Leading telecare and telehealth provider Tunstall has partnered with charity Carers UK to produce its new guide Support for Carers: solutions for independent living, which offers support and practical advice to the six million carers throughout the UK. The guide has been launched at the New Horizons Telecare Conference held on 6th September, where keynote speakers from the Department of Health and leading UK charities outlined how telecare can support families, promote employment and deliver tangible benefits for users and their carers. The Support for Carers guide presents real-life examples of how telecare has been used to develop new models of care, delivering a significant improvement in the quality of life of carers and users, by providing a support network that promotes health, independence and well-being within the home.
James Buckley, CEO at Tunstall said: "In the UK, one in eight people currently provide support to relatives or friends with illnesses, long-term needs and learning or physical disabilities. Over the next 40 years the figure is likely to double, and with the lack of formal carers available, the pressure on relatives and friends to become carers is set to dramatically increase.
Everyone can relate to the incredible contribution that carers make to our society. Carers today need support, and we believe telecare can go a long way to relieving stress and providing peace of mind, independence and dignity to carers, and those they care for."
Imelda Redmond, chief executive at Carers UK said: "Telecare can provide much needed reassurance and has the potential to transform the lives of both the carer and the person being cared for. It gives them peace of mind knowing that if they needed help, someone is ready to take their call, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year it is this peace of mind that makes telecare so unique and makes carers lives so much easier."
Tunstall's range of smart sensors provide a comprehensive way of managing the risks associated with an individual's health and home environment, delivering tailored care through remote monitoring and proactive management of risks by triggering a call to the Response Centre or designated carer if assistance is required.
An example of the role telecare can have in supporting carers is that of Lucy, who cares for her mum Val, who has early onset dementia with rapid deterioration of memory. Due to her memory problems, Val wasn't taking her medication correctly, either forgetting to take it or, taking too much. Lucy was so concerned she started to hand deliver all Val's medication, as well as taking her to the hospital on a weekly basis due to fluctuations in her condition.
Telecare has enabled Val and Lucy to manage these issues. A medication dispenser, linked to a Lifeline home unit ensure Val takes the correct medication at the correct time, alerting Lucy and the monitoring centre if her tablets have not been taken.
This has not only given Val increased independence, it has also stabilised her condition and now she only needs monthly hospital visits. It has given Lucy the freedom to go on holiday for the first time in many years, with the reassurance that her mums well-being is being effectively managed.
Lucy said: "It's a big weight off my mind, knowing Mum will take her medication at the right time. If the system was taken away now, it would be very hard for us."
To obtain a free copy of the Support for Carers: Solutions for independent Living guide or for more information on telecare, visit www.tunstall.co.uk/guides.
Related news articles:
- Tunstall's Profile
About Tunstall
Tunstall is the market leading provider of telecare and telehealth solutions, with over 2.5 million users globally. Tunstall's solutions support older people and those with long-term needs, to live independently, by effectively managing their health and well-being. Tunstall provides technology, expertise and advice to millions of people enabling them to lead independent more fulfilling lives. For more information on how telecare and telehealth can improve quality of life, visit www.tunstall.co.uk
About Carers UK
Carers UK is the leading campaigning, policy and information organisation of and for carers. Carers UK continues to make a difference to carers' lives by: campaigning for a better deal for carers; informing carers of their rights and what help is available; training and advising professionals who work with carers; working across the UK through its membership and networks of branches and affiliates. For more information, visit www.carersuk.org or for advice on your caring situation call CarersLine on T. 0808 808 7777.
Carers UK also leads Action for Carers and Employment (ACE) National; a development partnership funded by the European Social Fund's under its EQUAL Community Initiative Programme, brings together statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies to raise awareness of the barriers facing carers who wish to work, and tests and promotes ways of supporting them. Visit www.acecarers.org.uk