Telecare

Telecare is defined as the remote and enhanced delivery of care services to people within their own home. Telecare remotely monitors real time emergencies and lifestyle changes via various sensors and devices in order to minimise risks associated with independent living. There are many telecare devices available that will support individuals to maintain their independence at home and within the community.

You can use the following link for more information about Telecare which also includes a useful self-check tool which will help to identify which services may be of use. No personal information is required.

Telecare Self-Check Online Tool | NHS inform

Maintenance of equipment

If you have been provided with a community alarm and a pendant, you or a family member should test this by pressing the pendant on a monthly basis, allowing the call to dial through to the monitoring station and advising the operator you are performing your monthly pendant test.

Further maintenance on any telecare equipment will be carried out by our staff. Most of the telecare devices that are put in place will automatically inform the monitoring station if they require maintenance. However if you have any problems with the equipment provided, the monitoring station should be informed by raising a call through your main telecare alarm unit, or by calling the monitoring station on the contact details provided.

Our mobile attendants will call at your house approximately every six months to carry out a routine visit. This will enable us to ensure all your details are correct and that all the equipment is in full working order. If your details or circumstances do change you should make contact with either the monitoring station or your care manager. If your are unavailable when our mobile attendants call, a card will be left for you to contact us and arrange a convenient appointment time.

Mobile attendant staff

Our mobile attendant staff are trained in moving and handling and basic first aid and have appropriate equipment to assist if you have suffered a fall.

Our staff respond to calls for the whole of South Ayrshire, and due to demands and constraints on the service, family members or keyholders may be contacted to attend in the first instance.

All our staff wear uniforms displaying the South Ayrshire Council logo and will display a photographic identity badge. If you have any concerns regarding the identity of staff they can be verified by contacting the South Ayrshire Monitoring Station on 0300 123 0900.

Self referral

• Use the online Telecare - Enabled Support Self Referral
• Or download the  Telecare self referral form (Word doc) [745KB]
• Consent to share form (Word doc) [61KB]

What if I am dissatisfied with the service?

If you have any concerns about our service, please write to: South Ayrshire Telecare Department, 12 McCall's Avenue, Ayr, email to telecare@south-ayrshire.gov.uk or call 01292 880929.

If you have further concerns after discussing the matter with us then contact the Care Commission, Compass House, Discovery Quay, 11 Riverside Drive, Dundee, DD1 4NY, Telephone 01382 207100.

Monitor and evaluate

We will monitor and evaluate our service to you. We do this in a variety of ways, through staff carrying out verbal audits with you, annual questionnaires and suggestion leaflets all aimed at improving our service. In continually trying to improve our service your comments are welcome and can be reported through the monitoring station operators or mobile attendant staff. Our service is also subject to inspection by the Care Commission.

Related information

For more information on the products used, visit the Tunstall Group website.

Frequently asked questions

What do I pay?

The costs of the telecare service and your eligibility for the service will be taken into account by your care manager at the point of assessment. The standard charge for the telecare alarm service is £4.41 per week, which is subject to review every April.

What if I no longer wish my telecare service?

You should discuss this with your care manager in the first instance who will notify us of any changes to the service you receive.

What if I move house?

You should notify your care manager, who will arrange for our service to transfer and re-connect your alarm at your new home.

What if I press my alarm by mistake?

The operator will talk to you through the alarm unit - simply tell the operator it was pressed in error. It is more common than you think and not a problem, the operators will be glad to know all is well.

What if there is a power cut?

Your telecare alarm has a battery back-up which will operate in the event of a mains failure. The batteries in all your equipment will be maintained to ensure it is in full working order.

What if I cannot speak to the operator or they cannot hear me?

We treat all these calls as a 'no response' and will attend as a priority. We would also contact your family or keyholders as appropriate.

What happens if I am going to be away from my home?

If you are going away, into hospital, on holiday or staying with family or friends, where possible, you should inform the monitoring station and provide them with details when you leave and when you return. This will ensure that if any telecare device activates when you are not at home, we will not send anyone to your property.