Archived decisions

REPORT OF THE

EXECUTIVE MEMBER

ADULT SOCIAL CARE

PART II

TELECARE

1. Telecare can be defined as detectors or monitors, usually linked to community alarm systems, which can trigger a warning to a control centre that can be responded to. The equipment includes pendant alarms, flood detectors, gas detectors and sensors. Some forms of telecare gather information about the person's level of activities.

2. Hampshire County Council has had an active interest in telecare over the past three years. It has invested in telecare equipment which has been piloted successfully with a number of older people in their own homes and has a dedicated Telecare Project Co-ordinator located in the Older People's Strategic Team.

3. The County Council has worked in partnership with district councils, housing providers, health, control centres and users and carers to develop its knowledge base.

4. A Telecare Steering Group has been established which has overseen the pilots, commissioned an evaluation and provided local knowledge.

5. Three types of telecare equipment have been piloted and the Steering Group has carried out an evaluation of each of the pilots as well as mapping what equipment is available, what its uses are and looking at other schemes taking place both nationally and internationally.

6. Preventative Technologies Grants will be available to increase the number of people who can benefit from telecare services in order to help them remain independent. It is estimated that approximately 3,200 older people will benefit in Hampshire. The Grant conditions and indicative amounts will not be released until January 2006 but it is anticipated that the County Council will receive around £500,000 in the first year.

7. The interim evaluation set out seven conditions and the Executive Member was please to approve these. The conditions are to:

¬ Develop a telecare strategy with partners.


¬ Use the Preventative Technologies Grant in line with the strategy.


¬ Develop the Steering Group to include wider representation in line with the strategy.


¬ Increase the evidence base by continuing to gather information for a further six months with a view to commissioning an evaluation of the experiences and outcomes for service users and carers.


¬ Continue to identify who will benefit from telecare, giving older people a chance to test it out.


¬ Raise awareness of telecare amongst staff and elected members, partners, potential users and the general public.


¬ Continue to participate in national and European opportunities to keep informed about wider developments in telecare and to influence policy direction to benefit the residents of Hampshire.

8. This supports Aims 1,4 and 5 of the Corporate Strategy by enabling more people to remain independent for longer, by enabling older people to summon help when they need it either from friends or family as well as alerting community alarm services and meeting the changing needs of older people.

PATRICIA BANKS

Executive Member for Adult Social Care

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