Cash Plan To Help Perthshire OAPs Stay At Home

INTRODUCING a new, high-tech emergency response system will help vulnerable Perthshire residents to remain in their own homes, council chiefs claimed yesterday.

As part of its budget, Perth and Kinross Council intends to plough an extra £150,000 into its Future Homes initiative, which includes “telecare” technology as a key components.

The system uses a variety of sensors and detectors located, which alert trained operators within seconds if an elderly person has fallen or been injured within their home.

Council leader Ian Miller said the increased cash investment would help to ensure more pensioners are able to live independent and fulfilling lives.

“Service users have told us that staying in their own homes is what they want to do,” he said yesterday.

“We recognise that in order to achieve this outcome for older people, we will have to make sure that social, health and housing provision are joined-up, and where necessary we redesign, redevelop and rebuild services to meet the future needs of our older population.

“We have huge opportunities to develop telecare and technology-assisted models of care at home.

“This will allow us to sustain more older people in their own homes as an alternative to hospital or care homes.

“Older people will, however, continue to need health and social care services, as provided by our joint working with local health colleagues.

“As part of our priority to shift the balance of care from hospital and care homes, to support at home, we have reduced the number of older people being placed in care homes.

“We are continuing to develop services, such as community support workers, flexible respite and other support to carers to help them and our service users to maintain their independence and remain in their own homes as long as is possible.

“Of course, we will continue to identify those most at risk of having to leave their homes for future care.

“Our most vulnerable residents will get the best standard of care that is appropriate for them.”

Besides paying for telecare devices, the additional Future Homes funding will ensure further consultations with stakeholders, tenants, service users and carers, as well as the development of small-scale demonstration projects to test and develop the council’s findings.

“We already have a very strong track record of working to assist older people stay at home for as long as they can, but we are continually looking to provide our residents with the best services we can,” said Councillor Miller.

“Perth and Kinross has a higher number than average of older residents so it’s especially important that we are always looking for ways in which to improve our services.”