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Telecare service

Telecare is peace of mind for you and your loved ones. It is a way of managing the risks of a person living at home. It can help you live independently in your own home, with the peace of mind that you have equipment in place to help you if it's needed.

Telecare equipment includes a range of sensors, detectors, monitors, and alarms tailored to your needs, details are available in the section below. These include motion sensors that will detect if you've fallen, sensors to detect environmental dangers like fire or carbon monoxide, sensors which detect when a door has been opened, or bogus caller alarms.

The Telecare sensors will raise an alarm at the local contact centre if there's an emergency.

Sensors, detectors, monitors, and alarms

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These are just a few of the range of sensors available. Sensors can be tailored to meet individual needs. Please contact Connect on 01642 726009 for more information.

Home hub

The wireless home hub connects the sensors in your home to the monitoring centre and is therefore the most important piece of equipment.

The home hub comes with a wireless trigger. If you press the button on your trigger, the button on the home hub itself, or a sensor in your home is automatically activated, a message is sent to the 24-hour monitoring centre where trained operators take the most appropriate action.

Smoke detector

Smoke detectors are vital to protect you and your home from serious harm. In case of a fire the detector not only activates an audible alarm, but also automatically alerts the 24 hour Telecare Contact Centre, allowing quick action to be taken, which reduces the risk to life and property.

Carbon monoxide detector

The wireless battery operated carbon monoxide (CO) detector provides an immediate alert when dangerous CO emissions have been detected. This is usually due to a blocked flue, or a fault in a fuel burning appliance.

Flood detector

The flood detector can provide an early warning of a potential flood situation. The sensor is placed under the sink, next to the toilet or under the bath. It will automatically raise a call at the Telecare Contact Centre when it detects water.

The flood detector will warn of a flood but won't prevent one, so if you often forget to turn the taps off, you could consider a Magiplug.

Fall detector

Fall detectors automatically detect when you fall and raise an alert with the 24 hour Telecare Contact Centre or a carer. It's helpful if you fall regularly or worry about falling, or suffer from blackouts.

Bed sensor

The bed occupancy sensor alerts the 24 hour Telecare Contact Centre if you get up in the night and don't return in an agreed amount of time. It can also alert a carer immediately if the person they care for gets out of bed.

The sensor can also be tailored to send an alert if you fail to go to bed at night or haven't got up in the morning, to ensure the appropriate checks are made.

Bogus caller button

Bogus caller buttons can be placed by a doorway or anywhere else in your home. In the event of an unexpected caller, the button can be used to call for assistance or to help you to confirm the caller's identify.

Property exit sensor

The property exit sensor provides real-time alerts when someone has walked out of their door and not returned, so that carers can check on them and ensure their welfare.

The sensor can also provide an alert when someone has left an external door open for a specified period of time, so action can be taken to ensure that it's closed quickly and the building is secured.

Epilepsy sensor

The epilepsy sensor monitors tonic-clonic seizures. Upon detecting a seizure, an alarm will be raised with a carer to ensure the appropriate action is taken.

Passive Infrared Movement detector (PIR)

The PIR can detect activity or inactivity, and can be used to check that you've got up within a predetermined period in the morning, for example.

It can also be used as part of a security system for those worried about crime.

GPS solutions

GPS solutions offer a way to locate someone who may be prone to getting lost. It can provide valuable peace of mind for families whilst also allowing the someone their freedom.

How does it work?

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An alarm unit is installed in your home next to a mains power supply. If a sensor is triggered, it will send an alert through the unit to the Contact Centre. You'll be connected to one of our experienced customer advisers, who are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to give you the help and support you need.

The customer adviser will try to speak to you. If they don't get a response, or it's an emergency, they'll get you the help you need.

How much does Telecare cost?

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You may be asked to contribute towards paying for the Telecare service. It will depend on your financial situation.

Who would benefit from Telecare?

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Anyone might benefit from the Telecare service, in particular:

  • older or vulnerable people
  • someone with a disability, to support them to live at home independently
  • a person being discharged from hospital

How can you get Telecare?

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Whether it's for support to live at home independently, to offer peace of mind, or to help with a hospital discharge, we have a team of qualified trusted assessors who can assess your needs and decide on the best pieces of equipment to help you.

Contact us by calling 01642 726009 or emailing telecare@middlesbrough.gov.uk.

Connect

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You may also be interested in the Connect Service, which provides emergency help and support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Lots of people can benefit from Connect. It can help if you feel vulnerable or unsafe at home, have a disability or medical condition, or care for someone. ​Find out more about Connect.