Tunstall and Carers UK Launch New Support for Carers Guide at New Horizons Telecare Conference

Solutions for independent living guide offers valuable advice and demonstrates how telecare can provide support for the UK’s six million carers

[UKPRwire, Thu Sep 06 2007] 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.

Tunstall and Carers UK will launch the guide at the New Horizons Telecare Conference being held on 6th September, where keynote speakers from the Department of Health and leading UK charities will outline 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 mum’s 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 or contact us on 01977 660479.

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