FAQs

Who can get the Telecare service?

The Lancashire Telecare service is available to anyone living in Lancashire who is 18 or older and who need such a service. There are two main categories of people who would receive Telecare service:

• Existing social care service users who have been assessed as needing Telecare as part of their package of care
• Anyone else who may not neccessarily qualify for a package of care from us - but who feel the Lancashire Telecare service would make a difference to their lives.

I don't currently receive any Council social care services, but do wish to use the Lancashire Telecare service, what do I need to do?

If you don't qualify for a package of care from Lancashire County Council, you first need to apply to receive the service. You will need to pay a weekly charge direct to the Telecare service provider. You would also need an initial assessment of your requirements by a Telecare professional (not Lancashire County Council) at the time of installation.

Is Telecare a Lancashire County Council-run service?

No. Lancashire Telecare is run by the Telecare Service providers. They administer and run the service independently of the Council. Lancashire County Council commissions the service in cases where we think it improves the lives of our service users and may include the charges within existing packages of care (depending on your financial circumstances). We have no involvement in the Telecare service if you choose to pay directly for Telecare and you have not qualified to receive Telecare as part of a Package of care.

How much does Telecare cost?

If you are an existing Lancashire County Council service user and have been assessed as also needing Telecare, we may include the weekly cost of Telecare (currently £8.86) within your existing package of care (depending on your financial circumstances).

If you are not a Council social care service user and decide to get the Telecare service privately, there is a weekly charge payable directly to the local Telecare service provider (paid by direct debit). Please contact your local Telecare service provider for full details.

I understand Telecare uses my phone line whenever an alarm is raised. Does this mean I need any special alterations to my phone or phone service provider?

Telecare requires a BT phone line. Other than that, you do not need to make any special arrangements with your telephone service provider. For example, you do not need a second line adding to your home or to alter the package you currently receive from BT.

For additional piece of mind, you do not need to worry about keeping the phone line free as Telecare will override any phone connection if an alarm is triggered. This ensures that all alarms get through to the Telecare monitoring centre, regardless of whether or not the phone line is in use at the time.

How do I know the sensors are all working correctly?

Telecare technology is self-checking and automatically tests every sensor installed in your home roughly 4 times a day. If a fault is detected, a report is automatically sent to the monitoring centre and an engineer called to investigate.

The sensors all use batteries which will be changed by your Telecare service provider on an annual basis. As a further precaution, all Telecare users will receive a regular well-being call to make sure they are happy with the service.

If there is an emergency, how long will I have to wait before help arrives?

This depends on the nature of the emergency. If a sensor picks up a potentially serious problem and the staff at the monitoring centre cannot get a response from you, they may call the emergency services, in which case it would be the usual response time for a 999 call.

If the alarm results in you needing the Telecare Response team to get to you, we can guarantee in all cases to get there within the hour across all of Lancashire. In 4 out of 5 cases, we will get there in 45 minutes or less. In less serious situations, it will be time it takes for your nominated contacts to get to you, which depends on where they live in relation to you.

Who do I apply to?

To receive Telecare, you can:

• Request a social care assessment through the Council - meaning Telecare may be provided as part of a package of care
• Apply directly to your local Telecare service provider - meaning you don't need a social care assessment, but will pay the full cost of the service yourself