NEWS RELEASES
How older people can remain at home longer
3rd September, 2004
THE biggest wish for most older people is that they remain in their own homes for as long as possible, even if troubled by debilitating illness.This is now being made possible thanks to the progress of technology and I am delighted to say that the Council is playing a leading role in bringing the latest scientific advances to our older population.
Most people already know about the Community Link alarm service which has been running for many years. We have over 1,200 people using this service at a basic cost of £3.22 per week. Thanks to a monitor linked to the telephone, users have easy access to an alarm button and a reassuring voice at the end of the line which brings peace of mind and security.
There is now a new range of other smart sensors available for use in the home capable of amazing feats, ready and able to keep an eye on frail or elderly people for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The Council has acquired a selection of the latest devices and, in association with partners Saxon Weald Housing Association, we have set up a pilot scheme to test them out at a former sheltered manager's home based at Dingeman's Court in Steyning.
These sensors can be installed discreetly in parts of the house and undertake a remarkable variety of tasks. The familiar alarm worn as a neck pendant or bracelet requires the press of a button to activate, however the new generation of sensors are programmed to raise the alarm independently of the user.
They can tell if someone has fallen over, or has failed to move around the house, if they are still in bed, if they have not used the fridge, or if they have left the house and not returned, a device known as "the wandering client". They can also detect carbon monoxide, temperature extremes, natural gas, smoke and flood and can be adapted to deal with bogus callers.
Thanks to the telephone link all these devices can be monitored around the clock by a team of professional operators at Chichester Careline. If any one of the signals is activated, then appropriate action can be taken. The new developments present us with enormous scope for improving people's lives.
Also in the pipeline, thanks to advancing technology, is the tele-medicine service which in the future will enable routine medical information to be sent from the home to the monitoring centre and forward to the computers of doctors and consultants for their attention.
As the latest pilot scheme progresses we hope that many of these devices will come into regular use by our growing population of elderly and frail people, thus helping them to maintain that treasured wish to remain in their own home.
For more information, please contact the Council's Community Link service on (01403) 215230, e-mail: community.link@horsham.gov.uk
Ends
Councillor Sheila Van Den Bergh, The Chairman, Horsham District Council, Park North, North Street, Horsham, RH12 1RH.
E-mail: contactchairman@horsham.gov.uk
CONTACT:Richard Morris, Communications Manager
(01403) 215549