New Guidance On Telecare For Local Authorities, UK

Main Category: IT / Internet / E-mail
Article Date: 21 Jul 2005 - 2:00 PDT

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A new guide on developing innovative telecare services that will help at least 160,000 vulnerable people live independently for longer was launched today by UK Care Services Minister Liam Byrne.

The guidance provides practical ideas for social service departments and their partners on how to use £80 million in new funding announced in July 2004 for innovative telecare services.

The money will be available from April 2006.

Liam Byrne MP said;

'After a life-time's work, the very least our older residents are entitled to is peace mind. We know that 90% of older people want to live independently at home, and so do 35% of people living in residential homes.

'Telecare is about using new technology to give people the peace of mind they need to live in their own home for as long as possible knowing that help is at hand if anything goes wrong. But it's also about practical toolslike automatically switching on the lights if you get up and night that make living in your own home easier.

'Telecare is a key part of how we want to help ensure dignity for life for all older people.'

Better use of telecare could have an important impact on cutting the number of older people admitted to hospital in an emergency and the number who suffer falls each night.

Falls are a major cause of disability and the leading cause of mortality resulting from injury in people aged over 75 in the UK. One-third to one-half of people aged over 65 fall each year. Furthermore, over 400,000 older people in England attend accident and emergency departments following an accident and up to 14,000 people die annually in the UK as a result of an osteoporotic hip fracture. Falling, therefore, has an impact on quality of life, health and healthcare costs.

Through the Preventative Technologies Grant, £80m will be allocated over two years from April 2006 as part of the Government's commitment to modernising and transforming care services provided by local authorities and the NHS. It is also expected to contribute to the wider health, housing and social care policy agenda, including the delivering on National Service Frameworks (NSFs), the NHS system reform agenda and the new Vision for Adult Social Care.

The DH guidance is available from Department of Health, PO Box 777, London, SE1 6XH, or by calling 08701 555455, faxing 01623 724524 or emailing dh@prolog.uk.com or online at
dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications.

To accompany the guidance, the Department of Health's Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) has published an online pack, which includes detailed information and best practice examples of telecare in action together with sources of additional information. There is also an accompanying CD Rom available from housinglin@eac.org.uk. The Telecare Implementation Guide is available on the CSIP Website at icesdoh.org/telecare

GNNREF: 118318 - Issued by : DOH Press Office

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