Assistive Technology

What is Assistive Technology?

Assistive Technology is a term that covers a variety of equipment to aid individuals to live independently and safely within their own homes.

• Lifeline consists of a base unit and pendant that can be manually pressed to call for help.  This does not require an assessment.
• Telecare requires an assessment and consists of anything else we offer for example; Smoke Detectors, Falls Sensors, Door sensors, Bed sensors, Just Checking and Epilepsy alarms.

Fact

• Approx. 1750 people currently have Lifeline or Telecare in Torfaen.
• Careium (formally Doro Care U.K.) provide our monitoring response service in Torfaen. In January 2022, 97.64% of calls made to the response service were answered within 60 seconds. The average time to answer was 12 seconds.

How to make a referral?

New referrals

If you would like to make a new referral for a lifeline or if you would like an assessment for telecare complete the Request Lifeline / Assistive Technology form or call 01495 762200.

Existing customer

If you have an issue with your equipment or your needs have changed please call 01495 766214.

What happens when I make a referral or I need a new assessment?

• If you would like to make a new referral for a lifeline or if you would like an assessment for telecare you can do this online by completing the Request Lifeline / Assistive Technology form, or speak to a customer care advisor in Torfaen Council who will complete a short referral form with you over the phone. Once completed this is sent to the Assistive Technology Team who will call you or a relative to arrange a visit and talk through your needs during the visit. Alternately if you have a social worker they can make a referral for you.  During the initial visit the equipment is usually installed, tested and demonstrated. You should also read the Terms and Conditions and complete the VAT relief form (if appropriate), a copy of these are left with you.
• If you have called because your needs have changed one of the Assistive Technology Team will come out assess your needs and discuss what equipment may support you, the person visiting may have the new equipment with them and install on the day, alternatively they will arrange with you another suitable day to visit.
• Further assessments may be required before equipment can be installed for example a Capacity Assessment and Best Interest Decision may be required before door sensors are put in place

What do I need to have a lifeline installed?

• You will need a telephone line in your home and phone socket no more than 6 feet away from a 13 amp power point. 
• While we always recommend using a lifeline unit with a telephone line (due to reliability); the Assistive Technology Team do stock a limited number of lifeline units that use a mobile SIM card.
• Please note that these "mobile" lifeline units may not work in all areas of Torfaen due to mobile signal black spots.

Cost

• 1st year £65 installation and £125 annual fee.
• For the following years there is a £125 annual fee (approximately £2.40 per week).
• We can supply and install a key safe when we fit your lifeline only if you do not have any responders or if your responders do not live locally, we keep this number on a secure database and only share this number with emergency services and the call monitoring centre, it is never shared with family or friends. The cost of installing a key safe is £28.22.
• Alternatively, if you would like a private key safe which will enable you to share your key safe number with family and friends you can purchase these in many shops, online or go via Care and Repair who supply and install the key safe. You can contact Care and Repair on 01495 745948.

Payments

• Payments are usually requested via an invoice around 4-6 weeks after the install of your equipment.
• Payments can be paid in one lump sum or over four monthly instalments.
• Payments can be set up via direct debit, online, post, telephone or in person at our cash offices listed below:
  • Pontypool Customer Care Centre - Civic Centre, Pontypool, NP4 6YB
  • Cwmbran Customer Care Centre - Cwmbran Library, Gwent House, Gwent Square, Cwmbran, NP44 1XQ
  • Blaenavon Customer Care Centre - Blaenavon World Heritage Centre, Church Road, Blaenavon. NP4 9AS
• If you have a problem with paying or have a query please contact customer services on 01495 766002

What happens when I push my pendant?

• Generally you need to wear a tiny personal radio transmitter around your neck, on your wrist or attached to an item of clothing.
• This allows you to call for help anywhere in the home or garden if necessary by pressing the red button. You can also press the red button on your Lifeline unit to summon help if you are close to it when you fall or are taken ill.
• Sometimes sensors such as a falls monitor and smoke alarm may also raise alarms.
• The control centre operator will answer and will have all your details in front of them, including who you are, where you live, and the friends, relatives or neighbours you have said that you’d like to be contacted in an emergency.
• If you have fallen and or feel ill and you require an ambulance the call monitoring centre will call 999 for you and then attempt to call your preferred contacts and inform them of your situation.
• If your responders do not answer a voicemail will be left.
• If you press your pendent again after 30 minutes Careium will attempt to contact your responders again but will not leave further voicemails.
• We do not have a response service, Careium will only attempt to get hold of your preferred contacts and the relevant emergency service if required.
• Ambulance response times can be lengthy. Careium can only re-contact the Ambulance if there is a clear deterioration in your health. Therefore if you feel your health is deteriorating please press your pendent and inform Careium. Hopefully one of your responders is able to get to you, keep you company and contact the emergency services directly if your condition deteriorates.

What responsibility do my responders have?

• Careium will always call your responders in order of preference (which you would have stipulated when the equipment was installed)
• Responders must be made aware they are a responder for you
• Responders must be made aware they can be contacted at any time of the day or night, therefore there is an expectation they have access to a phone at all times.
• Responders must have access to a key or know the private key safe number to gain access to the property
• Responders need to inform Careium if their number has changed
• Responders are generally limited to three different people and it is preferred to have a landline and mobile number for each of them.

What if I do not have any responders or they are on holiday?

• If you do not have any responders or they are unavailable the most appropriate emergency service will be contacted.

What happens with my data that is collected during the assessment?

• Information recorded during the assessment/install is shared with Careium and recorded on the WCCIS (Social Care Information System).
• Your information is shared with Careium as they respond when your lifeline is activated. If the call handler needs to call out the emergency services then they require your details and relevant information. Careium may share your information with emergency services.
• Careium store your information on their secure database which requires call handlers to log in and access.

What should I do if there is a problem with my lifeline?

• If there is an issue with your lifeline please call the Assistive Technology Team on 01495 766214

How do I cancel my service?

• If you no longer require the equipment and would like to cancel the service then please call 01495 766214.  We will inform Careium and Finance that you no longer require the service and your account will be closed. We do not refund installation costs or the Annual fee.
• We will arrange a collection with a company call Mediquip who manage our equipment or one of our members of staff can collect.
• Alternatively you can drop off the equipment in the customer care centres at Pontypool, Cwmbran or Blaenavon with the name and address attached.

What if I want to make a complaint about the service?

If you would like to discuss an issue we would like to see if it can be resolved first by speaking to the Assistive Technology Team on 01495 766214. If this does not provide you with a response you are satisfied with then you can make a formal complaint to 01495 742164 or corporatecomplaints@torfaen.gov.uk

Last Modified: 01/04/2024 Back to top