If you have not previously heard of the term telecare, you may also know it as a lifeline or alarm monitoring centre. The Telecare Services Association define it as "a service that combines equiment with a 24/7 monitoring service." The most commonly recognised format for this equipment is a pendant which can be hung around the neck or wrist, and when pressed activates an alarm.
We have provided a telecare service for a number of years through our Medvivo Careline service which operates throughout a number of counties in the UK, for private customers as well as through local authorities for council services, housing associations and care homes.
As a company we are invited to attend health fairs and charity events where we get to talk about this service and how it has evolved in recent times with new technology and therefore purpose. There are some misunderstandings about what the service offers and how it can benefit people, so we thought it might be helpful to dispell some of these myths.
Telecare started out as a pendant that was was connected to a base unit. That unit operates as a telephone connection and can be used anywhere within the home without needing to be near it to use it. You can now connect multiple other services to the unit. These sensors all operate in a similar way and once activated because of a fall, flood or heat, for example, they can get help and support despatched as quickly as possible, whether that's getting a relative, carer or neighbour to visit, or a health or social care professional.
Whilst the telecare service provides for sometimes urgent assistance when it's needed, telecare does not replace the emergency services. Once an alarm is triggered, the telecare team will make an assessment to get the right level of care to the patient as quickly as possible. Some telecare service providers such as ourselves also provide a mobile response service, which can ensure someone is attending to the patient while the emergency services are on the way.
Telecare is intended to help people live independently at home, this doesn't mean in isolation. When relatives, friends or carers cannot be there, a telecare service provides reassurance and peace of mind that should anything happen, appropriate action can be taken as quickly as possible. There can be no replacement for human contact, so regular home visits should still be encouraged. We are currently looking at new technology that provides socialisation online. It may not be for everyone but at the moment my technophobe mother is trying it out for us.
Telecare is a service available to anyone who feels they need care and support while living at home. This service allows people the freedom to live independently. Whether an ageing parent, someone with physical or mental disabilities, or someone recovering from a medium to long term bout of illness who just needs to have a package in place to provide reassurance and peace of mind while home alone, telecare services can be beneficial, whatever age you may be.
Speaking at a recent event, a lady in her 40s was telling us how such a service would have been a huge help to her when she was off sick for a few weeks and her parents ended up calling the police to the house when they couldn't get a response - she was fine, just hadn't been able to get to the phone (with a remote monitoring service you don't need to get to the phone!)
For private pay customers, a telecare package can be installed for as little as 62p a day, this increases the more options you add to it. Depending on your eligibility for meeting certain criteria, you may find a telecare service is available for you free of charge. Check with your GP, carer or local council; alternatively, get in touch with us and we can look at the type of package that would best suit your specific needs.
There are many benefits to a telecare service. Primarily it is a way to avoid admission into hospital, helping people stay in their own home while giving peace of mind and reassurance to family members. The service doesn't just stop at the pendant monitoring, you can also receive reassurance calls, reminders for taking medication or medical appointments, have sensors installed to detect movement or non movement, alerts for unwanted callers, fall detectors, flood or smoke or heat sensors, to name but a few,
As technology develops and with the growth of the wearable technology market, health information can be accessible remotely with timely health information and, if necessary, intervention in place at the touch of a button.
Note:
In December 2019, Appello, the UK’s largest telecare monitoring provider, successfully acquired Medvivo Careline Ltd, the telecare and out of hours call monitoring service from Medvivo Group. Find out more at https://appello.co.uk/medvivo
Season's greetings from the Medvivo team with an end of year round up of latest news and updates, including: An introduction to the High Intensity User (HIU) Service Meet the HIU Team...
The NHS continues to deal with immense pressures on the health system across the country. From the seasonal issues that come with winter to the ongoing fight with the latest coronavirus variant...
Catch up with the latest news and updates from Medvivo, including: COVID Oximetry at home and Virtual Wards Meet a Clinical Responder Ask Medvivo Let's Keep Life Moving Compliments...
Medvivo wins two highly commended awards at the global Interact Excellence Awards 2021. We are delighted to announce we have been recognised in both the Best Offline Worker Strategy and Best...
Remote monitoring services to improve patient care during COVID-19. Since November 2020, Medvivo has been working with stakeholders across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire...
A new clinical leadership role to support our growing team of clinicians. Medvivo continues to rapidly expand with new staff coming into the organisation as new clinical roles are introduced...
The NHS is changing how people access urgent and emergency care across the country. They are making it easier and safer for patients to get the right treatment at the right time and aiming...
Today, Wednesday 14th October 2020, is the third annual Allied Healthcare Professionals (AHPs) Day. As mainly degree level professions, AHPs are professionally autonomous practitioners. 13...
We are delighted to share the first issue of our new quarterly patient-focused newsletter. Please do read and share with your friends and family. If you have any feedback or suggestions for...
Virtual service user group set up to help influence and improve service user experience. Recognising the value of working with its service users, Medvivo has created a platform to encourage...
Medvivo Group receives National Happiest Workplace Award following investment in staff professional and personal wellbeing. Medvivo runs the Integrated Urgent Care (IUC) contract for Swindon...
Clinical Education Event - a free event for clinical staff at BMI The Ridgeway Hospital, Wroughton. Tuesday 19th November18:45 - 21:00 We are delighted to welcome two guest speakers from...
Organised with BMI Healthcare, we are delighted to have Dr Emma Frampton, Medical Director at Dorothy House, as our guest speaker, and one of their specialist nurses. Tuesday 1st October19:...
The Care Quality Commission has rated the quality of care being provided by Medvivo as Outstanding following a comprehensive inspection in January this year. This is a fantastic achievement...
Clinician’s Education EventWednesday 27th February12:00 - 16:00 Hathaway Medical Centre,Middlefield Road, Chippenham SN14 6GT Our line up of speakers covers a range of areas and is now...
