Telecare and Carers

Telecare equipment has a key role to play in supporting people to live independently in their own home for as long as possible.

It offers reassurance to the individuals and gives carers peace of mind and confidence to have a life outside of caring.

What is telecare?

Telecare is a range of discrete sensors and alarms which can be placed in the home to raise an alert in an emergency or when assistance is required.

Equipment can detect if something untoward happens and will send an emergency alarm through the telephone line to the monitoring centre which is staffed round the clock.

It can also send an alert directly to a carer.

The most well known piece of equipment is the community alarm where the person presses an alarm button when they need assistance.

There are other types of sensors which automatically trigger an alarm.

The Moray Council Adult Community Care team providing the community alarm and telecare equipment is called the Moray Lifeline.

How can it help?

Telecare is not right for everyone but it can help people with a range of support needs which may put their independence at risk.

Equipment can raise an alarm quickly in a range of situations such as:

Falls - a small device worn around the wrist, as a pendant or attached to clothing, can detect a fall and alert either a carer in the home or the 24 hour telecare monitoring centre. A bed occupancy sensor can alert a carer immediately that a person has got out of bed so they can be on hand to prevent a fall or guide them back to bed.

The sensor can also be set to raise an alert if the person has not returned to bed after a period of time – perhaps because they have fallen and need help.

Wandering – a door sensor can be used to warn if someone has left their bedroom or the house during the night or not returned after a certain amount of time.

Epilepsy – a bed based sensor will be triggered by a convulsive seizure while a built-in microphone can pick up on sounds.

Smoke detector – should memory problems mean someone may forget a pan left on a cooker or forget what to do in case of a fire, then a sensor can automatically call for help.

Benefits for carers

Caring for someone can be very demanding and stressful. Family carers have reported that telecare has improved their own quality of life.

It can enable the carer to have time away from the home, with the peace of mind that should anything happen they will be contacted immediately.

It can reduce the need for “just in case” checks.

Local case studies

Local families tell us how telecare has helped them here.

Accessing the Moray Lifeline Service 

It is important you get the right telecare solution for your particular needs.

If you already have a social worker, community care officer or community occupational therapist, ask them about telecare.

You can also contact the Adult Community Care Access Care Team using the details at the bottom of the page to arrange to have your needs assessed.

If you are eligible for the Moray Lifeline Service, the equipment will be provided and installed free of charge. If you need the equipment to be linked to the 24 hour call monitoring centre, there is a charge. The charge set for 2022/23 is £40.20 (including VAT) per quarter, payable in arrears. Weekly cost is less that £3.10 per week per household.

Further help and advice 

Contact the Access Care Team on 01343 563999

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