A Splash of Colour

A Splash of Colour

Assistive Technology Newsletter
May2016
Welcome
This is the20thnewsletter which provides updates on developments of the City Wide Care Alarms (CWCA) service and additional Telecare and Assistive Technology support in Sheffield.
In This Issue
  • Consultation
  • A splash of colour
  • Booster box
  • Safe Place service
  • Healthy Conversations
  • myhomehelper updates
  • Case study

Consultation
CWCA are planning to consult over a number of possible future developments of the service, these include:
1. Reviewing the way response staff are used either by
a) Adopting stricter criteria in terms of the calls attended, i.e. only responding to true emergency calls.
b) Providing a monitoring only service without the response element.
If this was undertaken it could free up more response staff time to enable greater flexibility in terms of installation and maintenance/repairs.
2. Provide a service outside of the home.
3. Review charging of additional automated alarms.
4. Offer social/wellbeing/birthday/review calls.
5. Consider introducing additional charges for more than one person at the same address.
Details of the consultation exercise are currently being drawn up, but if anyone wishes to register an interest in being involved in this, please contact Mark Johnson via email on .
A splash of colour
Five different coloured soft plastic covers are now available for the ivi Intelligent pendant / fall detector button. These are available at a one off cost of £4 each.

Booster box
One issue faced by CWCA is when a customer presses their button but cannot either hear, or make themselves heard through the main Lifeline unit because, for example, they are upstairs in their bedroom when the box is downstairs in their living room.
CWCA are currently testing a box which can act as a Booster unit to allow two way communications with the call centre from another part of the home.
This unit is made by a different manufacturer to the main equipment supplier, which means that none of the additional automated sensors or alarms could be added to it.
However this could provide an ideal solution for someone who is hard of hearing and would benefit from being able to communicate with the call centre from different areas of their home. (See the case study below).
Cost of the additional unit is yet to be established but could be in the region of an additional 70p per week.
Safe Place
The Safe Place project is supported by Sheffield City Council and run in conjunction with Heeley City Farm. It operates across the city
The project aims to support adults living with learning disabilities, mental ill health and dementia.
How the project works
People can carry a Safe Places help card, containing their personal details, carers con-tact details and any other information needed to support them, for example their mobility.
If they need help, for example if theyare:
Lost
Unwell
Frightened
Bullied orpicked on
they can go to a shop, community centre or library, which has a Safe Places sticker in the window and ask staff there for help.

Staff will provide a safe place and support, until the problem is sorted or the carer arrives to help out.
Staff in buildings showing the safe places logo, have been trained to offer supportto adults with a learning disability, dementia or mental ill health, as well as how to communicate with people in distress.
For a map of current safe places please go to:
For more information on the service, contact:
Safe Places
Heeley City Farm
Richards Road
Sheffield
S2 3DT

0114 2505106
07464828976
Healthy Conversations
All City Wide Care Alarms staff, who have contact with customers, have received Healthy Conversations training.
This enables them to have conversations with customers about enjoying better health and wellbeing, (if it is appropriate and time allows on their visit).
The conversation could be about a number of issues which impact on health such as housing or finance issues, diet, alcohol and smoking etc.
If a conversation is not appropriate but staff have concerns, these are brought back and passed on to senior managers.
myhomehelper updates
myhomehelper is the award winning on-line, digital memory and communication aid for people living with cognitive impairment, such dementia, learning difficulties and head injuries.
Recent updates now allow:
  • A weekly view of the diary rather than just daily. The display unit can be set to alternate between the two views if required.
  • The unit can now request responses to reminders, e.g. to ask how the person is feeling, are they ok or not, by touching the appropriate part of the screen. This info is then sent to a specified e-mail address. A history of the responses is also available.
  • The calendar clock can be hidden if required, meaning that the other text appears much larger.
  • Messages can be sent via Facebook.
More information at:
Case study
One of the CWCA staff was recently told by a neighbour how he thought the service had saved his elderly mother’s life.
The son had received a call in the early hours of the morning saying his mother had pressed her button but the Call Centre staff couldn’t make voice contact with her. As he lives only a couple of minutes away, he went around and found her sitting in a pool of blood with a deep 6 inch gash in her head, which she’d got after falling when trying to get out of bed. Apparently she needed around 18 stiches in her head.
Without the quick response things could have been a lot worse, but because of the service, she had got prompt medical help and was now back at home recovering.
Any Comments/Questions/Suggestions?
For more information, to arrange a free presentation, suggest a subject for a future article or to submit a case study for future newsletters, contact Mark Johnson via email on .