Moray Lifeline and Telecare

Moray Lifeline is the name of the community alarm and Telecare service in Moray Council (part of Social Work). Telecare equipment enables people, especially older and vulnerable people, to continue to live independently in their own homes.  It is unobtrusive sensors, alarms and detectors which can be installed within the home to help people remain safe and secure.

The equipment monitors aspects of the home environment and can detect if there is a change in things such as temperature, a gas leak, fire, flooding or even if the user has a fall.  The equipment will automatically make a call to a family member or a friend, or to an Alarm Monitoring Centre to provide an emergency response 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The following items are just some examples of equipment:

  • Community alarm
  • Fall detector
  • Bed leaving sensor
  • Epilepsy sensor
  • Enuresis (bed wetting) sensor
  • Flood detector
  • Magiplug (a safety plug)
  • Property exit sensors and/or “Wandering” alert
  • Smoke detector
  • Extreme heat/cold detector

Many items of telecare are linked to a community alarm, which is a base unit connected to the user’s home telephone line.  When the base unit receives signals from a personal alarm (pendant) or other sensors in the house, it sends an alarm call to the alarm monitoring centre or direct to a relative's mobile telephone. The cost of the community alarm is £40.20 per quarter (less than £3.10 per week).

You will need a telephone landline and an electrical power socket nearby.

Telecare equipment can also be programmed as “stand alone” - this allows the partner or carer within the same house to monitor alerts without the alarm monitoring centre involvement.  The base unit will receive signals from the sensors and can set off a vibrating pager to alert the partner/carer within the house.

Who is Telecare For?

Telecare can be used by any age group and we are particularly keen to promote the use of telecare equipment to those in the over 75 age group. However, telecare can be used by anyone who is vulnerable or at risk, whatever their age, who:

  • are becoming increasingly frail.
  • are at risk of falling.
  • are struggling to cope at home, and may be regularly admitted to A&E/hospital.
  • need support when dealing with risks in the home such as fire or flood.
  • have sensory or physical impairment.
  • have special needs such as learning difficulties.
  • have cognitive difficulties such as failing memory.
  • are support carers.

It is possible to link various sensors to a pager within the home, instead of a community alarm.  This means that a live-in carer/family can be alerted when the user needs assistance, for example, when they get out of bed/open a door. 

Telecare equipment can also help prevent a user having to go into hospital, or to allow an earlier discharge home.  We have introduced a re-ablement service to help individuals regain independence as soon as possible after an accident, hospital stay or other changes in circumstances.  The aim is to give people confidence and an opportunity to regain some of the skills they may have lost, so they can carry out daily living tasks in their own home. Telecare may form part of a re-ablement care package. 

What Do Users Say About Telecare?

People who are using telecare equipment have told us that it supports them to enjoy a better quality of life as it helps them  feel safer and gives them peace of mind. They say that having it at hand means they feel less anxious, more confident and better able to maintain a degree of independence.

Supporting Carers

Telecare can also give carers peace of mind and confidence to have a life outside of caring.

Will Telecare Infringe on my Privacy?

Telecare monitors provide reassurance that you will quickly get help if you need it. Most clients and carers decide that the benefits of Telecare outweigh any fears about being ‘watched’. The service is neither listening nor watching you whilst you go about your daily life at home. The service is only activated if a sensor is triggered and sends an alert to the monitoring centre.  There are no cameras involved.

How Do I Get Telecare?

An assessment of need (or an assessment as part of a community care assessment) will be carried out. If you're caring for someone you can also request for your needs or the person you care for to be assessed. You can get more information or ask for an assessment by contacting:

  • The Adult Community Care Access Team on 01343 563999 or email accesscareteam@moray.gov.uk
  • If you already have a health or social care worker (occupational therapist, physiotherapist, district nurse, social worker, care manager or community care officer) you can also ask them to make a referral or carry out an assessment. 

If it is decided after assessment that you are eligible for telecare, the Moray Lifeline team provide and install the equipment.

Is There A Charge?

The Telecare equipment, with the exception of the community alarm, will be provided free of charge but there is a charge to cover some of the cost of the 24 hours a day, seven days a week, alarm monitoring centre.The charge for 2022/23 is £40.20 (including VAT) per quarter, payable in arrears. Weekly cost is less that £3.10 per household.

There is no charge for equipment that is 'stand alone' and not linked to the alarm monitoring centre.

What Else Will I Need To Do?

To receive our service you must nominate 2 people to be your alarm responders who can be contacted by the alarm monitoring centre if needed.  Most people are able to ask friends, family members or neighbours.  From time to time some people struggle to identify responders – it may be possible for us to help find a volunteer in your local area who is willing to be your alarm responder. View a short video about volunteering with us.

You must also test your community alarm by pressing the pendant once every 4 weeks.  This helps ensure your equipment is working properly in case you need to use it in an emergency. 

Information will be provided so you know what to do if there is a fault with the equipment.

BT offers a priority fault repair scheme for community alarm users. See the document box on this page for more information.

What If I No Longer Need The Equipment?

The Telecare equipment remains the property of the Moray Council.  The Moray Lifeline team are based at the Joint Equipment Store, Pinefield Crescent, Elgin..  Please contact the Access Care Team on 01343 563999 to arrange for the equipment to be picked up or drop it off if you are able. 

Telehealth 

Telehealth is the remote electronic exchange of personal health data from a patient at home to healthcare staff at hospitals or similar sites to assist in diagnosis and monitoring. The main benefits are that long-term conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can be monitored remotely without the need for the patient to attend traditional healthcare settings. The patient is taught to take their own regular health readings and feed them back to the surgery using existing ‘phone lines or wireless technology.

Telehealth can also include the use of general Information and Communications Technology to promote better management of long-term conditions through for example, prompting actions for self care at times of risk of exacerbation.

Contact Us

Access Care Team

01343 563999

accesscareteam@moray.gov.uk

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