Telecare is a range of electronic equipment and services that can help people with physical, sensory or mental health difficulties continue to live safely and independently at home.
It can be particularly helpful to carers, giving them more freedom to carry on with everyday activities without having to worry about the safety of the person they are caring for.
The equipment can identify risks such as smoke and floods, can remind you to take pills and even call for help if you fall. Telecare can also warn you of problems by sounding an alarm, a flashing light or vibration.
Sandwell Joint Prevention Stores provides, installs and maintains this telecare equipment free for Sandwell residents. We can talk to you about equipment that will best meet your needs. You might be surprised at the many ways that technology can help.
Will telecare help me?
There are many situations when telecare can help. For example if you:
- tend to forget to take medication on time
- are at risk of wandering out of the house alone
- could become ill if the room gets too warm or too cold
- can't react to emergencies within the home
- need a light to be automatically switched on if you get up at night
- care for someone but cannot be with them all the time
- are at risk of falling
- have carers that need to be alerted when you need help.
What sort of equipment is there?
Just a few of the things that might help you are:
- movement sensors
- smoke, heat and flood detectors
- door and window opening alarms
- automatic medication reminder boxes
- room temperature sensors
- devices that switch a light on automatically
- alarm buttons or pendants.
The sensors and alarms can be programmed to alert either a community alarm centre or a carer in the same property.
New technology means the list of equipment is always growing. We pride ourselves in finding new and imaginative ways to help.
How to apply
Contact us through Sandwell Enquiry. Staff will refer you to us if they think we can help. Email sandwell_enquiry@sandwell.gov.uk or phone 0121 569 2266.
Speak to your doctor, district nurse, occupational therapist, physiotherapist or other health or social care worker. They will make a referral to us if they think that we can help. Ask them if they are a 'trusted referrer'. These are professionals that we have trained, so they will know about many of the pieces of equipment we have that will help.
Your health or social care professional can order Telecare directly on our ELMS Equipment Ordering System.
What happens next?
Depending on your circumstances and the information that we have been given about you, we may:
- arrange for our assessor to visit you at home to find out more about what you need
- ask our technician to install and test equipment - most sensors and alarms are wireless so can be fitted easily and quickly.
We will maintain the equipment, so you can contact us if you have any problems with it. We will visit every year to check it.
Do I have to pay?
There is a set up installation fee and weekly charge for a community alarm. However, our Telecare equipment is free for Sandwell residents, regardless of your financial circumstances.
Find out more about telecare
Living Made Easy - general information about telecare services from the Disabled Living Foundation.