People in County Durham are being urged to join the County Council’s community alarm service that supports vulnerable residents of all ages.
Care Connect assists people maintain their independence in their own home, providing a monitoring and response service to people’s homes 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, offering assistance and reassurance whenever it is needed.
The service is vital for anybody who believes they are at risk, or vulnerable and their families want security and peace of mind. People may know of a neighbour or friend who is at risk or socially isolated and the Care Connect service can offer assistance and support these people when in need.
Customers are provided with a unit alarm system and pendant, which is installed in their homes, and when the alert button is pressed for assistance a call is placed directly to Care Connect’s Control Room.
The service operates 24/7 so staff are always available to offer support and assistance, dispatch Responders to a customer’s home, or contact the emergency services when necessary.
There is a small weekly charge for the service, but this will be discussed with customers prior to coming on to the service.
The service helps around 15,000 households across County Durham and has recently retained its Accreditation to the Telecare Services Association (TSA) Code of Practice being one of less than 10% of members to achieve ‘Platinum Member Status’ (European Technical Specification) for the community alarm and Telecare services it provides.
Care Connect promotes independence through the use of technology so people can remain in their own homes as long as possible. Where, a customer is assessed as needing additional support equipment known as Telecare can be installed, giving carers and families’ peace of mind. Customers who do not wish to go through a social care assessment can agree a private arrangement with Care Connect to have Telecare equipment installed.
There are numerous types of equipment available and include items for people who are at risk of falling, have dementia (or some memory loss), are deaf, blind, or have epilepsy.
An example of this technology is a fall detector for people who are frail and/or at risk of falling. The device is unobtrusive and worn about the person and will identify a genuine fall and immediately alert the Control Room so appropriate action can be taken. For more information, visit Care Connect’s website at www.durham.gov.uk/careconnect or telephone 03000 262 195 or send an email to care.connect@durham.gov.uk
