Assistivetech (previously named Careline) is a local service, offering personalised support to people in Monmouthshire. More than a service, Assistivetech helps people to feel safe in their own home, knowing friendly and helpful staff are available any time of the day, any day of the year.
Testimonials
Mrs H: ‘@ssistivetech has certainly met my expectations and has given me a sense of security’.
Carers for Mr B: ‘The service provides peace of mind for him and us, staff are wonderful and the service enables him to stay at home which is what he wants’.
Mrs W: ‘Installation was excellent’.
Mrs S: ‘It gives me more confidence and less fear about not being able to contact anyone should I have a fall’.
Case Study: Pat, aged 83, living in North Monmouthshire
Background
Pat has dementia and is currently still living at home. When family can’t visit, they phone her but this became problematic as using the phone became increasingly confusing for her, making communication difficult.
Seeking Help
Her family reached out to the Assistive Technology team in Monmouthshire and they recommended and installed a Komp device, which was up and running in minutes. The Komp looks like a TV but allows family to make video calls to her. Only people invited to the app can use it, ensuring that only family and friends can connect with her.
Benefits of the Komp
The Komp has several advantages over other devices:
- Simplicity: Its user-friendly design and large screen make it easy to see friendly faces.
- Video Calls: The video call feature has been particularly beneficial, allowing her to stay connected with the family and see her grandchildren regularly.
- Photo Slideshow: When not being used as a video call, family can upload photos to the Komp, which are displayed as a slideshow.
“My mum loves looking at these photos, and it gives us a wonderful opportunity to sit together and talk about the memories and people in the pictures. Even when she doesn’t remember the people in the photos, she recognises that they are happy and friendly faces and that is a comfort to her.” said Pat’s daughter.
Impact on Family
One of Pat’s daughters said, “The Komp had a significant impact on our family. My brother, who lives abroad, was unaware of the extent of our mum’s condition until he saw her through the Komp app. The video call (instead of simple voice call) made him realise how much she had declined. Moved by this, he immediately booked a flight home and visited her the following week.”
Additional Comfort: The Interactive Pet Cat
Pat’s family told us how much she loved animals, so we were pleased to offer the Interactive Pet Cat. Her daughter told us of the impact it made:
“We adopted an interactive pet cat, which has brought us many smiles. My mum is very bonded to it, and it brings her such joy. She has always loved having pets, and she treats this cat like a real one. The cat can meow, move, and purr, or be set to silent mode. She always takes it to bed with her and falls asleep cuddling it on the sofa. The cat taps into her instinct to care for something, providing her with a sense of purpose and calm. She often talks to it, finding great comfort in cuddling it. The cat has become part of our family, attending all our gatherings and always behaving impeccably.”
Conclusion
The introduction of the Komp and the Interactive Pet Cat has significantly improved the quality of life for Pat and her family. These technologies have provided effective communication, emotional comfort. As her condition progresses the family are talking to the Assistive technology team for other ways to support her to live at home for as long as possible.
Case Study : Mrs D, aged 83, living in Caldicot
The lifeline alarm equipment was installed following concerns about her general health.
A review confirmed that Mrs D was very happy with the equipment and she outlined that it made her feel safer living at home. She is fortunate to have a support from her family, this service also provides them with reassurance in the knowledge that, in times when they are not able to visit her, should there be any issues she is able to press her alarm to summons help.
Since the lifeline has been installed she has had cause to raise the alarm a couple of times from and emergency perspective and at the time found it reassuring the control centre operator was able to call for a doctor and an ambulance and they were able to pass on all of her medical information. The operator also called a family member who came and stayed with her whilst they waited for emergency services to arrive. She also has a key safe that the emergency services have used once when her family were not available to attend and she found the control centre only providing the code under these conditions very helpful when her key holder was not available.
The service allows Mrs D the ability to live safely, securely and independently without any other need for social care intervention. Having the lifeline alarm provides her with confidence that should she need to raise the alarm she could do that immediately at any time of the day, and any day of the year, and for that she is very grateful.
Case Study: Mary, Aged 86, from Abergavenny
Mary has lived in Abergavenny all of her life and has many fond memories of the town.
The @ssistivetech equipment helps both her and her family to feel safer and independent knowing that help is at hand should she need it.
Mary had falls previously with the most recent fall leading to hospital admission with a fractured pelvis. Due to the increased risk of falls, Mary has since been provided with a falls detector. A falls detector not only allows Mary to call for help at the press of a button, it is dual purpose and will automatically call the operator by the lifeline should a complete fall be detected. The alert informs the operator if the alarm raised is a pendant press or a falls which enables them to follow the set protocol for the type of emergency alerted.
Having lived at her flat for many years, Mary wants to remain living there. The provision of a Lifeline Alarm with the falls detector goes some way to providing the security and peace of mind Mary needs to remain living in her own home.