will help you with accessing this type of funding. If you are assessed by Social Services and are eligible for Social Care, you may choose to pay for Careline from your individual budget.

How do I get the Telecare/Careline service?

Contact The Access Team and request an assessment.
Telephone: 020 8891 7971
Email: adultsocialservices@richmond.gov.uk
Text: 07800 002439