Staff support new initiative with donations to help service users enjoy the festive season. Our Response Team is often called to people who have little or no food in the cupboard and no family...
NEWS training helps responders identify acutely ill patients, particularly those who may be deteriorating and need urgent clinical attention. The Allied Health Science Network (AHSN) has been...
It is pancreatic cancer awareness month. To support the campaign, we have been sharing information with staff during the month with one member of staff sharing her own personal experience of...
Urgent Care in Bath and North East Somerset 11 December 20187pm-8pmMidford House, St Martins Hospital BA2 5RP Who should attend? GPs who do not currently work for BEMS at the Bath...
Looking after our mental health is just as important as our physical health. If you were to get injured or fall at work, a First Aider would be called upon to help you. In a similar way, when...
Clinicians talked about surgical issues experienced in their in and out of hours roles. The latest in a series of Clinician Education events that we co-host with BMI Healthcare featured a symposium...
From Complication to Calamity Managing post-operative patients in the community Date: Thursday 13th September 2018Time: 18:45 - 21:00Location: Medvivo, Fox Talbot House, Unit 4 Greenways Business...
On Wednesday 16th May Medvivo hosted its third education event entitled ‘Management of Urgent Gynaecology Problems in Primary Care’. This is a series of events which are co-hosted...
This year has been one of the best (and busiest) in Medvivo’s history. Here’s a look back at our top ten news stories from 2017. 1. An outstanding CQC inspection Back in...
As part of our rewards and recognition programme, staff are encouraged to nominate their peers for a Star Award to recognise when they have gone the “extra mile”. There are many...
BMI Healthcare and Medvivo invited GPs and NPs from across the region to join them for the first in a new series of GP Education Events. Medvivo was delighted to welcome Mr Allaaeldin...
Managing Knee Pain and Knee Injuries in General Practice Date: Monday 5th March 2018 Time: 18.45 - 21.00Location: Medvivo, Fox Talbot House Unit 4, Greenways Business Park, Chippenham...
It’s Migraine Awareness Week this week and despite 8 million migraine sufferers in the UK, awareness of the condition remains low. Migraine is a complex condition with a variety of symptoms...
The work of our mobile carers is vital when it comes to providing help at home, whether that’s for care, support or reassurance at all times of the day or night. We have a team of carers...
As a health and care services provider, we are delighted to announce that Medvivo is boosting its clinical technology offering through the acquisition of Expert 24, a global developer of customised...
As a provider of health and care services in the community, we ensure our staff are regularly trained so they are equipped and able to cope with patients or service users, whatever condition...
Medvivo has been building a reputation for delivering a range of high quality and person-centred care services since 2004. The Telecare Alarm Monitoring Service is a growing part of that business...
Today, which would have been Florence Nightingale's 197th birthday, is Nurses' Day; a day which celebrates the great work of nursing staff around the world. While we join in the celebrations...
Medvivo provides Wiltshire’s GP Out of Hours service as well as a range of other health and care services. The main office is based in Chippenham, with services being operated from bases...
With a vision to achieve excellence in the delivery of care through the provision of person-centred health and care services, as an employer we are equally committed to providing a healthy and...
Medvivo, the organisation which provides Wiltshire’s GP Out of Hours service as well as a range of other health and care services, has been rated “Outstanding” by the Care...
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a form of sexual abuse that involves the manipulation and/or coercion of young people under the age of 18 into sexual activity. The National Child Sexual...
Today is No Smoking Day and marks the start of our latest internal health and wellbeing campaign which focuses on smoking awareness. No Smoking Day has been around since 1983, when it...
“What are you giving up for Lent then, Sarah?” was the question posed to me on 10th February 2016 by my colleagues. I flippantly replied “sugar!” Needless to say, they...
How much should your daily intake of water be? How do you know if you’re dehydrated? Why is it so important to stay hydrated? Our Medical Director, Jamie Brosch, answers a few frequently...
We are proud to support the "#hellomynameis" campaign and our staff wear their badges to serve as a reminder to introduce themselves whenever they come into contact with patients and service...
Last week we launched our new Mobile Telecare service at an event hosted in our Medvivo Careline office in Dorchester. It was an invitation-only event for organisations and partnerships in the...
Mobile telecare gives everyone the confidence to live how they want without feeling confined to their own home. Telecare, sometimes known as lifeline or pendant alarms, is a...
It’s the time of year when, if you haven’t already had it, you should be thinking about getting the annual flu vaccination. It is just one of the ways to make sure we stay well during...
The Mobile Carers at Medvivo are a team of highly trained social care responders who visit customers or service users in the home. Following a call into our Telecare Alarm Monitoring Centre...
The general principles for keeping fit and healthy are the same, all year round but winter brings particular challenges for our immune systems, increasing the risk of infections. We don't fully...
Tomorrow is the start of the annual leading Technology Enabled Care (TEC) and digital health sector event. We will be there on stand 21 to showcase our services and look forward to finding out...
If you have not previously heard of the term telecare, you may also know it as a lifeline or alarm monitoring centre. The Telecare Services Association define it as "a service that combines...
After retiring from the police force, I was looking for a part time job that was locally based and would help top up my pension. I’d previously worked for Wiltshire Medical Services so...
As part of our commitment to achieve excellence in the delivery of care, we are continually looking for ways to provide flexible solutions for the benefit of healthcare professionals and patients...
When you start a new job, it can be a daunting prospect to get to know the business and the services it provides. At Medvivo, we pride ourselves on making new members of staff feel as welcome...
Your login details have been used by another user or machine. Login details can only be used once at any one time so you have therefore automatically been logged out. Please contact your sites administrator if you believe this other user or machine has unauthorised access.