Million pound investment in technology to help older people stay safe at home

Senior councillors in Leeds will be asked to invest a million pounds in innovative technology that will help older people live safely and independently at home.

At a meeting of Leeds City Council’s executive board next week, members will be asked to approve the spending on equipment for the Leeds Tele Care Service, which provides sensors and alarms that keep older and disabled people safe around the house.

The funding is the final part of a £3m package, released in stages since 2010 to meet the massive rise in demand for support to allow more vulnerable adults to live in their own homes for as long as possible.

The investment is also intended to lead to savings for the council and NHS as people are more able to continue to live at home.

In 2010, at total of 2,069 customers were using Telecare, with that number rising to 7,600 this year.

The hi-tech system’s sensors monitor customers 24 hours a day using sensors and alarms which can be put on ceilings, doors and walls or may be worn by the service user in the form of a pendant, watch or belt which will detect falls and emergencies and then alert staff at a central hub.

It can also include a bogus caller alert system, which allows users to let the Tele Care team know if they are concerned about someone at their door.

For the past few years, the Tele Care Service has also been using the latest GPS systems, which can locate users wherever they are.

Councillor Lisa Mulherin, Leeds City Council’s executive member for health, wellbeing and adults said: “Tele Care is a fundamental part in our ambition to support more older people to live independently in their own homes for longer.

“More and more of the adults we work with tell us that is what they want, but to meet that demand, we need to be able to ensure they can do it safely and that means investing in innovative technology like Tele Care, which allows customers the freedom to choose to live at home whilst knowing the support is there if and when they need it.”

Tele Care, along with a number of other assistive technologies provided by the council and the NHS were relocated to a new state-of-the-art hub at Leeds Dock last year.

To view a full copy of the report, please visit: http://democracy.leeds.gov.uk/documents/s139843/Telecare%20Cover%20Report%20V2%20071215.pdf

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact:

Stuart Robinson

Communications Officer

Leeds City Council

Tel: 0113 224 3937

Email: stuart.robinson@leeds.gov.uk

www.leeds.gov.uk