Being able to live independently is important for many elderly and people with disabilities and/or health issues; since the 1980’s East Ayrshire Council has provided a telecare solution which has allowed those living independently within their own home to feel safer by staying connected.
Advances in technology are replacing older analogue systems which means we will have to change how our current telecare systems communicate with our local Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC).
Digital technology brings the possibility of new functionality.
We currently provide our Telecare solution to around 4,000 Clients within East Ayrshire via their home landline. In the coming years we will conduct a planned exchange of current Telecare units with Telecare units that operate over GSM (mobile phone technology) utilising Roaming Sim Cards. The replacement will be completed by a Team of trained staff who will contact all Clients prior to visiting their home. The Team will be able to answer any concerns regarding the changeover.
As suppliers of telecommunications services begin de-commissioning their analogue networks we will concentrate on updating the services of those in areas being affected as a priority.
All Clients, current and new, will be provided with a modern Telecare unit by 2025.
It is important to note that the physical equipment will look and operate in the same way Clients are familiar with, each unit will still have linked Smoke Detection and a Pendant or Fall Detector to raise assistance as and when required.
Calls may be answered quicker as calls take less time to connect. Improved voice clarity for both Client and the Call handler.
The equipment allows monitoring information to be sent to the Alarm Receiving Centre in real time (known as a ‘Heart Beat’), which allows for greater flexibility of service. For example, some calls for assistance could be resolved by a conversation between a Client and a Call Handler, with the Call Handler diagnosing and resolving faults remotely.
A Roaming Sim Card can send data over more than one network by selecting the provider with the strongest signal. This means that the card will automatically send its data using the network signal of another digital service provider if the current network signal is not strong enough or fails for any reason.
No. All units installed before November 2019 will have to be replaced with a new Unit which will include a Roaming Sim Card. All units will be replaced on a rolling programme by 2025 or sooner if required.
This new technology will incur an additional cost which is being confirmed.
***Clients will be made aware of any changes to billing at the earliest opportunity***
Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) – East Ayrshire Councils Risk Management Centre, operating 24/7.
Analogue – Voice data transferred over copper cables.
Digital – Data or signals transmitted as numerical values (usually over the internet).
GSM – Global System for Mobile communication – The standard Mobile Network providers must adhere to for the transmission of voice and mobile data (2G).
Heart Beat – A signal sent over GSM from the Telecare Unit to the Alarm Receiving Centre that highlights any issues with the Unit or Signal.