In 2016, a report by Dementia UK found a gap in the care that dementia patients and their families are receiving. 28% of calls to their helpline included complaints about a lack of local support from health services. A 2018 study found that there were gaps in the provision of care across Europe, including the UK. The number of people in the UK living with dementia is expected to exceed 2 million in the next 30 years. Telecare Choice aims to provide assistance in these areas, specifically with telecare equipment for dementia.
Gaps in Dementia Care
In this report, Dementia UK describes the reasons that people are turning to their helpline, including struggles with local health and social services. This is having a huge negative effect on family carers whose mental and physical health often suffer when faced with the difficulties of caring for a dementia patient.
The Admiral Nurses are dealing with queries about the “health and social care system, living arrangements, medication, self-care, how to get a diagnosis of dementia, safety issues, eating problems, activities, communication, and finance” on a daily basis because there is often little support from other sources.
Telecare Equipment for Dementia
Our Telecare equipment can be of great use to dementia patients, their families, and carers. If someone with dementia is able to continue living at home safely, our equipment can offer great peace of mind for everyone involved.
So how does our Telecare equipment work?
Pendant Alarms
The user simply wears a small pendant button at all times, either around the neck, wrist, or on a belt clip. They also have an alarm base unit that plugs into the telephone line. If the user needs help they simply push the button on their pendant alarm and our Monitoring Centre will use the loudspeaker on the alarm unit to communicate with the user and find out what the issue is.
Depending on the circumstances, the Monitoring Team will determine the most appropriate action and contact to call first. This could be a family member, friend, or the emergency services. Our Monitoring Centre will be of comfort if the caller is in any distress and will stay on the line with them until someone arrives to help.
The pendant can work within a long range, so can also be useful in the garden and the driveway too. It is also waterproof, so can be used in the shower – a common place for falls in the elderly.
People with a dementia diagnosis can be vulnerable at home. In an emergency, our Telecare equipment takes away any problems with remembering who to call or where they put their phone book. A single press of a button will get them through to our monitoring team almost immediately.
Fall Detection
For an additional layer of protection, Telecare Choice alarms can be upgraded to include fall detection. With a fall detector alarm plan, people living with dementia can still benefit from 24/7 coverage even if they forget to press their pendant button after a fall. The alarm uses an advanced algorithm to sense a sudden drop and raises an automatic alert if the user doesn’t get up within 20 seconds.
What makes this ideal telecare equipment for dementia is that family and carers can rest assured that their loved one is more likely to get the help they need in an emergency.
GPS Alarm
At Telecare Choice, we also offer a GPS Alarm option to keep loved ones safe on the go. With the GPS Alarm, an alert call can be sent to our Monitoring Team from anywhere. With its GPS capabilities, we can send help directly to the user’s location when their alarm is activated. For people living with dementia, a GPS Alarm provides extra reassurance if they get confused whilst out and about and need help getting home.
Smoke Detectors
A further addition to our Telecare alarm service is our Smoke Detectors. These have all of the benefits of a high quality smoke alarm with the added feature of alerting our Monitoring Centre in the event of a fire. This is a very useful service to those with dementia who may forget to call 999 themselves. This Smoke Detector is linked to the alarm unit along with the pendant so that the Monitoring Centre can communicate with the user should the fire alarm be activated.
At Telecare Choice, we try to tailor our service to you and your loved ones. If you have any specific requirements, we would be happy to discuss them with you.
If you would like more information about the best way to use our Telecare equipment for dementia, please do call us on 0800 635 7000.
Concerned about someone with Dementia?
The Admiral Nursing Direct helpline has long opening hours in order to offer more support. The helpline is open 9am to 9pm during the week, and 9am to 5pm at weekends. You will speak to specialist dementia nurses who are there to offer emotional support, answer your questions, and give advice tailored to your situation. The helpline is suitable for anyone dealing with dementia as a patient, a carer, or a loved one.
Visit the Dementia UK website to view the full report.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on 21st March 2023 to reflect current information.
