Telehealthcare / Community Alarm Service

The Telecare Service

What is Telecare?

The Telecare Alarm (also referred to as the Community Alarm), allows people to call for help in an emergency from their own home through to a contact centre, 24 hours a day. You will be supplied with a personal pendant which, when pressed, will go through to our professionally trained, contact centre staff who will provide you with the reassurance you need. Contact centre operators can arrange to contact family members or other nominated person, a doctor, emergency services such as Police, Fire and Rescue Services, an ambulance or send a member of the Telecare Responder Team straight to your home.

How could Telecare help me?

The Telecare Alarm can help support your safety and independence at home by providing you, your family and carers with the reassurance that a tailored response will be delivered which meets your needs.

Telecare Tailored Solutions

In addition to the Telecare Alarm, there as a range of Technology devices and sensors available that can be installed easily into your home. These include environmental sensors for people who cannot recognise risks within their own home or personal sensors which help support people to remain safe.

Go to the Documents section on this page to download the 'Telecare within the home' for more information.

Telecare Self-Check Tool

Take the quick self-check test to see if you or someone you know could benefit from telecare.

You’ll be asked between 3 and 6 questions
The check should take between 3 and 5 minutes to complete
You do not need to give any personal details
The Check provides useful advice and will say if you or someone you know should apply for Telecare.

Use the self 'check online tool' in the external links section for further information.

You can also print and save the completed assessment and refer to this as and when you need to. The tool will also direct you to your local authority for further information and guidance on the next steps.

To access the service you must:

Live within the Inverclyde area
Be assessed as meeting the criteria
Have a modern telephone socket in place
Have an electrical socket on the same wall or suitable extension cable
Have two key holders within the Inverclyde area who will hold a key to your property or meet the criteria for a Keysafe

Do I have to pay for this service?

There is a charge of £2.90 per week for the service. Please note that a local call cost will be incurred every time your alarm is activated, these calls will be chargeable and show on your telephone bill, call charges can vary by telephony supplier. Please check with your supplier.

How do I apply?

Referrals can be made by anyone by contacting Inverclyde Access First on 01475 715 299 where an assessment will be carried out by a representative of Social Work. If you already have a care at home service you should discuss this application with your Home Support Manager or Care Manager.

Future Developments – alarms are moving to Digital

Telecommunications providers across the UK are replacing analogue phone lines with digital equivalents in the UK. This means that as early as 2023, it will no longer be possible for citizens to purchase an analogue phone service from the telecommunications industry and by 2025 they will have fully migrated to a digital equivalent for all users.

The delivery of telecare service across Scotland will be affected.

What’s happening?

The current telephone systems we all use will be changing to a new Digital service over the coming years. The current analogue telephone system is due to be upgraded to a digital model. The changes require to be in place by 2025.

Why is this happening?

The current telephone network has become hard to maintain, moving to a digital network will provide a more efficient and effective network. All telephony suppliers will be upgrading their systems over the coming years.

What are we doing to prepare?

We are working hard to upgrade our service and provide new Digital alarms to all our service users over the coming years ensuring a high quality service is received by all our service users with minimum disruption.

Please be assured that there is no additional charge to replace a Community Alarm with a DIgital one.

What do you need to do?

You should continue to use your telecare equipment as normal. We will call you and arrange an appointment to get your equipment upgraded as we progress the programme of exchange. Please be aware that as telecommunications providers progress their digital upgrades, it may, on occasion, cause small blips in connectivity for your phone and alarm system – these will be temporary and of short duration. If you experience any problems of this nature, or are aware that you have been upgraded to a digital telephone line, please contact the Technology Enabled Care Team on: 01475 715945 or 01475 715947.

How do I know if I have a Digital Line?

If you have had to connect your telephone handset to a different socket e.g. an internet router, WiFi hub or TV box, then you have probably been moved to a digital phone line and should contact us for support.

The Telehealth Service

What is Telehealth?

There is technology available that could help you live independently and stay in control of your health and wellbeing. Telehealth equipment can make use of technology such as smart phones, tablets, computers and other electronic devices. These devices can allow you to monitor your health without having to keep visiting your GP. You can take readings like blood pressure, oxygen levels, weight and temperature, which can be automatically sent to a secure monitoring system or your health specialist through the internet or a mobile phone connection. Your health condition will be monitored remotely so you'll get help if and when you need it.

How could Telehealth help me?

The Doc at Home Telehealth Service

If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you can access our Doc at Home telehealth system. Doc at Home can be provided to you via a device that’s installed into your home or an app that can be uploaded onto your own smart device such as smart phone, tablet and computer. The device is portable and enables you to record personal data and readings such as blood pressure, pulse, oxygen levels and many others at the touch of a button. This data is then transferred through to your clinical team to review and assess accordingly. The Docobo Home Hub also has an information area that allows you to access helpful videos and information relating to your condition at any time of the day.

Do I have to pay for this service?

No, The Home Hub is provided to you free by your local healthcare partnership.

How do I apply?

We are working with your local healthcare team to introduce Doc at Home to support people to manage COPD. For further information please contact our Long Term Conditions Nurse on 01475 715947.

Read the attached leaflet called 'Welcome to DOC at Home' in the documents section of this page, or watch the Video at the end of this page for further information.

One Touch – Safer walking with the use of GPS technology

What is One Touch?

The One Touch device is a personal monitoring system, which allows an individual to continue living within the community by empowering independence and allowing the wearer to travel outside of their home without restrictions.

The prime aim is to support safer walking, provide confidence and reassurance to individuals and their carers/families, support individuals to stay connected, physically active and maintain social contacts, routines and regain independence beyond the home, encouraging socialisation and reduce isolation.

Who is it for?

The One Touch is for individuals living with Dementia (early diagnosis), cognitive impairment, learning difficulties and some long term conditions.

Consideration should be given to the impact of other health conditions of the individual that may impact risk such as sensory impairment and also road safety awareness. The device should be used to support positive risk taking, to achieve desired outcomes and maintain or enhance quality of life.

To access this service:

The individual must have capacity to consent, or where an individual does not have capacity, consent should be obtained from those with Power of Attorney or Guardianship Order.
There must be a named responsible individual who will charge the device.
The individual must live within Inverclyde and have at least two/three responsible individuals who also live within Inverclyde. All responsible individuals to be established and setup as responders for the device.
Responsible individuals that have been setup as responders must ensure that at least one responder can be available to attend – respond to any device activation if required.
The responders assigned must have access to a smart phone to allow the One Touch App to be installed for GPS locator and an active email address.

Do I have to pay?

No, the One Touch Safer Walking device is provided free of charge by your local Health and Social Care Partnership, Technology Enabled Care Team.

How do I apply?

For further information, read the 'GPS - One Touch' Leaflet, form the Documents Section.